AK Steel Employees Receive Prestigious Recognition

WEST CHESTER, OH -- (Marketwired) -- 05/02/16 -- AK Steel (NYSE: AKS) said today that two of the company's employees have been recognized by the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) for distinguished research. Charles Copeland, Process Engineer at AK Steel, and Stuart Street, Technical Manager at AK Steel, have received the AISI "Finalist Medal" for the technical paper titled, "Improving the Reliability of Blast Furnace Blowpipes." The paper highlighted their work at AK Steel's Dearborn Works in Dearborn, Michigan, focusing on an in-depth study of materials, design modifications and maintenance, to create a road map to improve reliability of this key portion of the steel making process.

"We congratulate Charles and Stuart for receiving the Finalist Medal from AISI," said Roger K. Newport, Chief Executive Officer of AK Steel. "We are proud of their work on this award-winning paper that reflects outstanding attention to continuous improvement and collaboration with key stakeholders. It also underscores AK Steel's commitment to creating improved processes which ultimately help us better meet the needs of our customers now and for the future."

According to AISI, the Finalist Medals are awarded for technical papers having special merit and importance in connection with the activities and interests of the iron and steel industry. Papers are judged based on their potential value to the future prosperity of the industry, technical excellence and originality, effective communication and breadth of interest to AISI members.

Mr. Copeland joined AK Steel in 2000 as part of the Manufacturing Operations College Graduate Program. His career with the company has spanned assignments in Steelmaking and the Blast Furnace, including supervisory positions and technical roles supporting primary operations. Mr. Copeland holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from Michigan State University.

Dr. Street joined AK Steel in 2001 as a Senior Metallurgical Process Engineer in the Dearborn Works primary operations. He has held technical roles supporting the Dearborn Works Blast Furnace including the Blast Furnace Reline Project and as a Continuous Improvement Manager. Dr. Street holds a Bachelor of Engineering, Masters of Engineering and a PhD, each in Materials Engineering, from the University of Wollongong, Australia.

AK Steel
AK Steel is a world leader in the production of flat-rolled carbon, stainless and electrical steel products, primarily for automotive, infrastructure and manufacturing, construction and electrical power generation and distribution markets. Headquartered in West Chester, Ohio (Greater Cincinnati), the company employs approximately 8,500 men and women at eight steel plants, two coke plants and two tube manufacturing plants across six states: Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Additional information about AK Steel is available at www.aksteel.com.

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