Compass Minerals Reports First-Quarter Highway Deicing Sales Volume and Snow-Event Data; Sales Totaled 4.7M Tons vs 4.4M Tons in 2013

Compass Minerals

has published its first-quarter 2014 highway deicing sales volume and regional weather data on its website at www.compassminerals.com/marketdata. Compass Minerals' highway deicing sales volume, which includes all highway maintenance products sold in the U.S., Canada and the U.K., as well as rock salt sold to the chemical industry, totaled approximately 4.7 million tons in the three months ended March 2014 compared with 4.4 million tons in the 2013 quarter and a 10-year average of 4.2 million tons. Eleven representative cities in the company's primary North American highway deicing service area reported a total of 191 snow events during the first quarter of 2014 compared to 108 events in the same cities in the 2013 period according to the U.S. National Weather Service and AccuWeather, Inc. “The severe winter weather in North America fueled strong demand for all deicing products and generated our best first-quarter highway deicing sales volume since 2008,” said Compass Minerals CEO and president, Fran Malecha. “Rock salt inventories have been depleted throughout the North American regions we serve, so we expect highway deicing customers to request increased volumes in the upcoming contract bid season.” Conference Call to Discuss First-Quarter Financial Results The company will release its first-quarter 2014 financial results Monday, April 28, after the markets close and will discuss its results on a conference call Tuesday, April 29, at 9:00 a.m. ET. To access the conference call, interested parties should visit the company's website at www.CompassMinerals.com or dial (877) 614-0009. Callers must provide the conference ID number 3252180. Outside of the U.S. and Canada, callers may dial (913) 643-4075. An audio replay will be available on the company's website for two weeks or may be accessed by phone for seven days at (888) 203-1112, conference ID 3252180. Outside of the U.S. and Canada, callers may dial (719) 457-0820. A summary of Compass Minerals' performance will also be available on the company's website by 8:00 a.m. ET on Tuesday, April 29, at www.CompassMinerals.com/Presentation. About Compass Minerals Compass Minerals is a leading provider of essential minerals that address nature's challenges, including salt for winter roadway safety and other consumer, industrial and agricultural uses, and specialty plant nutrition minerals that improve the quality and yield of crops. The company produces its minerals at locations throughout the U.S. and Canada and in the U.K. For more information about Compass Minerals and its products, please visit www.compassminerals.com.