Costs-saving Program Planning Meeting for 2006

On Tuesday of last week, March 14th, U. S. Steel Kosice President David H. Lohr joined Company top management and managers of individual sectors, divisions and plants in the movie-hall of Ferrocentrum Social Center for the Costs-saving Program Planning Meeting for 2006, which included evaluation of last year's results in this field and appraisal of the best teams and individual proposals.
The year 2005 counts in the history so far of the Costs-saving Program, which we started implementing at U. S. Steel Kosice in 2001, clearly as one of the most successful. The plan was already fulfilled in August, and by December the results were approaching the level of 150 per cent. David Lohr and Vice-president Operations Scott C. Pape then personally presented the best teams and individuals with their awards. In the chart of organizational units making the greatest contribution to costs-saving in 2005, first place was taken by Purchasing, second by the Power Engineering Division, and third spot went to the Quality Management Department. Awards also went to the three best teams. First place and the title of Year's Highest Climber went to Maintenance, second place to the Coated Products Division and third to Financial Investments. The special award for the best costs-saving result among the Company's subsidiaries was won by Vulkmont.
The best team leaders were Peter Takac from the Blast Furnaces, Jan Krupa from the Steel Plant, Bibiana Ihnatova from the Coated Products Division, Viliam Janak from Servicing Services, and Igor Petruska from Financial Investments. Both Scott Pape and President David H. Lohr addressed their expressions of gratitude to the team from the Strategic Programs Implementation Section, consisting of Eugen Lenorovic, Dusan Vasilisin, Igor Seman and Pavol Bires, who recently retired, for their commendable work in managing and coordinating the whole Costs-saving Program.

"Apple of Knowledge" for David H. Lohr

Last year the Technical University in Kosice underwent a demanding certification process with the aim of becoming the first university in Slovakia to gain an ISO 9001:2000 quality management certificate. With significant support from U. S. Steel Kosice this process was successfully accomplished, and on Thursday of last week, March 16th, representatives of local economic, social and cultural life met in the Slovan Hotel to witness the official presentation of the certificate.
U. S. Steel Kosice President David H. Lohr and other Company top managers were naturally also present. Personal thanks for his support in the process of implementing the quality management system were addressed to David H. Lohr by Technical University Rector Juraj Sinay, who presented him with the "Apple of Knowledge" of the Technical University in Kosice. He also presented a bouquet of flowers to Eva Molnarova as a token of gratitude for her advisory activity.

New USSK table-tennis champions

At the end of last week the table-tennis room at the Technical University Kosice dormitories on Jedlikova Street was the venue for the 2006 U. S. Steel Kosice men's and women's table-tennis championships. Altogether 34 individuals in both categories fought it out at the green tables, and the women's champion title was won by many-times champion and USSK Summer Olympics winner Eva Kacvinska from the Transport Division. In the men's Under-40's category, as expected, last year's champion Julius Bacsó from Management retained his title, and among the Over-40's the championship was won by the experienced Jozef Fotta from the Hot Strip Mill, who just as in previous years now became once again the happy winner of this precious trophy.