Dr. Kotecki said he plans to expand the global presence of AWS, focusing on international standards development, education programs and certification of welding personnel. He also will continue the Society's efforts to support the activities of its thousands of volunteers through Internet-based meetings (virtual meetings) and Internet-based distribution of welding information.

An engineer at Lincoln Electric since 1989, Dr. Kotecki is Technical Director for Stainless and High Alloy Product Development in the Company's Consumable R&D Department. He is an expert in the area of welding metallurgy, particularly as it relates to stainless steels and hardfacing alloys. Dr. Kotecki holds five U.S. patents and is the author of more than 60 papers and published articles on arc welding science. He recently co-authored, with Dr. John Lippold of The Ohio State University, a textbook on Welding Metallurgy and Weldability of Stainless Steels.

Dr. Kotecki previously served as vice president of AWS and has been a member of the organization's board of directors, served as a director-at-large and chaired a number of the Society's technical committees. He is also a vice president of the International Institute of Welding based in Paris, France.

He earned bachelor's and master's degrees in mechanical engineering and a doctorate in mechanical engineering with a minor in metallurgical engineering from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

The American Welding Society is the largest organization in the world dedicated to advancing the science, technology and application of materials joining and serves more than 48,500 members in the United States and around the world. Additional information on the Society's programs and publications can be found on the organization's website, www.aws.org.

The Lincoln Electric Company is a subsidiary of Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: LECO), the world leader in the design, development and manufacture of arc welding products, robotic arc-welding systems, plasma and oxyfuel cutting equipment. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Lincoln has operations, manufacturing alliances and joint ventures in 18 countries and a worldwide network of distributors and sales offices covering more than 160 countries. The Company is celebrating its 110th year during 2005. For more information about Lincoln Electric, its products and services, visit the Company's Web site at www.lincolnelectric.com.