(As prepared)
Mr. Secretary, President Schuster, Ambassador Weiser, ladies and gentlemen, honored guests: On behalf of the employees of U.S. Steel Kosice, I would like to thank the State Department, the Secretary, and the U.S. Embassy in Slovakia for honoring our company with this award. As a U.S. company operating in the international market place, U.S. Steel Kosice is keenly aware of its role as an ambassador of American business, culture, and values. We know that the citizens of the countries within which we operate watch what we do and listen to what we say to judge for themselves if U.S. Steel is a reputable and honest company.
Since coming to Slovakia in November 2000, U.S. Steel has focused on doing the right thing for our employees, the community, our customers, and suppliers. Most important, however, was our obligation to make U.S. Steel and the United States proud of the way we conducted our business.
To ensure that this responsibility was an integral part of our work place, we developed a business model that supports these goals.
First, we made a commitment to our employees to provide a safe and healthy workplace and to bargain in a fair, equitable, and competitive manner. We then established programs to reinforce this commitment through appropriate training, employee recognition for improvement, and sharing the company's success.
We established and maintain communication meetings directly with all 16,000 employees to detail our strategic corporate goals and near term plans for continuous improvement. We now operate in an atmosphere of open communication and participative management.
We developed and maintain a high standard of business practices supported by our published “Code of Ethical Conduct”. To insure compliance, the expected business conduct was discussed both inside our company and with vendors that provide us goods and services. The Code has been strictly enforced, and, as a result, we now have a reputation as a company that can be trusted to deal honesty and fairly with all business partners.
We are also deeply involved in community life. U.S. Steel Kosice fulfills its role as corporate citizen and leader through sponsorship of a variety of organizations and activities dedicated to improving the health, welfare, and education of the community's young people. We also fund an Economic Development Center that works to bring new companies into the region, creating jobs and business opportunities for the local citizens.
U.S. Steel Kosice is proud of what it has accomplished in eastern Slovakia and we look forward with great anticipation to the future. Our people are dedicated to the values of political democracy and market driven economics. I accept this award on behalf or all of the employees who have worked so hard and with such professionalism to make our company a sustainable and successful corporate citizen. Thank you.
