INTERMET New River Foundry Reaches One Million Hours Of Casting With No Lost-Time Injuries

TROY, Mich., April 23 -- INTERMET Corporation , one of the world's leading manufacturers of cast-metal automotive components, this week celebrated the achievement of a significant milestone for a metal-casting foundry: one million hours of work without a single lost-time work injury. INTERMET's New River Foundry and its 265 employees passed the million-hour mark on April 6, translating into over 580 days of continuous operation without a lost-time injury.

Richard Helbling, General Manager of New River Foundry, attributes the achievement to total teamwork. "From one end of the plant to the other, every one of our employees makes safety an integral part of the everyday operation of the facility. INTERMET fosters a culture company-wide that says 'safety is always,' where people take complete ownership of the safe conduct of their work areas. This has helped ensure the well being of our employees as well as the long-term success of the company."

New River Foundry Safety Manager Tom Conklin credits both employee training and the corporate safety initiative for accomplishing the one-million hour milestone. "Our new hires go through extensive safety training as part of the orientation process before they set foot on the foundry floor. And our 'Safety is Always' program stresses continuous observation and reporting of any potential hazardous conditions in the workplace. This helps create an environment of safety that has really paid off for our plant."

To celebrate this accomplishment, New River Foundry employees are being treated to catered dinners held today during all three shifts at the plant.

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 .