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Cleveland-Cliffs Inc.
FormerlyCliffs Natural Resources Inc. (2008-2017)
Company typePublic company
NYSE: CLF
S&P 400 Index component
IndustrySteel
Founded1847; 177 years ago (1847) as Cleveland Iron Company in Cleveland, Ohio
FounderSamuel Mather and associates
Headquarters
200 Public Square, Cleveland, Ohio, United States
Key people
C. Lourenco Goncalves, Chairman, CEO & President
Keith A. Koci, CFO
Clifford T. Smith, COO
ProductsSteel
Iron ore pellets
Direct reduced iron
Stainless steel
RevenueDecrease $22.0 billion (2023)[1]
1,939,000,000 United States dollar (2022) Edit this on Wikidata
Decrease $450 million (2023)[2]
Total assetsDecrease $17.537 billion (2023)
Total equityIncrease $8.122 billion (2023)
Number of employees
27,000 (2023)
SubsidiariesAK Steel Holding, Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railroad
Websitewww.clevelandcliffs.com
Footnotes / references
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Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. (CCI, formerly Cliffs Natural Resources) is an American steel manufacturer based in Cleveland, Ohio. They specialize in the mining, beneficiation, and pelletizing of iron ore, as well as steelmaking, including stamping and tooling. The company was the world's 25th-largest steel producer and the third-largest in the United States in 2022. It is the largest flat-rolled steel producer in North America.[3]

Operations

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Cleveland-Cliffs manages and operates four iron ore mines in Minnesota and two mines in Michigan, one of which, the Empire Mine, has been indefinitely idled.[3] These mines produce various grades of iron ore pellets, including standard and fluxed, for use in blast furnaces as part of the steelmaking process as well as Direct Reduced (DR) grade pellets for use in Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) applications. Since the mines are located near the Great Lakes, the majority of the pellets are transported by rail to loading ports for shipments via vessel to steelmakers in North America. During 2020, 2019 and 2018, the company sold 12 million, 19 million and 21 million long tons of iron ore product, respectively, to third parties.[3]

The company operates a Hot-Briquetted Iron (HBI) facility in Toledo, Ohio. HBI is a form of DRI that can be used as an alternative to scrap iron. When used as a feedstock, HBI can enable an electric arc furnace to produce more valuable grades of steel.[3]

It also operates three coke-making facilities in Burns Harbor, Indiana, Monessen, Pennsylvania, and Warren, Ohio, with an annual capacity of 2.6 million tons, as well as a coal mine in Princeton, West Virginia.[3]

Indiana Harbor Works in 2022.

The company operates many fully-integrated steel mills and finishing facilities in Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and North Carolina. It has annual production capacity of approximately 23 million net tons of raw steel.[3]

History

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19th century

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The firm's earliest predecessor was the Cleveland Iron Mining Company, founded in 1847 and chartered as a company by Michigan in 1850.[4][5] Samuel Mather and six Ohio-based associates had learned of rich iron-ore deposits recently discovered in the highlands of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Soon afterwards, the first Soo Locks opened in 1855, allowing iron ore to be shipped from Lake Superior to Lake Erie.

Technological improvements, such as the Bessemer process, made it possible for the North American Great Lakes to produce steel on an industrial scale. The south shore of Lake Erie was near a supply of coal, making that region an efficient point for the construction of steel mills.

The company's request for government intervention quashed the Upper Peninsula miners' strike of 1865.[6]

In the late 1800s, the company expanded via acquisitions to gain market share. The former Cleveland Iron Mining Co. was a survivor of this shakeout, purchasing many of its competitors. One key merger in 1890, with Jeptha Wade's Cliffs Iron Company led the combined firm to change its name to the Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Company.

The company invested substantially to improve the logistics of iron-ore transport. In 1892, the firm built the Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railroad to carry iron ore from the mines directly to company-owned docks on Lake Superior.

20th century

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William G. Mather, the son of Samuel, guided Cleveland-Cliffs as president and later as chairman of the board from 1890 to 1947, participating in the transition from the hard-rock iron ore of Upper Michigan to the soft hematite of Minnesota's Mesabi Range and adjacent lodes.

Under Mather, Cleveland-Cliffs was a leader in the development of the classic-type lake freighter, a bulk-cargo vessel especially designed to carry Great Lakes commodities. The 618-foot-long (188 m) SS. William G. Mather, launched in 1925, is a surviving example of this ship type. For almost a century, the black-hulled Cleveland-Cliffs ships were familiar sights on the upper lakes.

