Nucor Corp. announced that Joseph A. Rutkowski will see his responsibilities change from Executive Vice President of Business Development North America to Executive Vice President of Business Development International and North America.

In his new position, Mr. Rutkowski will be responsible for establishing at least one overseas joint venture partner in 2005 to utilize the Castrip^(R) technology. Nucor recently announced that the Castrip process, which involves the direct casting of molten steel into final shape and thickness without further hot or cold rolling, is commercially viable.

The International Business Development team will also be responsible for the continued progress of Nucor's internationally based raw materials strategy. Nucor currently has three international raw materials ventures: HIsmelt^(TM), a joint venture with The Rio Tinto Group, Mitsubishi Corp. and Shougang Corp. to construct a pig iron plant in Western Australia; Ferro Gusa Carajas SA, a joint venture with Companhia Vale do Rio Doce to construct and operate an environmentally responsible pig iron project in northern Brazil; and Nu-Iron Unlimited, a direct reduced iron plant that is being relocated to Trinidad. Nucor's raw materials strategy is to control about one-third of Nucor’s iron unit consumption, or between 6,000,000 and 7,000,000 tons per year of high-quality scrap substitutes.

As a result of his new responsibilities, Mr. Rutkowski will no longer oversee operations for Nucor's two plate mills or the structural mill joint venture, Nucor-Yamato Steel Co. These divisions will now become part of Executive Vice President John J. Ferriola's responsibility.

Commenting on the changes, Nucor's Vice Chairman, President and CEO Dan DiMicco said, "Joe and his team will have the unique opportunity to diversify Nucor's geographical presence and to do so in a profitable and conservative way. We are truly in a globally competitive business and part of our strategy has been to advance internationally through the use of new, leapfrog technologies and joint venture partnerships."

Nucor is one of the largest steel producers in the United States and is the nation's largest recycler. Nucor and affiliates are manufacturers of steel products, with operating facilities in fifteen states. Products include carbon and alloy steel bars, beams, sheet, and plate; steel joists and joist girders; steel deck; cold finished steel; steel fasteners; metal building systems; and light gauge steel framing.