For Immediate Release

Public Relations Division
Public Affairs Department
1170 Eighth Avenue
Bethlehem, PA 18016-7699
(610) 694-3711 - Phone
(610) 694-1509 - Fax

BETHLEHEM, Pa., March 20, 1997 -- Bethlehem Steel's Bethlehem Structural Products Corporation ceased production of its structural operations at 1 p.m. today.

About 600 employees will be affected immediately by the closing. About 100 employees will work into April to complete shipments to customers. An additional 200 employees primarily responsible for maintenance of the Bethlehem plant's infrastructure will remain.

Gregory F. Paolini, president of Bethlehem Structural Products Corporation, said:

"During these past few months, our employees successfully utilized the inventory of semifinished steel, completed customer rollings and maintained excellent quality. As we close this business, we extend our appreciation for our customers' support over the years and for employee efforts to satisfy those customers. We produced a product that will endure long after the mill is silent.

Mill operations concluded one shift earlier than originally anticipated "because of the excellent performance by the crews during the last several days of production," said Mr. Paolini.

Mill employees will report as scheduled on Friday, March 21, to assist with preparations to properly idle the operation.

The opening of the combination mill in 1968 represented a major investment in structural shapes that helped Bethlehem Steel maintain its leadership position for many decades. The mill offered customers the widest range of shapes produced by a single source in this country.

When the combination mil began operation, the shipping yard was also increased by nearly 50 percent. Cold-cutting equipment and new crane runways sped shipment of material by rail or truck.

Early on, the mill distinguished itself with its broad product range and excellent on-time shipment performance. Over the years, the mill and its people expanded the mill's product range with the introduction of new Z piles and customized special sections for specific consuming industries.

In late 1995, improvements were made to the mill's computer systems and certain mill equipment to improve productivity and reliability. Modifications were also made at that time for the mill to roll semifinished steel produced elsewhere following the transition from steelmaking in November 1995. Since that time, the mill was sourced with continuously cast blooms from Bethlehem Steel's Pennsylvania Steel Technologies subsidiary in Steelton, Pa., and with material, including some slab products, from other sources.