Demand for American iron ore hit peaks during World War I, World War II, and the post-World War II consumer boom. In 1933, Edward Greene (the son-in-law of Jeptha Homer Wade II) replaced William G. Mather as the head of the company. The Mather A Mine opened in the early 1940s and the Mather B shaft in the 1950s. As the Cold War continued, reserves of mineable hematite dwindled in northern Minnesota and Cleveland-Cliffs returned some of its focus to its traditional areas of interest around the Marquette Iron Range, where new deposits of magnetite were opened. The first pellet plant was built at Eagle Mills in 1954, followed by the first grate/kiln plant at the Humboldt Mine in 1960. The Republic Mine was converted from a shaft mine to an open pit and concentrator in 1956 and a two-kiln pellet plant was added in 1962. The Empire Mine opened in 1963[7] and was expanded in the mid- and late-1970s; the Pioneer Pellet Plant was opened in 1965 to pelletize the underground ore from the Mather B Mine in Negaunee, Michigan. In 1974, the Tilden Mine opened in Ishpeming, Michigan. This mine was and is the only mine in the world with the ability to produce both hematite and magnetite pellets.[7]

In 1970, a high-grade iron-ore mine was opened at Pannawonica in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, with a 200 km (120 mi) rail line to processing facilities at Cape Lambert for which the residential township of Wickham was built. A pellet plant was built but ceased operation before 1980, following a sharp increase in the cost of diesel fuel.

During the 1970s, Cleveland-Cliffs had large interests in uranium and shale oil fields, as well as the oil and gas drilling industries. It also had holdings in the forest products industry. This interests were sold in the 1980s when the company refocused its efforts on its core iron ore business.[5]

After the recessions of 1974–1975 and 1981–1983, Cleveland-Cliffs shrank its operations, closing the Mather B Mine and the Pioneer Pellet Plant and associated Ore Improvement Plant in 1979. The Humboldt Pellet Plant closed in 1981 and the Republic Mine was idled in 1981 and closed for good in 1996, when Cliffs began turning the associated tailings ponds into compensatory wetlands for its other properties. Over half of the Marquette Iron Range employees were laid off and, in 1984, Cliffs withdrew from the Great Lakes shipping industry.

In 1994, the company acquired Northshore Mining in Silver Bay, Minnesota.[7]

21st century

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In early 2001, Cleveland-Cliffs managed LTV Steel Mining Company permanently closed in the wake of Ling-Temco-Vought's bankruptcy. Later that year, the company cut its dividend by 73% due to low prices.[8] In 2002, Ling-Temco-Vought, a partner in the Empire Mine managed by CCI, closed and the Empire Mine was idled for six months.[9] President George W. Bush enacted the 2002 United States steel tariff that greatly benefitted domestically-produced steel. Benefitting from the tariff, the company embarked upon a strategy to expand globally and to diversify into other minerals, leading to the acquisitions of iron-ore properties in Brazil, Canada and Australia and coal properties in Australia and the US.[7] In 2003, the company, in a joint venture with Laiwu Steel, purchased the assets of bankrupt Eveleth Mines and formed United Taconite LLC.[10] In 2008, it acquired the full ownership for $100 million in cash and 1,529,619 common shares.[11][12]

In June 2007, the company acquired PinnOak, its first domestic coal company, which mined coal in Alabama and West Virginia and once belonged to U.S. Steel.[13] Due to its venture into coal, the company changed its name from Cleveland-Cliffs to Cliffs Natural Resources in October 2008.[14] In 2008, the company agreed to acquire Alpha Natural Resources but called off the transaction in November 2008 due to the financial crisis of 2007–2008. It paid a $70 million breakup fee.[15]

In January 2010, the company acquired Freewest Resources Canada for C$240 million, giving it 100% ownership of the Black Thor and Black Label, and 47% ownership of the Big Daddy chromite deposits in the Ring of Fire district in the James Bay Lowlands of Ontario, Canada.[16] In July 2010, Cliffs increased its ownership stake in Big Daddy by acquiring Spider Resources for C$125 million. In 2015, these assets were sold to rival Noront Resources, owner of a minority stake in Big Daddy, for US$20 million.[17]

In May 2011, the company acquired Consolidated Thompson Iron Mines from Wuhan Iron and Steel Corporation for C$4.9 billion. The acquisition included Bloom Lake iron ore mine in Quebec.[18][19] On May 5, 2011, the company was added to the Fortune 500. Its ranking of 477 was based on the company's performance in 2010.[20]

The ArcelorMittal mill at Burns Harbor was purchased by Cleveland-Cliffs in 2020.

in July 2013, CEO Joseph Carrabba announced that he would retire by December 31, 2013. Lead director James Kirsch was elected non-executive chairperson in his stead.[21] Gary Halverson, formerly interim chief operating officer of Barrick Gold, was appointed president and chief operating officer in October 2013,[22] and president and chief executive officer in February 2014.[23] At the 2014 annual general meeting, six new directors nominated by activist hedge fund Casablanca Capital were elected, giving the fund control of the board of directors.[24] Lourenco Goncalves was appointed chairman, president and CEO of the company.[25] The reconstituted Board moved to shift the company's strategic objectives from global diversification to a renewed focus on strengthening its U.S. iron ore business.

