MARCH 20, 2002
COMPASS MINERALS NAMES MICHAEL E. DUCEY PRESIDENT AND CEO, SUCCEEDING ROBERT F. CLARK, WHO IS RETIRING

OVERLAND PARK, KS, March 20, 2002 - Michael E. Ducey, most recently President and CEO of Borden Chemical, was named today as President and CEO of Compass Minerals Group, Inc., the world's third largest producer of salt. He succeeds Robert F. Clark, 59, who is retiring but who will remain a director.

Mr. Ducey, 53, will join Compass on April 1, 2002. Mr. Ducey has approximately 30 years of broad-based general management and operating experience in the chemical industry with Borden, a $1.4 billion diversified chemical company. He previously held the positions of Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of Borden Chemical and prior to that, Director of Sales and Marketing and Director of Planning and Commercial Development at Forest Products, N.A.

"We are very fortunate to have a seasoned executive with Mike's abilities to lead our senior management team," said Mr. Clark. "As President of Borden, he led a Core Leadership Team that stressed continuous improvement and open communications, integrity, respect for people and customer satisfaction to drive business performance. He is the perfect choice for this position and I am confident he will provide the strong support and direction that will enable Compass Minerals to realize its full potential."

Mr. Ducey graduated in 1970 with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Otterbein College, Westerville, Ohio, and in 1980 received an MBA from the University of Dayton.

Mr. Clark has been President and CEO of Compass Minerals, an affiliate of Apollo Management, L.P., since its acquisition last November from IMC Global. Previously, he was President of IMC Salt from 1998, and President of Great Salt Lake Minerals Corporation from 1993 to 1998.

Compass Minerals Group salt operations are located in the United States (North American Salt Company), Canada (SIFTO Canada, Inc.) and the United Kingdom (Salt Union Ltd.). The company also is the largest producer of the specialty crop nutrient, sulfate of potash (SOP), in the Americas through its Great Salt Lake Minerals Corporation subsidiary in Ogden, Utah. Compass serves a broad range of customers and industries including highway maintenance operations, agriculture, retail sales and the chemical industry. Net sales of the Group for the twelve months ending September 2001 were $398.1 million with pro forma EBITDA of $118.9 million.

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