Worthington Steel Earns John Deere’s Highest Supplier Rating for 14th Consecutive Year; Receives Inaugural Community Engagement Award
COLUMBUS, Ohio–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
Worthington Steel, Inc. (NYSE: WS) today announced it has again been recognized as a Partner-level supplier in the John Deere Achieving Excellence Program, marking 14 consecutive years earning this distinction. In addition, Worthington Steel was selected as the U.S. and Canada region recipient of John Deere’s inaugural Community Engagement Award, recognizing suppliers who demonstrate exceptional commitment to improving the communities where they operate.
Partner-level status is Deere & Company’s highest supplier rating, awarded to companies that consistently deliver exceptional quality, service and continuous improvement.
“This recognition reflects how our team shows up every day to deliver for our customers. I’m proud of the consistency they bring, not just in supporting John Deere, but in how they give back to the communities where we operate,” said Geoff Gilmore, president and CEO of Worthington Steel.
The Community Engagement Award recognizes suppliers who exemplify John Deere’s core value of Humanity through meaningful contributions to the communities where they operate. Worthington Steel was honored for its people-first approach to giving back, supported by employee volunteerism, company-sponsored initiatives and nonprofit partnerships.
In 2025, Worthington Steel employees contributed nearly 5,000 volunteer hours across a wide range of efforts, from addressing food insecurity and supporting youth programs to environmental stewardship and community outreach. A cornerstone of this work was the Company’s “70 for Good” initiative, launched in celebration of its 70th anniversary, which mobilized employees across its global footprint to support nonprofit organizations through service and donations.
In addition to employee-led efforts, Worthington Steel supports communities through The Worthington Companies Foundation, which contributed $3.1 million to 73 nonprofit organizations in fiscal 2025.
Members of Worthington Steel’s dedicated John Deere account team accepted the awards last week at John Deere’s annual award ceremony in East Moline, Ill.
Worthington Steel supplies hot-rolled and cold-rolled cut-to-length steel sheets to several John Deere operations, including Harvester Works in East Moline, Ill., Ottumwa Works in Ottumwa, Iowa and Horicon Works in Horicon, Wis., supporting the production of combine harvesters, hay and forage equipment and utility vehicles. The company also serves John Deere’s Des Moines Works in Ankeny, Iowa, which produces cotton harvesters and sprayers, as well as multiple seeding equipment facilities across the Midwest, including locations in Moline, Ill., Valley City, N.D. and Paton, Iowa.
John Deere’s Achieving Excellence Program evaluates suppliers annually across multiple performance categories, including quality, delivery, process alignment, relationship and value creation. Worthington Steel’s long history of recognition includes John Deere Supplier of the Year awards in 2007 and 2015, a Supplier Innovation award in 2015 and Hall of Fame status in 2016 and 2021 for attaining back-to-back Partner-level ratings for five consecutive years.
About Worthington Steel
Worthington Steel (NYSE:WS) is a metals processor that partners with customers to deliver highly technical and customized solutions. Worthington Steel’s expertise in carbon flat-roll steel processing, electrical steel laminations and tailor welded solutions is driving steel toward a more sustainable future.
As one of the most trusted metals processors in North America, Worthington Steel and its approximately 6,000 employees harness the power of steel to advance our customers’ visions through value-added processing capabilities including galvanizing, pickling, configured blanking, specialty cold reduction, lightweighting and electrical lamination. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Worthington Steel operates 37 facilities in seven states and 10 countries. Following a people-first Philosophy, commitment to sustainability and proven business system, Worthington Steel’s purpose is to generate positive returns by providing trusted and innovative solutions for customers, creating opportunities for employees and strengthening its communities.
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Melissa Dykstra
Vice President
Corporate Communications and Investor Relations
Phone: 614-840-4144
[email protected]
KEYWORDS: Ohio Indiana Kentucky United States North America
INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Steel Automotive Manufacturing Manufacturing Alternative Energy Philanthropy Energy Machine Tools, Metalworking & Metallurgy Other Philanthropy Foundation
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