News Briefs

MEETINGS

Ductile Iron Production Seminar.  Rescheduled for March 16-17, 2004.  It will be held at the Holiday Inn in Rolling Meadows, IL  (3405 Algonquin Road, Nine miles NW of O'Hare Airport.)  The seminar is organized to instruct operations people on the basics of producing quality ductile iron castings.  It is also recommended as a refresher course for people experienced in ductile production, who may have become a bit rusty on the latest practices.  Subjects involved in the production of quality ductile iron will be covered.  The DIS Technical Director, James D. Mullins is the chairman of the seminar and the lecturers are tops in the field.

Ductile Iron Society 2004 Annual Meeting.  June 23-25, 2004 at the Delta Montreal Hotel in Montreal Quebec Canada.  Events include a tour of the QIT Sorel Plant of Rio Tinto.

BUSINESS

INTERMET Announces Plans for New Foundry in Mexico
TROY, Mich., September 15, 2003 – In an effort to better serve its global customer base, INTERMET Corporation (Nasdaq: INMT), one of the world’s leading manufacturers of castmetal automotive components, today announced that it plans to build and operate a ductile iron foundry in Mexico. This new plant will be located in the Monterrey area and will be dedicated to the production of automotive structural and safety components such as steering knuckles, control arms, and brake calipers and brackets, as well as other highly engineered ductile-iron parts.

Construction of the 100,000-square-foot greenfield plant is expected to begin before the end of the year and be operational by mid-2004. Plans call for two casting lines featuring vertical, flaskless molding, along with medium-frequency induction furnace melting, a complete coldbox coremaking operation, and highly automated casting finishing and validation. At full production, annual revenue for the plant is expected to reach approximately $40 million, with the potential for expansion in either ductile iron or INTERMET’s Blue Sand™ aluminum casting process, which also is focused on structural components.

“The location of a casting operation in Mexico represents a critical step in INTERMET’s global expansion plan,” said Gary F. Ruff, INTERMET’s President and CEO. “This state-of-the-science facility also fits well into our LASIK Vision strategy since it will utilize existing assets to minimize the cost and time for production startup. In addition, we believe the new foundry will fill a demand in the Mexican cast-metal industry for safety-critical components supported by the full-service capabilities of INTERMET in research, development, engineering and design.”

INTERMET currently manufactures components for most of the world’s leading automotive OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers, and this new Mexican foundry should benefit its increasingly international customer base. The plant, which is expected to have a significant book of business at startup, has been designed to be highly efficient using lean-manufacturing concepts and a high level of automation to minimize variability — critical factors in the production of highly engineered safety and structural castings.

INTERMET Vice President Jesus M. Bonilla added, “Mexico is a major player in the global automotive industry. A number of automotive OEMs and system/module suppliers have assembly facilities there, but currently must import cast components to support their operations. With our new facility, INTERMET will be positioned to effectively serve our customer base. The site location in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, places the plant in a region close to our major customers, near transportation routes, and provides a workforce skilled in the manufacturing and technical abilities needed for our industry.”

With headquarters in Troy, Michigan, INTERMET Corporation is a manufacturer of powertrain, chassis/suspension and structural components for the automotive industry.  INTERMET’s strategy is to be the world’s leading supplier of cast-metal automotive components.  The company has approximately 6,000 employees at facilities located in North America and Europe. More information is available on the Internet at www.intermet.com.

This news release includes forecasts and forward-looking statements about INTERMET, its industry and the markets in which it operates. Forward-looking statements and the achievement of any forecasts or projections are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed. Some of these risks and uncertainties are detailed as a preface to the Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition in the company’s 2002 Annual Report for the year ended December 31, 2002. Other risk factors include fluctuations in demand for our products in the Mexican market, our ability to secure customers for full utilization of the planned Mexico facility, and construction delays, cost increases or other problems that could affect our ability to begin production at the Mexico facility within the planned timeframes.

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INTERMET Wins New  Business in Europe
Will supply new high-volume Citroen vehicle platform with chassis components.