In December 2015, the company sold its remaining North American coal operations.[26] Cliffs announced plans in early 2016 to close the Empire Mine near Marquette, Michigan, terminating the jobs of approximately 400 workers.[27] The company announced on August 15, 2017, that it was returning to its former brand name, Cleveland-Cliffs Inc.[28] In August 2018, the company sold its Asia Pacific iron ore assets.[29] It also sold its Australian assets.[30]

On March 13, 2020, the company acquired AK Steel Holding for $1.1 billion.[31][32][33] In December 2020, the company acquired the United States operations of ArcelorMittal for approximately $1.4 billion, making it the largest producer of flat-rolled steel and iron ore pellets in North America.[34][35][36]

In February 2022, Cleveland-Cliffs agreed to pay a $3 million settlement related to Clean Water Act violations, including a cyanide and ammonia spill in August 2019 that killed thousands of fish and closed Lake Michigan beaches. After the settlement, Cleveland-Cliffs stated it would change its water testing and public announcement procedures.[37]

On July 28, 2023, Cleveland-Cliffs executives sent a proposal to US Steel CEO David Burnett, to acquire the company for a total enterprise value of $10 billion, in a cash and stock deal.[38] The proposal has been endorsed by the United Steelworkers,[39] but was rejected by US Steel on August 13.[40] Ultimately, Cleveland-Cliffs failed to purchase U.S. Steel as the company agreed to be acquired by Japan's Nippon Steel instead for $14.9 billion.[41]

On July 15, 2024, Cleveland-Cliffs announced that it would acquire Stelco, a Canadian steel manufacturer, for $2.5 billion in cash and stock.[42]

Archives

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Cleveland-Cliffs has deposited many of its pre-1981 papers in the Historical Collections of the Great Lakes at Bowling Green State University[4] as well as Central Upper Peninsula Archives at Northern Michigan University.

