www.wgiheavyminerals.com COEUR D'ALENE, ID, Nov. 14 /CNW/ - WGI Heavy Minerals, Inc. (TSX: WG) is pleased to announce two additions to its management team; Mr. Greg Emerson will assume the role of Senior Vice President of Corporate Performance and Mrs. June Perez will assume the role of Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary. WGI has identified major opportunities and challenges in several of its key markets and operating locations; particularly in India, the waterjet business and waste recovery operations in Germany. The Sr. V.P. of Corporate Performance's role is to generate specific actionable information and action plans for creating or increasing WGI's profitable performance in priority markets and transaction opportunities. As well, the Sr. V.P. will work closely with the Chairman and C.E.O. in guiding the successful execution of the action plans and the Company's program of continuing improvement. Mr. Emerson has been the Chief Financial Officer of WGI for many years and is exceptionally well placed and prepared for this new role. Mrs. Perez, in assuming the role of Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary, takes over the management of all the Company's accounting, treasury, information technology systems, human resources, regulatory and legal affairs as well as analyses and competitive intelligence. Mrs. Perez is trained and well versed in Sarbanes-Oxley and related regulatory matters. She has served in senior financial and planning functions for extended periods in major firms including Medtronic, Inc., Johnson & Johnson, as well as a division of Coca-Cola. She is a CPA and holds an MBA degree. As our review of operations worldwide has proceeded, including the worldwide management meeting just completed, it has become apparent that reinvestment is required. For example, the garnet type found at Emerald Creek is useful in the world market and thus valuable. Maintenance and reinvestment at Emerald Creek has been deferred in past years with the result that mining operation, material handling, processing techniques and equipment are not optimum. An early priority of the Sr. V.P. of Corporate Performance will be to establish and oversee the implementation of a program of reinvestment in plant and facilities there, in order to make the best use of existing and desired deposits and to lower production costs. WGI Heavy Minerals, Inc. is a fully integrated miner, producer, and marketer of industrial-grade minerals. The Company's operations include mining and processing facilities in Washington and Idaho, U.S. (International Waterjet Parts & Emerald Creek Garnet), and Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, India (Bengal Bay Garnet). This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning the business, operations, and financial performance and condition of WGI Heavy Minerals, Incorporated. A number of the matters discussed and statements made in the press release contain forward-looking statements reflecting current expectations regarding future assets. When used in this press release, the words "believe", "anticipate", "intend", "estimate", "expect", "project", and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such words. These forward- looking statements are based on current expectations and are naturally subject to risks, uncertainties, and changes in circumstances beyond management's control that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause such differences include but are not limited to: exploration and development risks; risks related to permits and title to property; risks related to foreign countries and regulatory requirements; operating hazards; foreign currency fluctuations; competition; fluctuations in the market price of mineral commodities and transportation costs; uncertainty as to calculations of mineral deposit estimates; uninsured risks; and dependence upon key management personnel and executives. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed here. You should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The Company is under no obligation to update or alter such forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. %SEDAR: 00002893E