IPSCO Centralizes Steel Sales Functions

Dan Miksta Appointed Vice President and General Sales Manager 

Lisle, Illinois, July 26, 2000 -- IPSCO Inc. (NYSE: IPS) announced today it was combining its North American field sales operations in its various business units handling hot rolled coil, discrete plate, and cut-to-length sheet and plate from its coil processing facilities into one administrative group. It will report to newly appointed Vice President, Dan Mitksa, General Sales Manager, Steel Products.

With similar products being shipped from its Montpelier, Iowa, and Regina, Saskatchewan steelworks and coil processing facilities in Houston; St. Paul; Toronto, Ontario; Surrey, B.C.; and Regina, IPSCO customers can find themselves served by more than one sales representative. When IPSCO's new Mobile, Alabama steelworks starts production early next year the potential for duplication would only have increased, IPSCO said.

"Centralizing the administration of our field sales forces for steel products permits us to present one face to our customers, allowing them one stop shopping, and ensuring a consistent commercial policy is applied throughout North America, while at the same time providing local and regional based service" said Roger Phillips, President and Chief Executive Officer.

IPSCO has installed capacity for the production of 2,250,000 tons per annum of discrete plate and hot rolled coil in both plate and heavier sheet thickness at its Montpelier Steelworks (150 miles from Chicago) and its Regina Steelworks in the Canadian Prairies. Currently under construction, its Mobile, Alabama steelworks will add 1,250,000 tons of plate and coil capacity and is due to start up in the first quarter of 2001. Shipments of flat rolled steel in discrete plate and coil form are made to customers from these locations which are further supported by a group of coil processing facilities strategically located throughout North America. These latter operations produce cut-to-length steel in widths up to 96 inches with advanced temper mills ensuring excellent flatness located at three of the five operations.

IPSCO's steel output is designed to serve applications where the products serve a structural or engineering purpose such as storage tanks, ships, railcars, barges, transportation equipment, machinery and equipment for manufacturers, farm implement and agricultural implements, to mention a few.

Miksta will report to John Tulloch, Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer and will be located at the company's executive offices in Lisle, Illinois. Prior to his appointment with IPSCO Miksta gained 29 years of sales experience with a major integrated steelmaker. He holds a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Illinois Champaign/Urbana. Miksta also serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the University of Illinois' Commerce Alumni Association.

IPSCO said that sales of tubular products would continue to be the responsibility of a specialized tubular products sales force under the direction of subsidiary IPSCO Tubulars Inc. in the United States and IPSCO Inc. in Canada. 

This news release contains forward looking information with respect to IPSCO's operations and beliefs. Actual results may differ from these forward looking statements due to numerous factors, including estimated time of completion of equipment installation, cost of installation, and potential markets for the materials produced. These and other factors are outlined in IPSCO's regulatory filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including those on IPSCO's Annual Report for 1999, its MD&A and Form 40-F.

Company Contact:
Roger Phillips
President and Chief Executive Officer
IPSCO Inc.
Tel: 306-924-7262

Back to News