AISI names Rob Portman as ‘Steel Champion’

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Republican Senator from Ohio, Rob Portman has been awarded the “2015 Congressional Steel Champion Award” for his exemplarary dedcication and support to the country’s steel industry and its employees.

The award was presented at a ceremony held at AK Steel’s Zanesville, Ohio works. James L. Wainscott, Chairman, President and CEO of AK Steel, and Thomas J. Gibson, President and CEO of AISI presented the award.Representatives from AK Steel’s corporate headquarters and employees of the plant attended the award presentation ceremony.

According to Mr. Wainscott, the US domestic steel industry has been passing through extremely difficult times, mainly on account of unfairly traded imports. He applauded the efforts made by Portman towards bringing forth major improvements to trade laws, so as to keep the industry competitive. Thomas Gibson too noted that Portman played a key role in getting the recent trade legislation to improve the effectiveness of antidumping and countervailing duty laws signed into law.

After receiving the award, Portman conducted a tour of AK Steel’s Zanesville plant and interacted with company employees.

AISI serves as the voice of the North American steel industry in the public policy arena and advances the case for steel in the marketplace as the preferred material of choice. AISI also plays a lead role in the development and application of new steels and steelmaking technology. AISI is comprised of 19 member companies, including integrated and electric furnace steelmakers, and approximately 125 associate members who are suppliers to or customers of the steel industry.