General Motors Co. named the steelmakers as 2018 Suppliers of the Year. The companies received the award during a ceremony last week. 

“We hold our suppliers to a high bar,” said GM senior vice president Steve Kiefer, who oversees its global purchasing and supply chain operations. “They went above and beyond to deliver the innovations and quality that will help us earn customers for life.”

Award winners are chosen by a team of GM executives in purchasing, engineering, quality, manufacturing and logistics executives. Winners are selected based on number of performance measures.

For AK Steel, this is the second year in a row that it has received GM Supplier of the Year honors.

“It is a testimony to our innovative steel products and the outstanding product quality, delivery, service and support, which our team provides to General Motors each and every day,” said AK Steel chief executive Roger Newport.

The award is a first for Nucor, and a first for an EAF-based steelmaker, Nucor said.

"This is a tremendous accomplishment for our team, as we are the first electric arc furnace steelmaker to receive this recognition," said Nucor chairman and chief executive John Ferriola.

"We have made significant investments to expand our automotive product portfolio and are focused on providing exceptional customer service. As a result, we continue to gain share in this important market," he said.