Press Release

Toolmaker One of Only 181 Suppliers Honored Globally

LATROBE, Pa., May 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Kennametal Inc. (NYSE: KMT) has been named a Supplier of the Year by General Motors Corporation (GM) for the fourth-consecutive year. H. Patrick Mahanes, vice president and chief operating officer, accepted the award for Kennametal at a ceremony held today by GM at the historic PrinzRegenten Theater in Munich, Germany. The prestigious award, celebrating its eighth-consecutive year, is given annually to GM's best global suppliers in recognition of their superior performance during the previous calendar year.

"Kennametal is one of our best and brightest suppliers," said Harold R. Kutner, GM's group vice president, Worldwide Purchasing and North American Production Control & Logistics, who hosted the event. "It is an honor to have them working with us. Kennametal's contributions to General Motors' overall success are immeasurable. We look upon the Supplier of the Year award as an important recognition of their value as an automotive industry supplier."

"We at Kennametal are extremely honored to receive this recognition for the fourth-consecutive year from our valued customer and partner General Motors," said Markos I. Tambakeras, Kennametal president and chief executive officer. "One of Kennametal's ambitions is to be the best in customer satisfaction. This award acknowledges the commitment to that ideal of our 13,000 employees around the globe. Being recognized once again as a GM Supplier of the Year validates Kennametal's aspiration to be the premier tooling solutions supplier in the world."

The 1999 winners represent 22 nations. The companies recognized were selected by a global team of GM executives from purchasing, engineering, manufacturing and logistics who base their decisions on supplier performance in quality, service, technology and price.

Kennametal is one of only 73 companies in the world to receive the award for four or more years.

This is the eighth-consecutive year for GM's program that recognizes supplier companies worldwide who exceed specific performance standards in the areas of quality, service, technology and price. The GM Supplier of the Year Awards began in Germany more than 20 years ago and were expanded to all of GM Europe in 1989. The Supplier of the Year Awards became an international recognition in 1992.

Kennametal Inc. aspires to be the premier tooling solutions supplier in the world with operational excellence throughout the value chain and best-in-class manufacturing and technology. Kennametal strives to deliver superior shareowner value through top-tier financial performance. The company provides customers a broad range of technologically advanced tools, tooling systems and engineering services aimed at improving customers' manufacturing competitiveness. With 13,000 employees worldwide, the corporation's annual sales are approximately $2 billion, with a third coming from sales outside the United States. Headquartered in Latrobe, Pa., USA, Kennametal was founded in 1938 by metallurgist Philip M. McKenna and today has operations in more than 60 countries. Kennametal operations in Europe are headquartered in Furth, Germany. Kennametal Asia Pacific operations are headquartered in Singapore.
SOURCE Kennametal Inc.
Web site: http: //www.kennametal.com
CONTACT: Charles T. Glazer, Corporate Public Relations of Kennametal, 724-539-4618