Breakfast with Figel
On Friday morning last week the Centrum Hotel in Kosice was the venue for another in a series of meetings organized by the American Chamber of Commerce in Slovakia
for entrepreneurs in the East Slovakian region, which have been dubbed "Breakfast with Figel". Those present included U. S. Steel Kosice Vice-presidents Martin Pitorak, Peter S.
Richardson, Joseph R. Sherrbaum and James F. Connor, EDC Director Juraj Augustin, and guests from other companies.
The occasion was opened and led by the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the American Chamber of Commerce in Slovakia Robert Simoncic, who recently visited
U. S. Steel Kosice as part of the Board's latest session.The meeting's principal guest, European Commissioner Jan Figel, stated that Slovakia's accession to the European Union is not
just a formality. Slovakia is expanding and evolving, and this is confirmed by foreigners who have visited Slovakia and have had the chance to live here as well. Slovakia is remarkably adaptable
and has achieved visible results.
In this way, according to the strategists, Europe is becoming a very interesting location for investments. Jan Figel also addressed the issues of the need for and
development of dialogue with transatlantic partners. Asked by Ocel Vychodu how an American firm such as U. S. Steel Kosice can contribute to the development of the EU, Jan Figel
said:
"By being involved in cooperation. U. S. Steel is no longer solely an American company, but is now also a European firm so to speak in the sense that it is
directly present, producing and selling on the European market, it's going on growing, and I'm sure that this is due to interest on both sides. This is also how many misunderstandings can be
avoided, which weaken the Euroatlantic zone. At the same time it's in Europe's interests to have a stable, vital economic environment opening up which will produce employment, social cohesion and
new technology as well as economic strength to the European Union. U. S. Steel in Slovakia and the Central European region - this is not just about steel, but also about relationships,
enterprise culture, corporate ethics, and attractiveness of the environment for other investors, for other partners. I'm sure that the fruit of U. S. Steel's presence in Kosice and in
Eastern Slovakia will grow steadily more visible."
Ekotopfilm 2004 starts next week
Next Monday, October 25th, less than a week hence, sees the beginning in the Forum Hotel in Bratislava of the 31st edition of the annual international festival of
specialist films, videos and TV programs named EKOTOPFILM 2004. U. S. Steel Kosice is the general sponsor of this event, which enjoys exceptional status in the world particularly
because it sets up the necessary conditions for successful communication between specialists from various professional fields, especially technicians and ecologists, with the aim of seeking,
creating and implementing solutions to the problems of humanity.
The competition has been entered by film-makers from many European states, the USA and Canada with a total of more than 150 different titles, which the jury will be
assessing in four categories. By now it has become a tradition for one of the prizes to be awarded by U. S. Steel Kosice.
Another meeting with long-serving employees
The best part of 200 long-serving employees from the Power, Special Maintenance, Elektro and Secondary Metallurgical divisions, who are celebrating 30, 35 and 40
years of working for the Kosice steelworks this year, were invited together with their spouses to a celebration dinner last week. This took place on Friday evening, October 15th, in the
Ferrocentrum Social Club, and was also attended by representatives from U. S. Steel Kosice top management.
There to congratulate the celebrators together with their wives were U. S. Steel Kosice President Christopher Navetta, Vice-presidents Anton Jura, Scott C.
Pape, Miroslav Kiralvarga and Martin Pitorak, GM Power Generation and Media Vladimir Jacko, and other Company managers.
