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Dave Smeltzer Joins National-Standard as District Sales Manager

20 July 2000

Dave Smeltzer Joins National-Standard as District Sales Manager

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

    Prior to joining National-Standard, Smeltzer was a District Manager for
Techalloy Company.  Smeltzer has twenty years of sales experience in the
welding industry at the manufacturer and distributor levels.  Smeltzer is a
graduate of Indiana University with a degree in Economics.

    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.