TROY, Mich., September 11, 2003 - INTERMET Corporation, one of the world's leading manufacturers of cast-metal automotive components, announced today that it will provide front suspension control arms for PSA Peugeot-Citroën's new Berlingo and Xsara Picasso mini-MPVs to be built in France and Spain.  Production of the ductile iron components is scheduled to begin in September 2004 at INTERMET's PortCast Foundry in Porto, Portugal.

"This contract is a reaffirmation of INTERMET's strategy of delivering its industry-leading manufacturing and engineering capabilities to a global customer base," said Laurence Vine-Chatterton, president of INTERMET's European operations.  "INTERMET technical personnel from both the U.S. and Europe worked with Citroën to find the right solutions for their unique suspension component needs."

INTERMET will supply Citroën with right- and left-hand lower control arms for the life of the vehicle programs.  The contract is valued at over $14 million per year.

Jorge Fesch, general manager of INTERMET's PostCast Foundry, said, "Winning this new business reflects Citroën's complete confidence in our ability to manufacture quality safety-critical castings for such an important vehicle platform.  Over the years, our relationship with Citroën and PSA's Peugeot division has resulted in many programs for INTERMET."

Currently, INTERMET supplies chassis and power train components for the Citroën C3, C5 and C8 models as well as for Peugeot's 26, 307, 406, and 807 models, among others.  More than half of all light vehicles on the road in Europe use INTERMET-produced castings.

With headquarters in Troy, Michigan, INTERMET Corporation is a manufacturer of power train, chassis/suspension and structural components for the automotive industry.  INTERMET's strategy is to be the leading supplier of cast-metal automotive components in the world.  The company has more than 6,000 employees at facilities located in North America and Europe.  More information is available on the Internet at www.intermet.com.

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INTERMET TO OPEN SECOND PCPC™ MANUFACTURING PLANT
New business necessitates additional production capacity

TROY, Mich., November 10, 2003 - INTERMET Corporation (Nasdaq: INMT), one of the world's leading manufacturers of cast-metal automotive components, today announced that it will open a second casting plant dedicated to the company's new PCPC™ (Pressure-Counter-Pressure Casting) process. The plant is located in Jackson, Tennessee, adjacent to one of INTERMET's existing aluminum casting facilities, and initially will support a new steering knuckle program for the Dodge Durango beginning in June of next year.

The company's first PCPC plant in Stevensville, Michigan, which began aluminum steering knuckle production in 2001 for a large General Motors light-vehicle platform, is continuing at full capacity.

"The expansion of our PCPC process to Jackson is further confirmation of INTERMET's leadership in providing innovative casting solutions that deliver competitive advantages for a growing base of customers," said Gary F. Ruff, President and CEO of INTERMET. "Our strength continues to be in our ability to ensure that we have the ideal manufacturing capability at the right place and at the right time."

When completed, the plant will feature PCPC cells designed to accommodate larger aluminum structural components such as suspension control arms and light-truck steering knuckles. It is being designed with the latest developments in lean manufacturing and one-piece workflow. The plant will have the capacity for up to 20 casting cells and heat-treatment systems. Fully equipped metallurgical laboratories and real-time X-ray systems with automatic inspection also will be in place to help support the manufacturing programs. Initial castings from the first machines installed in the 75,000 square-foot plant were made last week.

"We believe this plant is another example of INTERMET's ability to implement our LASIK vision for the company," said Thomas Prucha, INTERMET's Vice President of Technical Services. "We took an existing building that was constructed in 1999 and had aluminum melt and other support equipment already in place, and strategically redirected it toward a new INTERMET advanced process. It demonstrates the flexibility of our team, and that we can embrace new technologies while delivering results in a short timeframe."

With headquarters in Troy, Michigan, INTERMET Corporation is a manufacturer of powertrain, chassis/suspension and structural components for the automotive industry. INTERMET's strategy is to be the world's leading supplier of cast-metal automotive components. The company has approximately 6,000 employees at facilities located in North America and Europe. More information is available on the Internet at www.intermet.com.

Asia Pacific Investments a Priority for Ashland Casting Solutions
Sang Lin (Calvin) Choi named Commercial Manager - China

DUBLIN, Ohio (USA) - To support its burgeoning cold box business and promote additional growth in the Asia Pacific region, Ashland Casting Solutions has named Sang Lin (Calvin) Choi as commercial manager, China.

