Minnesota iron mine commissions Komatsu P&H 2800XPB electric rope shovel, built in Wisconsin by American workers as part of $110 million equipment investment—restoring domestic mining leadership and creating American jobs
[NASHWAUK, MN] – Today, Mesabi Metallics Company LLC (Mesabi Metallics) celebrated its American mining equipment fleet with the commissioning of its Komatsu P&H 2800XPB electric rope shovel, marking a major milestone in the company’s mission to build a world-class iron ore mine in the United States, powered by American-made equipment and staffed by American workers. This commissioning is a direct reflection of the ongoing reshoring of U.S. industry underway on Minnesota’s Iron Range.
The shovel is part of Mesabi Metallics’ $110 million investment in large-scale mining equipment, one of the boldest such investments in American mining in a generation. The vast majority of Komatsu equipment operating at the Mesabi Metallics site was manufactured in the United States—from Wisconsin to Illinois to Texas—and assembled on site in Nashwauk, Minnesota.
The Komatsu P&H 2800XPB is a 100 percent electrically-powered mining shovel operating on 7,200 volts. Shovel components were built in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and designed for high-volume material movement and will be used to load Mesabi Metallics’ ultra-class 400-ton haul trucks. The electric system replaces conventional diesel power and provides consistent torque, strong efficiency and reliable performance under continuous operation.
“This commissioning is a powerful statement about what American industry can achieve. The P&H 2800XPB was built in Wisconsin, assembled in Minnesota and will produce the premium DR-grade iron ore pellets that American steelmakers need to compete and win. This is exactly what reshoring U.S. industry looks like in practice—building new mines, buying American equipment and creating American jobs,” said Joe Broking, President & CEO of Mesabi Metallics. “We are ramping toward full production in Q3 2026, and this spring we will launch a significant hiring push to bring more Minnesotans on board.”
Komatsu—the manufacturer of the P&H 2800XPB shovel and Mesabi Metallics’ fleet of ultra-class 400-ton haul trucks—employs more than 8,000 Americans across the United States, with major manufacturing and production facilities in Wisconsin, Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky, Texas, South Carolina, Utah, Illinois and more.
“Komatsu is proud to manufacture this equipment right here in America. The P&H 2800XPB was built in Milwaukee by skilled American workers and is designed for exactly this kind of world-class operation at Mesabi Metallics,” said James Thune, Komatsu Regional Manager on the Iron Range. “Seeing it commissioned at Mesabi Metallics is a proud moment for our team and for American manufacturing.”
“By choosing Komatsu equipment, Mesabi Metallics is not just building a mine in Minnesota—it is supporting manufacturing jobs and economic activity across the American industrial heartland,” continued Broking.
Mesabi Metallics’ project represents a once-in-a-generation investment in American industrial capacity. With approximately $2.5 billion already invested, the company is constructing the first new mine and iron ore pellet plant in Minnesota in nearly 50 years, on over 16,000 acres in Nashwauk. The facility will produce premium DR-grade iron ore pellets, supplying domestic electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmakers, strengthening and securing American supply chains, reducing dependence on foreign imports and driving growth across the domestic steel sector.
“This is not offshored. This is not outsourced. This is American mining, with American equipment, producing American steel inputs—from the Iron Range of Minnesota to the steel mills of the United States,” continued Broking.
Note to editor: Photos from the commissioning event on Wednesday at Mesabi Metallics are attached.
