Leaders of Alabama steel mills and iron foundries have organized the Alabama Iron & Steel Council.
State Labor Commissioner Jim Bennett, whose office is administering the group, said Gov. Bob Riley wants the council to promote common interests of the state's five existing steel mills, plus the ThyssenKrupp mill under construction in Calvert.
Bennett said the group will also explore shared interests between steel and the state's large iron pipe industry, including workforce development, environmental issues, and incentive needs.
The group is scheduled to meet in Mobile Sept. 9.