"Ashland Casting Solutions is committed to providing local customer service and production capabilities to its customers worldwide," said Ray Yates, Ashland Casting Solutions' commercial director, Asia. "Sang Lin (Calvin) is a great asset and his appointment is part of our ongoing capital and personnel investments in Asia, where we've been operating for nearly 20 years."

Prior to his promotion to commercial manager, Choi served as a market development specialist at Ashland Casting Solutions' headquarters in Dublin, OH. Additionally, Choi has considerable sales experience working with various business units of Ashland Specialty Chemical Company in Taiwan and Korea.

Choi has a master's degree in business administration from Fu Jen Catholic University (Taiwan) and a bachelor's degree in humanities from Soonchenhyang University (Korea).

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Ashland Casting Solutions Introduces First New Cold Box Catalyst

DUBLIN, Ohio (USA) - Ashland Casting Solutions has introduced the first new catalyst for the ISOCURE™ phenolic-urethane forming cold box binder system. ISOFAST® catalyst features an alternative formulation, which provides significant productivity and environmental benefits to the core-making process over the existing TEA and DMEA catalysts.

The new ISOFAST catalyst is not a hazardous air pollutant (HAP) and therefore non-regulated under the new MACT standards. ISOFAST catalyst is more efficient than TEA and results in a catalyst consumption reduction of 25-50% by weight, while curing cycle times are shortened by 35-45%. Additionally, the catalyst provides a more complete initial cure, which reduces the need for core box cleaning. The ISOFAST catalyst produces less odor than other catalysts, improving the core-room environment, and the lower catalyst consumption reduces the volume of scrubber solution that must be managed. Ashland's established ISOCYCLE® catalyst recycling program is available for handling spent scrubber solution.

"We are continually learning about our customers' metal casting requirements and developing solutions that help them achieve success in today's demanding manufacturing market," said Mike Swartzlander, vice president, Ashland Specialty Chemical, and general manager, Ashland Casting Solutions. He added, "Casting Solutions introduced the ISOFAST catalyst after working closely with our global customers to address specific environmental and productivity-related cold box process issues, and several major foundries very quickly made the switch."

Ashland Casting Solutions Introduces First New Cold Box Catalyst

DUBLIN, Ohio (USA) - Ashland Casting Solutions has introduced the first new catalyst for the ISOCURE™ phenolic-urethane forming cold box binder system. ISOFAST^® catalyst features an alternative formulation, which provides significant productivity and environmental benefits to the core-making process over the existing TEA and DMEA catalysts.

The new ISOFAST catalyst is not a hazardous air pollutant (HAP) and therefore non-regulated under the new MACT standards. ISOFAST catalyst is more efficient than TEA and results in a catalyst consumption reduction of 25-50% by weight, while curing cycle times are shortened by 35-45%. Additionally, the catalyst provides a more complete initial cure, which reduces the need for core box cleaning. The ISOFAST catalyst produces less odor than other catalysts, improving the core-room environment, and the lower catalyst consumption reduces the volume of scrubber solution that must be managed. Ashland's established ISOCYCLE^® catalyst recycling program is available for handling spent scrubber solution.

"We are continually learning about our customers' metal casting requirements and developing solutions that help them achieve success in today's demanding manufacturing market," said Mike Swartzlander, vice president, Ashland Specialty Chemical, and general manager, Ashland Casting Solutions. He added, "Casting Solutions introduced the ISOFAST catalyst after working closely with our global customers to address specific environmental and productivity-related cold box process issues, and several major foundries very quickly made the switch."

PEOPLE

Milwaukee, Wisconsin - Grede Foundries, Inc., has named Dan Rhoads as Vice President of Operations of its Wichita foundry in Wichita, Wisconsin.

Rhoads received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering Technology from Purdue University.  He has held a variety of positions in engineering, operations, and foundry management.  Since 1994, he has served as Plant Manager for Steere Enterprises in Canton, Ohio.   

