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Doug Cowan Joins National-Standard as District Sales Manager

21 July 2000

Doug Cowan Joins National-Standard as District Sales Manager

    NILES, Mich. - Doug Cowan has joined National-Standard Company as District 
Sales Manager for Welding Products.  In his new position, Cowan will be 
responsible for sales of National-Standard's full line of carbon steel and 
stainless steel welding wire products throughout the Canadian Province of 
Ontario.  Cowan's activities will focus primarily on working with the Company's 
distributor organization within his assigned territory.

    Prior to joining National-Standard, Cowan was with Air Liquide Canada,
Inc.  Cowan has ten years of sales experience in the welding industry at both
the distributor and manufacturer levels.

    Founded in 1907, National-Standard is a Niles, Michigan-based firm with
annual sales of approximately $160 million.  In nine operating facilities
throughout the world, the company manufactures and distributes a broad range
of wire and wire-related products, including tire bead wire and welding wire,
in addition to wire cloth and fabricated filters for the automotive air bag
industry.