Document:

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                                                                     Exhibit 4.3

                                                                  EXECUTION COPY

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                         REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

                            Dated November 14, 2003

                                     among

                             STEEL DYNAMICS, INC.,

                            SDI INVESTMENT COMPANY,
                           DYNAMIC BAR PRODUCTS LLC,
                              STLD HOLDINGS, INC.,
                           FERROUS RESOURCES LLC, and
                    STEEL DYNAMICS SALES NORTH AMERICA, INC.

                                      and

                       MORGAN STANLEY & CO. INCORPORATED,

                             GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO.,

                                      and

                          J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES INC.

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                         REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

                  THIS REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT (the "Agreement") is made
and entered into November 14, 2003, between STEEL DYNAMICS, INC., an Indiana
corporation (the "Company"), the subsidiaries of the Company listed on Schedule
I hereto (the "Guarantors") and MORGAN STANLEY & CO. INCORPORATED, GOLDMAN,
SACHS & CO., and J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES INC. (the "Placement Agents").

                  This Agreement is made pursuant to the Placement Agreement
dated November 14, 2003, between the Company and the Placement Agents (the
"Placement Agreement"), which provides for the sale by the Company to the
Placement Agents of an aggregate of $100,000,000 principal amount of the
Company's 9 1/2% Senior Notes Due 2009 (the "Securities"). The Securities will
be fully and unconditionally guaranteed on a senior unsecured basis by the
Guarantors. In order to induce the Placement Agents to enter into the Placement
Agreement, the Company and the Guarantors agreed to provide to the Placement
Agents and their direct and indirect transferees the registration rights set
forth in this Agreement. The execution of this Agreement is a condition to the
closing under the Placement Agreement.

                  In consideration of the foregoing, the parties hereto agree as
follows:

                  1.       Definitions.

                  As used in this Agreement, the following capitalized defined
terms shall have the following meanings:

                  "1933 Act" shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended
         from time to time.

                  "1934 Act" shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
         amended from time to time.

                  "Closing Date" shall mean the Closing Date as defined in the
         Placement Agreement.

                  "Company" shall have the meaning set forth in the preamble and
         shall also include the Company's successors.

                  "Exchange Offer" shall mean the exchange offer by the Company
         of Exchange Securities for Registrable Securities pursuant to Section
         2(a) hereof.

                  "Exchange Offer Registration" shall mean a registration under
         the 1933 Act effected pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof.

                  "Exchange Offer Registration Statement" shall mean an exchange
         offer registration statement on Form S-4 (or, if applicable, on another
         appropriate form) and all amendments and supplements to such
         registration statement, in each case including the Prospectus contained
         therein, all exhibits thereto and all material incorporated by
         reference therein.

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                  "Exchange Securities" shall mean securities issued by the
         Company and guaranteed by the Guarantors under the Indenture containing
         terms identical to the Securities (except that the Exchange Securities
         will not contain restrictions on transfer) and to be offered to Holders
         of Securities in exchange for Securities pursuant to the Exchange
         Offer.

                  "Gurantors" shall have the meaning set forth in the preamble
         and shall also include any Guarantor's successors.

                  "Holder" shall mean the Placement Agents, for so long as they
         own any Registrable Securities, and each of their successors, assigns
         and direct and indirect transferees who become registered owners of
         Registrable Securities under the Indenture; provided that for purposes
         of Sections 4 and 5 of this Agreement, the term "Holder" shall include
         Participating Broker-Dealers (as defined in Section 4(a)).

                  "Indenture" shall mean the Indenture relating to the
         Securities dated as of March 26, 2002, as amended, among the Company,
         the Guarantors and Fifth Third Bank, Indiana, as trustee, and as the
         same may be amended from time to time in accordance with the terms
         thereof.

                  "Majority Holders" shall mean the Holders of a majority of the
         aggregate principal amount of outstanding Registrable Securities;
         provided that whenever the consent or approval of Holders of a
         specified percentage of Registrable Securities is required hereunder,
         Registrable Securities held by the Company or any of its affiliates (as
         such term is defined in Rule 405 under the 1933 Act) (other than the
         Placement Agents or subsequent Holders of Registrable Securities if
         such subsequent holders are deemed to be such affiliates solely by
         reason of their holding of such Registrable Securities) shall not be
         counted in determining whether such consent or approval was given by
         the Holders of such required percentage or amount.