Grede Foundries’ facilities include 9 foundries in the United States and a joint-venture operation in Mexico called ProezaGrede.  The Company specializes in ferrous metals:  gray iron, ductile iron, stainless steel, and specialty metal castings.  Grede Foundries works with customers in a variety of industries, providing castings for many products, from automobiles and construction machinery to farm machinery and equipment, and pumps and compressors.  For more information, refer to Grede’s Web site on the Internet at www.grede.com. 

Kroker Named Global Technology Director for Ashland Casting Solutions

DUBLIN, Ohio (USA) - Ashland Casting Solutions announced today that
Dr. Jörg Kroker has been promoted to global technology director. In his new role, Kroker will be responsible for global research & development (R&D) for all Ashland Casting Solutions' product lines, including sand binders, refractory coatings, sleeves and filters. All Ashland Casting Solutions' worldwide lab facilities, including Asia, the Americas and Europe, will now report to Kroker. Additionally, he will manage the technical interface with Casting Solutions' joint venture and licensee operations.

"Ashland Casting Solutions' technology services continually provide solutions that help a global customer base achieve success in today's demanding manufacturing market," said Mike Swartzlander, vice president, Ashland Specialty Chemical, and general manager, Ashland Casting Solutions. "With Jörg at the helm of Casting Solutions' R&D function, we will continue to launch industry leading solutions that drive future successes for our customers and integrate into their operations from design to pour."

Luca Fontana, vice president, Global Technology for Ashland Specialty Chemical, commented, "Jörg's position will ensure closer alignment of our technology organization with the business groups, enabling us to better prioritize key research initiatives. To be successful, it is critical that our technology and business teams share a common line of sight to the needs of our customers."

Prior to his new role, Kroker served as global manager of Cold Box R&D where he successfully led Casting Solutions' efforts to commercialize improvements in the ISOCURE®, ISOMAX® and ISOSET® Cold Box binder systems.

Past professional experiences include several international leadership positions with BASF in the U.S. and Germany. Kroker graduated cum laude from Phillips University in Marburg, Germany, where he received both his doctorate and Master of Science in organometallic chemistry.

Kroker will report to Swartzlander and Fontana.

About Ashland
Ashland Casting Solutions, a business group of Ashland Specialty Chemical Company, is a leader in supplying products, processes and technologies to the global metal casting marketplace. The group has operations (including licensees and joint ventures) in 21 countries.

Ashland Specialty Chemical Company, a division of Ashland Inc., is a leading, worldwide supplier of specialty chemicals serving industries including adhesives, automotive, composites, metal casting, merchant marine, paint, paper, plastics, watercraft and water treatment. Visit www.ashspec.com to learn more about these operations.

Ashland Inc. (NYSE:ASH) is a Fortune 500 company providing products, services and customer solutions throughout the world. Our businesses include road construction, specialty chemicals, lubricants, car-care products, chemical and plastics distribution and transportation fuels. Through the dedication of our employees, we are "The Who In How Things Work™". Find us at www.ashland.com.

BLOSSBURG, PA - ACP Manufacturing, Co. LLC, with corporate headquarters in Blossburg, a manufacturing plant in Lawrence Township, PA and a Sales Department in Novi, Michigan, announced management promotions effective immediately affecting local employees.

Doyne Chartrau, Cogan Station, PA, is promoted to Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer replacing Stephen Rhodes, Detroit, Michigan, who has retired. Mr. Chartrau will maintain the office of his new position in Blossburg, PA.

Replacing Mr. Chartrau as President and Chief Operating Officer of ACP Manufacturing Co. LLC is Yasu Kumada, Painted Post, New York, who previously was Executive Vice President of ACP. Mr. Kumada will continue as a member of the Board of Directors of ACP. In addition to Mr. Kumada's responsibilities at ACP, Mr. Kumada is also named by Hitachi Metals America, Ltd., President and Chief Operating Officer and member of the Board of Directors of their subsidiary company, HNAI, Inc. (formerly Nukabe, Inc.) of Wellsboro, PA. In this capacity Mr. Kumada replaces Toshi Suzuki of Novi, Michigan who has been assigned to be President of the Cast Products Division of Hitachi Metals America, Ltd.

