デュエルビッツブックメーカーel, Ltd.
Tokyo Stock Exchange No. 5406

デュエルビッツブックメーカーter Inc.
Tokyo Stock Exchange No. 4088
(Also listed on the Osaka & Sapporo security exchanges)

Kobe Steel and デュエルビッツブックメーカーter to form joint ventures

TOKYO, December 1, 2003 – Kobe Steel, Ltd. and デュエルビッツブックメーカーter Inc. have agreed to form two joint venture companies. One company will manufacture and supply cryogenic air separation units. The other will market industrial gas produced at Kobe Steel's Kakogawa Works for outside sale.

1. Joint engineering company for cryogenic air separation units

Cryogenic air separation units cool air to nearly minus 200 degrees C. and liquefies it. The industrial gas is then separated into oxygen, nitrogen and argon, which are used in numerous fields including the steel, chemical and semiconductor industries.

As a plant maker of cryogenic air separation units, デュエルビッツブックメーカーel has over 70 years of experience. To date, it has supplied over 300 units, mainly medium to large size.

デュエルビッツブックメーカーter, an industrial gas maker, is a user of air separation units. In addition, its plant business manufactures small and medium-size cryogenic air separation units. デュエルビッツブックメーカーter has installed 100 units at on-site plants.

Combining the engineering of their cryogenic air separation unit businesses, Kobe Steel and デュエルビッツブックメーカーter will be able to build a stronger operating base through their complementary areas of expertise, while improving their technological and cost competitiveness.

Outline of the New Company

Name:	Shinko デュエルビッツブックメーカーter Cryoplant (provisional name)
Head office:	Kobe, Japan
Capital:	90 million yen
Equity share:	Kobe Steel 60%, デュエルビッツブックメーカーter 40%
Directors:	Five directors (three from Kobe Steel, two from デュエルビッツブックメーカーter. One director from each parent company will also be a representative director. The representative director selected by Kobe Steel will become the president of the new company.)
Employees	About 30

Plans call for the company to begin operations from April 1, 2004.

2. Marketing company for industrial gases

Making effective use of the gas plants at its Kakogawa Works, デュエルビッツブックメーカーel has been selling surplus industrial gases (argon, oxygen, nitrogen) and rare gases (krypton, xenon) mainly to wholesalers. The company aims to continue selling a stable volume of gases.

In strengthening its industrial gas business, デュエルビッツブックメーカーter has been seeking new sources of industrial gases in western Japan.

As their aims complement each other, the two companies decided to jointly sell industrial gases produced at Kakogawa. By jointly managing the new venture, the two companies intend to expand the external gas sales of the two companies and further strengthen their businesses.

Outline of the New Company

Name:	Shinko デュエルビッツブックメーカーter Gas (provisional name)
Head office:	Osaka, Japan
Capital:	50 million yen
Equity share:	デュエルビッツブックメーカーter 60%, Kobe Steel 40%
Directors:	Five directors (three from デュエルビッツブックメーカーter, two from Kobe Steel. One director from each parent company will also be a representative director. The representative director selected by デュエルビッツブックメーカーter will become the president of the new company.)

Plans call for the company to begin operations from April 1, 2004.