Felman Production, Inc.
Large load · 4442 GRAHAM STATION RD, Letart, WV
Felman Production, Inc. (listed in its WARN filing as Felman Production, LLC) runs a ferro-silicomanganese plant at 4442 Graham Station Road in Letart, Mason County, West Virginia, on the Ohio River. The company was founded in 2006 and is headquartered in New Haven, West Virginia. It describes itself as one of only two U.S. producers of ferro-silicomanganese, an alloy additive used in steelmaking. In a July 13, 2026 WARN Act notice, the company said it will cease production operations, including furnace operation, on or about August 31, 2026, for at least six months. The notice covers about 98 employees at Letart and cites prolonged low pricing, import competition and lack of demand as the reasons for the decision.
Overview
The company's WARN Act notice is dated July 13, 2026 and was addressed to WorkForce West Virginia's Dislocated Worker Services Unit in Charleston. It states that the company has made the decision to cease production operations at its Letart facility, including the operation of its furnaces, on or about August 31, 2026, for at least six months. Separations are expected to begin on or about September 13, 2026, and the cessation is expected to affect approximately 98 employees. Some employees will remain for safety, security, maintenance and management functions. WCHS reported on July 31, 2026 that the halt would take effect toward the end of August. The notice ties the decision to prolonged low pricing, lost market share to imported material and falling demand for domestic production.
Profile
- Product and plant logistics
- Felman makes ferro-silicomanganese, a deoxidizer and alloy additive that the company says is used in steel manufacturing. A 2023 company release states that its products are distributed to steelmakers across North and South America and that the company is one of only two producers of the alloy in the United States. The Letart plant sits on the Ohio River and has its own barge facility and an internal rail system, with access by rail, water and truck. The company reported more than 100 employees at that time, and the WARN notice puts the affected workforce at about 98 for the Letart cessation.
- 2023 sales agreement and labor contract
- In February 2023 Felman announced a five-year agreement to sell ferro-silicomanganese to a multi-billion-dollar, publicly traded U.S. steel and metal manufacturer. The release, dated February 9, 2023, names Mordechai Korf and Uriel Laber as the leaders of the company and says the plant employed more than 100 workers. Earlier that year Felman reached a labor agreement with the United Steelworkers and its affiliated Local Union No. 5171, which the company said secured dozens of competitively paid jobs at the plant. The company framed the sales deal as stable demand that would let it focus on plant operations and environmental initiatives.
Facility
- Activity
- Ferro-silicomanganese
- Industry
- Manufacturing
- Site type
- Facility
- Operating status
- Idled
Timeline
- Feb 3, 2017
- Ohio Attorney General letter names Felman Production, LLC (Letart, WV) as one of two remaining U.S. manganese ferroalloy producers
ohioattorneygeneral.gov
- Feb 9, 2023
- Felman announces five-year agreement to sell ferro-silicomanganese to a U.S. steel and metal manufacturer
Steel Technology
- Jul 13, 2026
- WARN Act notice filed with WorkForce West Virginia announcing the Letart production cessation
wchstv.com
- Jul 31, 2026