OHIO STEEL SHIPPING AND PRODUCTION REACH FOUR-YEAR HIGH FOR FIRST NINE MONTHS 2004; CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS UP 79 PERCENT

COLUMBUS, Ohio (December 23, 2004) –  Shipping and production for Ohio’s steel industry reached a four-year high for the first nine months of 2004, reflecting strong demand in most steel markets.

Steel production for the first nine months of 2004 was 11 million tons, the highest figure since 2000, when production was 13.6 million tons. Production for 2004 is up 14.9 percent compared with the corresponding period in 2003.

Shipments were 11.4 million tons for the first nine months of 2004, up 13.4 percent over the 2003 period. Shipments are the highest since 2000, when they were 12.2 million tons for the first nine months.

With the exception of 2000, 2004 may shape up as one of the strongest years since 1997. The Ohio Steel Council’s records do not go beyond 1997.

Capital investment spending for the first nine months of 2004 was also at a five-year high at $176.5 million, a 79 percent increase over the same period in 2003. Ohio steel producers are investing in state-of-the-art technological advancements.

"Ohio has experienced a more robust steel market than we’ve seen in the past few years,” said Chuck Glazer, manager, communications and public relations for International Steel Group, Inc. and spokesman for the Ohio Steel Council. “An upturn in the manufacturing sector, as well as consolidation in the steel industry and flexible, productive union agreements, has allowed us to invest in additional efficiencies for our plants.”

Ohio Steel employment fell 5.6 percent to 15,274 in the first nine months of 2004, compared to 16,190 during the same period in 2003. Meanwhile, payroll was $680 million, up 1.3 percent compared to the same time period a year ago.

The Ohio Steel Data Report, compiled by Youngstown State University’s Center for Urban Studies, covers statistics from Ohio facilities of the Council’s steel-producing members. The data is forwarded to the Ohio Steel Council in aggregate, so the contribution of any single company cannot be determined.

The Ohio Steel Council is a public private partnership designed to strengthen ties among the steel industry, the state of Ohio and its citizens. The Council’s member organizations are AK Steel Corp., International Steel Group Inc., Ohio Department of Development, Ohio House of Representatives, Ohio Senate, The Ohio State University, PRO-TEC Coating Company, Republic Engineered Products Inc., Stark State College of Technology, The Timken Company, United Steelworkers of America, USS Lorain Pipe Mills, V&M STAR, WCI Steel Inc., and Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corp.