Dofasco Improves Asset Utilization and Throughput with the Ivara Reliability Solution; Ivara Solution Takes Equipment Reliability to a Higher Level at Dofasco

Business Wire, May 9, 2006

BURLINGTON, Ontario -- Ivara Corporation, an industry leader and innovator in asset reliability solutions, today announced that Dofasco, a leading North American steel producer, has embarked on an implementation of the Ivara Reliability Solution throughout ten of its business units at the company's 730-acre Hamilton complex. The DSG, one of Dofasco's automotive galvanizing lines and the first business unit to implement the solution, achieved a 14 percent improvement in asset utilization, producing an additional 5600 tons per month of throughput.

In order to address growing supply chain pressures such as increasing costs for energy and raw materials and fluctuations in market demand, Dofasco developed its Manufacturing Process Reliability strategy. The strategy ensures its manufacturing process consistently delivers the production required by its business plan. The Ivara Reliability Solution is a key enabler of this strategy.

"Our business plans have set aggressive asset utilization targets for our key operations which require us to accelerate reliability improvement in all our business units. The Ivara Reliability Solution represents the primary approach for managing the equipment reliability improvement initiative at Dofasco," says Andy Harshaw, vice president, Manufacturing. "We are pleased to have partnered with Ivara in the development of the solution and as a user, benefit from the outstanding results we continue to achieve."

The Ivara Reliability Solution is a formal business process for achieving reliability - the Ivara Asset Reliability Process, supported by reliability best practices, enabling technology and implementation approach. The solution replaces traditional reactive maintenance work with technically based proactive equipment reliability programs. Ivara's Work Smart(TM) implementation methodology allows Dofasco to manage and sustain the change to a reliability-based culture.

"Dofasco's focus on reliability is setting the standard in maintenance and operational excellence," says Gerry Bleau, CEO, Ivara Corporation. "With the Ivara Reliability Solution, Dofasco continues to demonstrate the strategic role reliability plays in driving business results."

About Dofasco

Dofasco is a leading North American steel solutions provider. Product lines include hot rolled, cold rolled, galvanized, Extragal(TM), Galvalume(TM) and tinplate flat rolled steels, as well as tubular products, laser-welded blanks and Zyplex(TM), a proprietary laminate. Dofasco's wide range of steel products is sold to customers in the automotive, construction, energy, manufacturing, pipe and tube, appliance, packaging and steel distribution industries.

About Ivara

A leader in asset reliability solutions, Ivara helps capital intensive companies improve operational performance by better managing the reliability of their plant assets. Ivara's unique methodology implements reliability one asset at a time, resulting in a high financial impact that is quickly realized. By putting a proactive asset reliability process in place and focusing on changing people's behavior and activities, Ivara helps transition organizations to proactively managing asset health. For more information about Ivara, visit www.ivara.com.