Steel Mills

AK Steel Employee Honored with Award for Women in Leadership
Written by Sandy Williams
April 17, 2019
AK Steel announced that longtime engineering employee, Laura Szpot, was recognized by the Manufacturing Institute as one of the 2019 STEP Ahead Award honorees who exemplify leadership in Science, Technology, Engineering or Production.
Laura was among honorees recently recognized by the Manufacturing Institute in Washington, D.C. The Manufacturing Institute is an authority on the attraction, qualification and development of world-class manufacturing talent. As part of that work, the Institute champions diversity, works to empower women leaders and represent all levels of the manufacturing industry.
“We are proud of Laura’s achievement and are pleased to participate in the Manufacturing Institute’s event to recognize women in manufacturing,” said Roger K. Newport, AK Steel Chief Executive Officer. “Science, technology and manufacturing roles are key to enable us to deliver innovative steel solutions to meet our customers’ needs, and to drive manufacturing for our company and our nation.”
Laura joined AK Steel in 1981 and has progressed through a number of roles in Quality Control at AK Steel’s Middletown Works in Middletown, Ohio. She is currently Manager, Routing and Applications, where she manages the Product Metallurgy group. Laura holds a Bachelor of Science in Materials Science from the School of Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
While women make up nearly half the U.S. labor force, that number lags in manufacturing. “The Manufacturing Institute’s STEP Ahead awards are an important element of our commitment to helping foster a 21st century manufacturing workforce by developing current leaders and engaging future ones,” said Carolyn Lee, Executive Director of the Manufacturing Institute.

Sandy Williams
Read more from Sandy WilliamsLatest in Steel Mills

BREAKING NEWS: Cliffs plans to idle three mills, cut 950 jobs on ‘insufficient demand and pricing’
Cleveland-Cliffs plans to indefinitely idle its steel mill in Riverdale, Ill., as well as mills in Conshohocken, Pa., and Steelton, Pa. The Cleveland-based steelmaker said all three facilities would be idled on or around June 30. Approximately 950 jobs will be impacted, the company said.

CRU: Usiminas may reduce capex unless government strengthens protection
“The lack of effective measures to create fair competition, amid a surge in subsidized imports, is the main threat to the sustainability of Brazil’s steel industry and its value chain,” CEO Marcelo Chara said.

USS swings to loss in first quarter on N. American flat-rolled segment woes
U.S. Steel CEO praised the company’s resilience, “despite the seasonally low results driven by annual mining logistics constraints in our North American Flat-Rolled segment and lagging spot prices.”

Nucor gives updates on new capacity coming online
Nucor said several of its capital projects will start operations within the next year and provided an update on them.

Algoma swings to loss on ‘market challenges’ and ‘tariff uncertainties’
Canada’s Algoma Steel swung to a loss in the first quarter amid "market challenges," and the company now expects first steel production from its first EAF in the second quarter.