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AK Steel adds 200 jobs

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Staff photo by Nick Graham AK Steel has hired more than 200 people at its Middletown Works plant in the last year and is still hiring.

Productivity has about doubled from a year ago, company reports.

By Jessica Heffner, Staff Writer Updated 8:09 AM Thursday, September 2, 2010

MIDDLETOWN — Increased orders have upped productivity at AK Steel Corp., equating to hundreds of new jobs at the local plant.

Scott Rich, president of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local Lodge 1943, said more than 200 jobs have been added at Middletown Works alone since October 2009.

To date, the company has filled all its open positions at Middletown Works, but AK’s plant in Ashland, Ky. is still hiring, Rich said.

The jobs represent a stark contrast to the state of the local mill a little more than a year ago due to the economy. At the height of the recession in May 2009, AK Steel had 1,000 workers on layoff companywide, 370 of whom were hourly employees at Middletown Works, according to the company.

AK recalled its last batch of laid-off workers in August 2009. About 1,652 hourly workers are represented by the Machinists.

“It has been a remarkable turnaround,” Rich said.

Jim Wainscott, chairman, president and CEO of AK Steel, said in the company’s earnings report conference call July 27 that the steelmaker is running at about double the productivity it was a year ago. Revenues for the first half of the year were up $1.3 billion to $3 billion compared to the same point in 2009, in part to marginally higher auto sales and housing starts.

“As far as the economic recovery is concerned, there is no doubt in my mind that things are better,” Wainscott said. “But even though things are better than they were say a year ago, we still have a long way to go.”

Rich said Middletown Works is running at 85 percent capacity, compared to just 45 percent a year ago.

To apply for a job at AK Steel, go to www.ll1943.org and click on the employment opportunities link in the right sidebar.

Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2843 or jheffner@coxohio.com.

“It has been a remarkable turnaround.”

Scott Rich

President of International Association of Machinists and Aeorspace Workers Local Lodge 1943

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