Direct casting and rolling help?

Hi, my company currently casts stainless steel billets, we are however looking to expand into SS bar and rod market. one option that we have is to buy used rolling mill with reheating furnaces, breakdown section, intermediate section and so on, I would like instead to start rolling direct after the casting while billets are hot. What are the biggest challenges in this procedure and what would be cost benefit of doing it this way. Presumably lower operating costs and higher equipment cost? How much, etc.?