Mr. Arthur P. (Pete) Guidi, Jr., Montoursville, PA, has been promoted from Vice President of Manufacturing to Executive Vice President of ACP Manufacturing Co. LLC reporting to Mr. Kumada. Mr. Guidi will also serve as a member of the Board of Directors of ACP.

ACP Manufacturing Co. LLC, with 311 employees, originally was constructed in 1997 as a division of Ward Manufacturing to produce ductile iron critical safety automobile suspension parts. Customers now include nearly all North America automobile producers or Tier 1 suppliers and Ford of Australia.

HNAI, Inc. was originally established in 1998 as Nukabe, Inc. to provide finished machining on the parts produced at ACP. HNAI, Inc. employs 73 at the Wellsboro facility and another 79 in Effingham, Ill, in their machining plant and corporate headquarters.

BLOSSBURG, PA - Ward Manufacturing, Inc. announced management promotions effective immediately affecting local employees.

Doyne Chartrau, Cogan Station, PA, is promoted to Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Chartrau replaces Stephen Rhodes, Novi, Michigan, who has retired. Mr. Chartrau has served as President and Chief Operating Officer since April, 1991 and will maintain the office of his new position in Blossburg, PA.

Replacing Mr. Chartrau as President and Chief Operating Officer is Arthur P. (Pete) Guidi, Jr., Montoursville, PA, who has served as Vice President of Manufacturing of Ward since 1995. In addition to his new responsibilities Mr. Guidi has been appointed to be a member of the Board of Directors.

Mr. Guidi has been very active in the Pennsylvania Foundrymens Association and now serves as President. Additionally, Mr. Guidi has held various positions and is active in the Ductile Iron Society and the American Foundrymens Society.

Ward Manufacturing, with 754 employees, corporate headquarters, and four manufacturing plants, is one of the largest employers in Tioga County and produces malleable iron and cast iron piping components and corrugated stainless steel tubing. Natural gas distribution and fire protection are the principal markets served and are predominantly in North America. Ward was founded by Joseph P. Ward in 1924 and will soon celebrate its 80th year of business.

In 1989 Ward Manufacturing was acquired from local owners by Hitachi Metals America, Ltd. of Purchase, New York.

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Metal Casting Veteran Yates to Spearhead Ashland's Pan-Asian
Commercial Development

DUBLIN, Ohio (USA) - Ashland Casting Solutions has promoted Ray Yates to commercial director, Asia. In this new role, Yates is charged with implementing an aggressive pan-Asian growth strategy to expand Ashland's business across Japan, Korea, China, Southeast Asia and Australia.

"Ray's strong leadership skills are a key component to the start-up phase of our pan-Asian growth strategy," said Mike Swartzlander, vice president, Ashland Specialty Chemical, and general manager, Casting Solutions. "In addition to having nearly 20 years of operating experience in China, Casting Solutions now has local customer support and manufacturing capabilities, and we can assist our Asian customers in realizing significant bottom line results."

Yates is a metal casting industry veteran of nearly 20 years and has served in various international roles for Ashland Casting Solutions in Russia, Brazil, and China. Prior to joining Ashland, Yates worked at FOSECO as an international product group manager for the company's foundry binders, coatings and ancillaries businesses.

As an active leader in the metal casting industry, Yates holds memberships in the Institute of Cast Metals Engineers, American Foundry Society, Institute of Patentees & Inventors, and The Diecasting Society.

Pallone Promoted to Regional Sales Manager

DUBLIN, Ohio (USA) - Ashland Casting Solutions announced today that Roman Pallone has been promoted to regional sales manager, with responsibilities for the Eastern and Southern regions of the United States.

"Roman's experience will provide the sales leadership we need to ensure we add value to our customers throughout the metal casting process. His strong sales, engineering and finance skills complement our global manufacturing and support capabilities and technically sophisticated product offering," said Phil Lepianka, sales director, Americas.

Previously, Pallone worked for Ashland in Planning and Analysis where he assumed lead roles in strategic planning and acquisition analysis, including serving as project leader for the acquisition of Finland-based Neste Polyester. He has prior specialty chemical sales experience with Cytec Industries, which serves the paper and water treatment markets, as well as financial analysis experience with Ford Motor Company.

Pallone received a master's degree in business administration from The Ohio State University and a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from Cornell University.

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