AISI presents Steel Champion Award to Ohio senator

Sen. Rob Portman (center) receives the Steel Champion Award from Thomas J. Gibson, president and CEO of AISI (left), and James L. Wainscott, chairman, president, and CEO of AK Steel (right).

AK Steel, West Chester, Ohio, has announced that Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, was presented with the AISI 2015 Congressional Steel Champion Award at AK Steel’s Zanesville, Ohio, works. The award recognizes Portman for his dedication to and support of the U.S. steel industry and its employees.

“AK Steel and other domestic steelmakers have faced a tidal wave of what we believe are unfairly traded imports," said James L. Wainscott, chairman, president, and CEO of AK Steel. "Senator Portman has been a leader in championing improvements to the trade laws, which help level the playing field so our industry can remain competitive."

Portman was a lead co-sponsor of legislation authored by Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, that was signed into law last month to help give U.S. companies, including the steel industry, new tools to fight unfair trade practices.

AISI President and CEO Thomas Gibson commended Portman's support: "Senator Portman played a key role in getting recent trade legislation signed into law to improve the effectiveness of antidumping and countervailing duty laws to combat unfairly traded imports. These come at a key time for the steel industry."

AK Steel produces flat-rolled carbon, stainless, and electrical steel products for the automotive, infrastructure and manufacturing, construction, and electrical power generation and distribution markets.