Steel Mills

AK Steel CEO Wainscott Honored by the Association of Steel Distributors

November 3, 2013

CHICAGO — The Association of Steel Distributors (ASD) recently honored James L. Wainscott, chairman, president and CEO of AK Steel, with the 2013 Captain of Industry award. The award, which was presented at the ASD Annual Fall Conference and is one of the highest honors in the steel industry, is presented to individuals who have demonstrated and implemented significant advancements within the steel industry. The ASD Board of Directors officially recognized Wainscott at a black-tie event on Saturday, Oct. 26, in Las Vegas.

ASD’s Captain of Industry award was created to recognize those who have exhibited exemplary vision, extraordinary leadership, and who have had an everlasting influence on the steel industry. Wainscott truly represents what it means to be a Captain of the Industry. He has been in the industry for 32 years, joining AK Steel as vice president and treasurer in 1995. He was named CEO in 1997; president, CEO and a member of the board of directors in 2003; and chairman of the board in 2006.

“James Wainscott has a genuine commitment to growing manufacturing in America, which aligns with the mission of ASD’s Board of Directors and membership,” said ASD President Lisa Goldenberg. “As president of ASD, it was a personal highlight of my career to honor Jim with our Captain of Industry award, which recognizes his amazing contributions to our industry.”

In addition to Wainscott’s leadership at AK Steel, he serves as a member of the board of Parker Hanifin Corporation. He is chairman of the Steel Market Development Institute and a member of the Washington, D.C.-based Business Roundtable. Wainscott is also the former chairman of the American Iron and Steel Institute and a recipient of the institute’s Gary Memorial Medal for his contributions to the North American Steel Industry.

“James Wainscott receiving the Association of Steel Distributors’ Captain of Industry award exemplifies the leadership and fortitude he has demonstrated during his years heading up AK Steel,” said Bill Feniger, president of Universal Metals, LLC, and ASD 2013 Fall Conference chair. “The past decade has presented unprecedented challenges for the steel industry, and AK not only has survived, but grown, and gained the highest respect from its customers.”

Wainscott is the third recipient of the ASD Captain of Industry award. Previous recipients include Steel Dynamics Chairman Keith Busse and Dan DiMicco, executive chairman of Nucor. (Source: ASD Press Release)