Plymouth has experienced steady growth and a first class reputation with customers over the years and we can attribute this to three basic reasons:

• The first, Plymouth is a privately held corporation and is now being operated by the third generation of the same family. Ownership has remained constant and stable since the inception of Plymouth Steel in 1941.

• Secondly, we focus our attention on continuous improvement opportunities and re-investment in plant, equipment and modern technology while maximizing our financial stability.

• Thirdly, Plymouth Steel's number one core priority is "customer obsession". In our industry, Plymouth is renowned for impeccable customer service and for contributions to continuous improvement both internally and by providing our customers with meaningful cost saving ideas.

During the past few years, Plymouth has steadily re-invested in the business of cold finishing (our only business).

Some of our recent major capital expenditures have included:

• A brand new high speed Schumag 2B combined drawing line in Michigan with advanced features such as in-line surface testing, and in-line chamfer and face. This line produces high quality carbon and alloy steel bars in the 5/8" to 1¼" size range.

• A state of the art Danielli Wean high-speed hydraulic drawbench in Michigan. This line incorporates full bar processing in one continuous flow including in-line state of the art multiple method surface testing followed by a double end chamfer and face capability for rounds, hexagons and squares up to 3" in diameter. Included in this project was a 35,000 square foot expansion of the main building at Hoover Road to accommodate the fully integrated (in-line) layout.

• Installation of five brand new multiple method surface testing units (three in Michigan and two in Kentucky) to complement our existing testing capacity and enable special testing levels to be achieved on products produced on our conventional draw lines. These testing lines incorporate state of the art Eddy Current rotating probe and encircling coil surface assessment.

• Installation of two automatic off-line chamfering and facing units (one in Michigan and one at our Kentucky facility) capable of providing a precise chamfer and face to bar ends which often allows customers to save the first piece off screw machine operations.

• A brand new ultra high speed Schumag 2D combined drawing machine at our Kentucky location, together with an additional 17,500 square feet of manufacturing space to house the new draw line. This machine has state of the art features similar to those of the new 2B Schumag in Michigan, with double testing, double straightening and double end facing & chamfering in-line. The fully integrated level 1 and level 2 computer controls provide the ability to return to "best" set ups for size, straightness, length and surface testing at the touch of a button. The size range is 3/8" to 7/8", and has the capability of producing a wide range of carbon and alloy grades.

• Three off-line fully automatic MEECO two roll straightener installations (one in each of our plants) to augment our in-line straightening capability and provide exceptional straightness for very critical applications.

Plymouth Steel is an independent cold finisher and therefore has the ability and freedom to select high quality raw materials from a variety of suppliers both domestic and offshore. We seek out the best raw material for particular end uses and then manage the supply chain to the benefit of our customer.

We are one of the largest producers of carbon, alloy and free machining bar steel grades in America and we have excellent commercial and technical relationships with the world's best steelmakers.

Through excellent and long standing relationships with our suppliers, virtually any commercial steel bar grade can be supplied. We can also work with customers to supply special chemistries and modified grades where the quantities involved are sufficient.

Our technical staff is able to select between steelmaking, casting and rolling sources to optimize the properties and characteristics required for a particular end use or machining operation.

Should you have a cold finished bar requirement for a special steel grade, please ask us and we will be pleased to explore the availability of your specialized needs.

Plymouth Steel is currently servicing OEM, Tier 1 and Tier 2 customers across North America, including Mexico and Canada. Our strength in providing industry leading quality and service has assured growth opportunities for our customers as well as Plymouth Steel. We will focus on growing our cold drawn finished steel bar business by providing exceptional value to our customers through quality, service and technical assistance.

Our Florence facility operates their own fleet of trucks (12), which enables us to provide a variety of programs in helping our customers reduce their inventory cost and have material available (roll and hold, JIT) in most cases within a day. In Michigan we provide the same great JIT service and operate our own trucking through a combination of our own trucks (3) and a business partnership with a cartage company whose fleet (12) operates exclusively for Plymouth Steel.

We welcome the opportunity to discuss how Plymouth may be able to help reduce your cost and improve the quality of your cold drawn steel bar requirements.