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Stephen D. Foster Joins National-Standard as District Sales Manager

1 August 2000

Stephen D. Foster Joins National-Standard as District Sales Manager

    NILES, Mich. - Stephen D. Foster has joined National-Standard Company as 
District Sales Manager for Welding Products.  In his new position, Foster will 
be responsible for sales of National-Standard's full line of carbon steel and 
stainless steel welding wire products throughout New England, the State of New 
York, and a portion of Pennsylvania.  Foster's activities will focus primarily 
on working with the Company's distributor organization within his assigned 
territory.

    Prior to joining National-Standard, Foster was a Territory Sales Manager
for ESAB Welding & Cutting Products.  Foster has twenty years of sales
experience in the welding industry at the manufacturer level.  Foster is a
graduate of Ohio State University with a degree in Metallurgical Engineering.

    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.