Officials at the West Chester Twp.-based steelmaker couldn’t be reached for comment Monday or Tuesday, and United Steelworkers Local 3303 President Jerry Erhman said he wouldn’t comment until the company did.
In a statement with the release, AK President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman James Wainscott said the furnaces lower production costs, increase steelmaking capacity and improve product quality.
The new electric arc furnace replaces three existing arc furnaces from the 1960s, according to AK. It has production capacity of 40 percent more than the previous three furnaces.
Butler Works makes flat-rolled electrical and stainless steels and semi-finished slabs.
In other corporate AK news, AK Tube LLC plants in Columbus, Ind., and Walbridge, Ohio, were recognized for safety performance by the Fabricators and Manufacturers Association International, a trade organization for the metal forming and fabricating industry. The Indiana plant received the Safety Award of Honor for the third time Thursday, according to AK. The Walbridge plant received the Safety Award of Merit for the third time.
AK Tube is a wholly owned subsidiary and makes carbon and stainless electric resistance welded tubular steel products.
AK begins negotiations next month with the union at Middletown Works, its largest steel plant.
Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2551 or clevingston@coxohio.com.
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