Change in the executive management of esco

Erich Krug responsible for marketing and sales

Erich Krug will become the new managing director for marketing and sales at Europe's leading salt producer, esco – european salt company, which belongs to the K+S Group.

The 47-year-old economics graduate Erich Krug will succeed Karl-Georg Mielke, who will be taking on new duties as the chairman of the board at Chilean salt producer Sociedad Punta de Lobos (SPL), which was recently acquired by K+S.

Reinhard Dust will remain the esco general manager responsible for production / technology, finance and human resources.

Profile of Erich Krug:

Erich Krug was born in Kassel in 1959. After obtaining his secondary school leaving certificate he studied business management at the universities of Göttingen and Kassel from 1981 until 1984.

Subsequently and until 1989, he worked in the central controlling/planning unit within the sales department of what was formerly Kali und Salz AG. He moved to the company’s salt business segment in 1990. From 1992 until 2001, he was responsible for sales of industrial salt and de-icing salt.

In 2002, Erich Krug took over the head of consumer/industrial product marketing of esco – european salt company. Erich Krug has been the esco managing director responsible for marketing and sales since 1 July 2006.

Erich Krug is married and has two children.

Salt business with an international dimension

As of 1 July 2006, the K+S Group's salt business segment will comprise esco – european salt company and Chilean Sociedad Punta de Lobos. The K+S Group offers its customers a full range of high quality salt products for industrial applications as well as trades and households and possesses particularly advantageous and cost-effective production and logistics capabilities.

With its two subsidiaries, K+S is one of the world's leading salt producers. It is not only present on Europe’s most important markets through esco, but is also one of the leading salt producers on the American continent with SPL.

In total, esco and SPL sell over 10 million tons of salt products each year and also possess substantial capacity reserves, which are primarily used to provide a particularly reliable supply of winter maintenance products to their customers.