AK Steel has named Gary T. Barlow, 48, as Vice President, Sales and Customer Service, effective September 1, 2010. Barlow succeeds Douglas W. Gant, who is retiring after 30 years of service to the company.
Gant joined AK Steel’s predecessor, Armco, in its Detroit sales office in 1980, progressing through a number of sales and marketing positions before being named Vice President, Sales and Customer Service of AK Steel in January 2004.
“Doug Gant has served our company and our customers well for three decades, and we offer our most sincere thanks and best wishes as he concludes a long and successful career with AK Steel,” said James L. Wainscott, Chairman, President and CEO. “Under Doug’s leadership, new benchmarks were established at AK Steel for sales and customer service.”
Barlow joined AK Steel in May 2010 from Chicago-based Ryerson Inc., a metals processing and distributing company, where he was most recently President, Northeast Region. Prior to joining Ryerson, he served in several auditing and financial service capacities at Bank of America.
Barlow holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Clemson University, and an MBA in International Business from the University of North Carolina. His MBA coursework and residencies were completed in Hong Kong, New Delhi, Rotterdam, Istanbul, Mexico, and Brazil. He is a Certified Public Accountant.
“Gary is a seasoned sales veteran with a solid background in the metals industry. Like Doug Gant, he understands the value of serving our customers better than any other steelmaker. We welcome Gary to this important senior management role at AK Steel,” said Wainscott.
AK Steel produces flat-rolled carbon, stainless, and electrical steels, primarily for automotive, appliance, construction and electrical power generation and distribution markets. The company employs about 6200 people in Middletown, Mansfield, Coshocton, and Zanesville, Ohio; Butler, Pa.; Ashland, Ky.; Rockport, Ind.; and its corporate headquarters in West Chester, Ohio.
AK Tube LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of AK Steel, employs about 300 people in plants in Walbridge, Ohio, and Columbus, Ind. It produces carbon and stainless electric resistance welded (ERW) tubular steel products for truck, automotive, and other markets.