WEST CHESTER, OH--(Marketwired - Jun 15, 2016) - AK Steel (NYSE: AKS) received the "Best Operational Improvement" award for its Dearborn Works from American Metal Market (AMM), a leading metal industry publication. The award recognizes the company for its dramatic improvements in safety, environment, quality and reliability following AK Steel's acquisition of the Dearborn, Michigan facility in September 2014.

"It is an honor to receive this outstanding recognition from American Metal Market," said Roger K. Newport, Chief Executive Officer of AK Steel. "We are pleased to be recognized for our holistic integration plan to ensure AK Steel's established practices, procedures and reporting methods are being implemented at the facility. Our acquisition of and continued improvement at Dearborn Works has strengthened AK Steel as a premier North American steel manufacturer, and enhanced our ability to serve customers by ensuring our best practices are being applied across our operations."

In addition to this award for "Best Operational Improvement," this year AK Steel was a finalist for AMM's "Best Product Innovation" award along with the NanoSteel Company for the joint development of Third Generation Advanced High-Strength Steel. That new-to-the-world product represents a leap in the combination of high strength and elongation, creating new opportunities for automotive lightweighting and design freedom.

AK Steel was also a finalist in 2015 for the "Best Mergers and Acquisitions" award from AMM for the company's successful September 2014 acquisition of Dearborn Works in Dearborn, Michigan, and "Best Product Innovation" award for the introduction of its CHROMESHIELD® 22 to the marketplace, a breakthrough nickel-free stainless steel product.

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.