A sign of the times: AK Steel signs in Middletown changing to Cleveland-based owner

In March, Lourenco Goncalves, chairman, president and CEO of Cleveland-Cliffs, sent out a company wide email announcing the name change.

Cleveland-Cliffs has “undergone significant transformation” with the acquisitions of AK Steel and ArcelorMittal USA assets, said Pat Persico, a company spokeswoman.

Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. bought the U.S. assets of ArcelorMittal for $1.4 billion last year, making it the largest flat-rolled steel producer in North America, officials said.

“While we appreciate and respect the legacy AK Steel name, we will be retiring the name and brand over the coming months,” she said last month.

It’s unclear how many AK Steel signs around Middletown will be changed, including the AK Steel Pavilion along the Great Miami River and the AK Steel Soccer Fields at Jacot Park.

Neil Douglas, president of IAM Local 1943, has said the name change “makes sense” and he doesn’t believe it will impact operations at the Middletown Works.

Since AK Steel was purchased, Douglas said he has seen a production increase. He said business is “booming” and AK, the third largest private employer in Butler County, is hiring.

AK Steel has 2,421 employees and trails Cincinnati Financial Corporation and GE Aviation in West Chester as the largest private employers in the county. Douglas said AK Steel has about 1,850 hourly union employees.

Other Middletown leaders said they believe, regardless of its name, the steelmaker will remain active in the community.

Rick Pearce, president of the Chamber of Commerce serving Middletown, Monroe and Trenton, said the chamber looks forward to “a new beginning” and working with Cleveland-Cliffs in the community.

Building a qualified workforce is a major initiative for the chamber, and it will continue to work closely with the steelmaker and other members to build awareness and supply talent to their workforce, he said.

City Manager Jim Palenick said Middletown values the more than 120-year history of AK Steel and looks forward to its continued success as Cleveland-Cliffs. He said Cleveland-Cliffs is “a premier steel manufacturer” that has “a vested interest and commitment” in its Ohio home.