AKS AK Steel Holding Corp

AK Steel (NYSE: AKS) announced today that it has entered into a licensing agreement involving its aluminized boron press hardenable steel product, ULTRALUME® PHS.  This product is a high strength, high formability steel that is hot stamped into parts for the automotive industry.   

Under this agreement with ArcelorMittal, AK Steel has full rights to manufacture and sell its ULTRALUME® PHS product for hot stamping and its customers are permitted to stamp and use the product in the United States, Canada and Mexico. 

AK Steel will be the sole licensee, along with the licensor's subsidiaries, permitted to produce aluminized boron press hardenable steel in the United States, Canada or Mexico to be processed pursuant to ArcelorMittal’s licensed patents about the press hardening of parts made of aluminized boron high strength steel.  This licensing agreement is a part of the settlement of a patent infringement case that has been pending in the Federal District Court for the District of Delaware between the parties. 

AK Steel expects to significantly expand its sales of this important automotive product as a result of the dispute being resolved.

AK SteelAK Steel is a leading producer of flat-rolled carbon, stainless and electrical steel products, primarily for the automotive, infrastructure and manufacturing, including electrical power, and distributors and converters markets. Through its subsidiaries, the company also provides customer solutions with carbon and stainless steel tubing products, hot- and cold-stamped components, and die design and tooling. Headquartered in West Chester, Ohio (Greater Cincinnati), the company has approximately 9,500 employees at manufacturing operations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, and facilities in Western Europe. Additional information about AK Steel is available at www.aksteel.com.

Contacts: Media – Lisa H. Jester, Corporate Manager, Communications and Public Relations (513) 425-2510Investors – Douglas O. Mitterholzer, General Manager, Investor Relations (513) 425-5215