Carbon footprint

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Cleveland-Cliffs reported total CO2e emissions (direct + indirect) for December 31, 2020, at 32,200 Kt.[43]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Cleveland-Cliffs Reports Full-Year and Fourth-Quarter 2023 Results". February 1, 2024.
  2. ^ "Cleveland-Cliffs Reports Full-Year and Fourth-Quarter 2023 Results". February 1, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g "Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. 2020 Form 10-K Annual Report". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
  4. ^ a b "Cleveland Cliffs Iron Company: GLMS 62". Bowling Green State University.
  5. ^ a b "Encyclopedia of Cleveland History: CLEVELAND-CLIFFS INC". Case Western Reserve University. June 29, 2018.
  6. ^ Reynolds, Terry S.; Dawson, Virginia P. (2011). Iron Will: Cleveland-Cliffs and the Mining of Iron Ore, 1847-2006. Detroit: Wayne State University Press. p. 40. ISBN 978-0-8143-3511-6.
  7. ^ a b c d "A History of Cleveland-Cliffs: 1847–2017 Timeline". Cleveland-Cliffs. August 15, 2023.
  8. ^ Lazo, Shirley (January 14, 2002). "Cleveland-Cliffs Steels Itself". Barron's.
  9. ^ Brinzo, John S. (February 28, 2003). "Letter to Our Shareholders".
  10. ^ "Cleveland-Cliffs 2003 Annual Report" (PDF).
  11. ^ "Cleveland-Cliffs becomes sole owner of United Taconite". Duluth News Tribune. July 14, 2008.
  12. ^ "Cleveland-Cliffs acquires minority partner's interest in United Taconite". Jones Day. July 2008.
  13. ^ "Cleveland-Cliffs Announces Acquisition of PinnOak Resources, Major Metallurgical Coal Producer" (Press release). Cleveland-Cliffs. June 14, 2007 – via Thomas Register.
  14. ^ Baisden, Steve (October 18, 2008). "Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. Is Now Cliffs Natural Resources Inc" (PDF) (Press release). Cliffs Natural Resources.
  15. ^ "Cliffs calls off Alpha Natural Resources deal". The Plain Dealer. November 17, 2008.
  16. ^ Hill, Liezel (January 27, 2010). "Cliffs completes Freewest acquisition". Mining Weekly.
  17. ^ "Noront Resources to Acquire Cliffs Chromite Properties in the Ring of Fire" (Press release). GlobeNewswire. March 23, 2015.
  18. ^ "Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. Announces Definitive Agreement to Acquire Consolidated Thompson Iron Mines Limited for C$4.9 Billion, or C$17.25 in Cash Per Share" (Press release). Cleveland-Cliffs. January 11, 2011.
  19. ^ Lee, Joyce (May 12, 2011). "Cliffs Natural Resources completes C$4.9 billion acquisition of Consolidated Thompson Iron Mines from Wuhan Iron and Steel". McCarthy Tétrault.
  20. ^ "Cliffs Natural Resources Joins Ranks of the Fortune 500" (Press release). Cliffs Natural Resources. May 6, 2011 – via PR Newswire.
  21. ^ "Cliffs Natural CEO Joseph Carrabba to retire by year end". Reuters. July 9, 2013.
  22. ^ "Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. Announces the Appointment of New President and Chief Operating Officer" (Press release). Cliffs Natural Resources. October 25, 2013.
  23. ^ Moran, Jessica & Persico, Patricia (February 13, 2014). "Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. Announces the Appointment of Gary B. Halverson as President and Chief Executive Officer" (PDF) (Press release). Cliffs Natural Resources.
  24. ^ De La Merced, Michael J. (July 29, 2014). "Activist Hedge Fund Claims Victory at Mining Company Cliffs Natural Resources". The New York Times.
  25. ^ Persico, Patricia (August 7, 2014). "Lourenco Goncalves Appointed Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cliffs Natural Resources Inc". Yahoo.com. Cliffs Natural Resources, Inc. Retrieved March 14, 2024 – via GlobalNewswire.
  26. ^ "Cliff Natural Resources Inc. Completes the Sale of its Remaining North American Coal Business" (Press release). PR Newswire. December 22, 2015.
  27. ^ "CEO: Empire Mine in Upper Peninsula will close". Detroit Free Press. March 25, 2016.
  28. ^ Suttell, Scott (August 15, 2017). "It's back to the future for Cliffs Natural Resources, which has returned to its old name: Cleveland-Cliffs Inc". Crain Communications.
  29. ^ "Cleveland-Cliffs Completes the Sale of its Asia Pacific Iron Ore Assets" (Press release). Business Wire. August 28, 2018.
  30. ^ Bowers, Lisa (August 31, 2018). "Sold: Cleveland Cliffs sale of Australia assets". The Mining Journal.
  31. ^ "Cleveland-Cliffs Completes Acquisition of AK Steel" (Press release). Business Wire. March 13, 2020.
  32. ^ "Cleveland-Cliffs Completes Acquisition of AK Steel". IndustryWeek. March 13, 2020.
  33. ^ McCrabb, Rick (September 30, 2020). "AK Steel now part of North America's largest steel producer: What the deal means". Dayton Daily News.
  34. ^ "Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. Completes Acquisition of ArcelorMittal USA" (Press release). Cleveland-Cliffs. December 9, 2020.
  35. ^ Miller, Ben (December 9, 2020). "Cleveland-Cliffs completes $1.4 billion ArcelorMittal USA acquisition". The Plain Dealer.
  36. ^ Whitmire, Lou (December 9, 2020). "Cleveland-Cliffs completes purchase of ArcelorMittal USA operations". Mansfield News Journal.
  37. ^ "Cleveland-Cliffs to pay $3 million in settlement for spill on Lake Michigan". WFYI. February 15, 2022.
  38. ^ Goncalves, Lourenco (July 28, 2023). Letter to David S. Sutherland and David B. Burritt, United States Steel Corporation (PDF). Cleveland: Cleveland-Cliffs. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 17, 2023. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  39. ^ Dalton, Alex (August 14, 2023). "U.S. Steel Rejects Cleveland-Cliffs' $7.3B Acquisition Deal". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  40. ^ Tita, Bob (August 13, 2023). "U.S. Steel Rejects Offer from Cleveland-Cliffs". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  41. ^ Bell, Valerie (January 5, 2024). "Japanese company to buy U.S. Steel: What does that mean for Alabama?". ABC3340. Birmingham, Alabama: WBMA-TV. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
  42. ^ Tita, Bob (July 15, 2024). "Cleveland-Cliffs in $2.5 Billion Deal to Buy Canadian Steelmaker Stelco". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
  43. ^ Cleveland-Cliffs. Sustainability Report for 2020 (PDF). Cleveland-Cliffs. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 1, 2021.
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