Braidy Industries CEO resigns. Company’s announcement gives few details.

The CEO of Braidy Industries, which proposed an aluminum mill near Ashland that has been at the center of several controversies since it was first announced, will step down, according to a press release from the company.

Craig Bouchard will step down as CEO but will remain on the company’s board of directors, according to the release.

The announcement did not provide any reason for Bouchard’s shift of responsibilities.

Braidy named its current president, Tom Modrowski, a Kentucky native, as its interim CEO.

“The board is grateful to Craig for his vision, energy and dedication to the Kentucky operation,” said Charles Price, Chairman of Braidy’s board of directors. “Tom and the board will continue to focus our efforts on completing fundraising and planning for construction of the Ashland mill.”

The aluminum mill is still on course for its expected completion date of 2021, the company said.

Braidy Industries has been racked by controversy since former Gov. Matt Bevin announced, two years ago, that he would invest $15 million of state money into the project.

The state investment led to a court battle, led by the Courier-Journal, for records detailing the company’s finances. Gov. Andy Beshear’s administration released those records earlier this month.

The company has also been criticized for its $200 million deal with Rusal, a major Russian aluminum company that was blacklisted by the U.S. Government until January 2019.

Braidy officials have said they expect the plant to cost $1.7 billion and bring hundreds of jobs to the Ashland area.

This story was originally published January 30, 2020 at 7:32 PM.