                  "Person" shall mean an individual, partnership, limited
         liability company, corporation, trust or unincorporated organization,
         or a government or agency or political subdivision thereof.

                  "Placement Agents" shall have the meaning set forth in the
         preamble.

                  "Placement Agreement" shall have the meaning set forth in the
         preamble.

                  "Prospectus" shall mean the prospectus included in a
         Registration Statement, including any preliminary prospectus, and any
         such prospectus as amended or supplemented by any prospectus
         supplement, including a prospectus supplement with respect to the terms
         of the offering of any portion of the Registrable Securities covered by
         a Shelf Registration Statement, and by all other amendments and
         supplements to such prospectus, and in each case including all material
         incorporated by reference therein.

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                  "Registrable Securities" shall mean the Securities and the
         guarantee thereof by the Guarantors; provided, however, that the
         Securities and the guarantee shall cease to be Registrable Securities
         (i) when a Registration Statement with respect to such Securities and
         the guarantee shall have been declared effective under the 1933 Act and
         such Securities and the guarantee shall have been disposed of pursuant
         to such Registration Statement, (ii) when such Securities and the
         guarantee have been sold to the public pursuant to Rule 144(k) (or any
         similar provision then in force, but not Rule 144A) under the 1933 Act
         or (iii) when such Securities and the guarantee shall have ceased to be
         outstanding.

                  "Registration Expenses" shall mean any and all expenses
         incident to performance of or compliance by the Company and the
         Guarantors with this Agreement, including without limitation: (i) all
         SEC, stock exchange or National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.
         registration and filing fees, (ii) all fees and expenses incurred in
         connection with compliance with state securities or blue sky laws
         (including reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for any
         underwriters or Holders in connection with blue sky qualification of
         any of the Exchange Securities or Registrable Securities), (iii) all
         expenses of any Persons in preparing or assisting in preparing, word
         processing, printing and distributing any Registration Statement, any
         Prospectus, any amendments or supplements thereto, any underwriting
         agreements, securities sales agreements and other documents relating to
         the performance of and compliance with this Agreement, (iv) all rating
         agency fees, (v) all fees and disbursements relating to the
         qualification of the Indenture under applicable securities laws, (vi)
         the fees and disbursements of the Trustee and its counsel, (vii) the
         fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company and the Guarantors
         and, in the case of a Shelf Registration Statement, the fees and
         disbursements of one counsel for the Holders (which counsel shall be
         selected by the Majority Holders and which counsel may also be counsel
         for the Placement Agent) and (viii) the fees and disbursements of the
         independent public accountants of the Company and the Guarantors,
         including the expenses of any special audits or "cold comfort" letters
         required by or incident to such performance and compliance, but
         excluding fees and expenses of counsel to the underwriters (other than
         fees and expenses set forth in clause (ii) above) or the Holders and
         underwriting discounts and commissions and transfer taxes, if any,
         relating to the sale or disposition of Registrable Securities by a
         Holder.

                  "Registration Statement" shall mean any registration statement
         of the Company and the Guarantors that covers any of the Exchange
         Securities or Registrable Securities pursuant to the provisions of this
         Agreement and all amendments and supplements to any such Registration
         Statement, including post-effective amendments, in each case including
         the Prospectus contained therein, all exhibits thereto and all material
         incorporated by reference therein.

                  "SEC" shall mean the Securities and Exchange Commission.

                  "Shelf Registration" shall mean a registration effected
         pursuant to Section 2(b) hereof.

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                  "Shelf Registration Statement" shall mean a "shelf"
         registration statement of the Company and the Guarantors pursuant to
         the provisions of Section 2(b) of this Agreement which covers all of
         the Registrable Securities (but no other securities unless approved by
         the Holders whose Registrable Securities are covered by such Shelf
         Registration Statement) on an appropriate form under Rule 415 under the
         1933 Act, or any similar rule that may be adopted by the SEC, and all
         amendments and supplements to such registration statement, including
         post-effective amendments, in each case including the Prospectus
         contained therein, all exhibits thereto and all material incorporated
         by reference therein.

                  "Trustee" shall mean the trustee with respect to the
         Securities under the Indenture.

                  "Underwriter" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3
         hereof.

                  "Underwritten Registration" or "Underwritten Offering" shall
         mean a registration in which Registrable Securities are sold to an
         Underwriter for reoffering to the public.

         2.       Registration Under the 1933 Act.

         (a)      To the extent not prohibited by any applicable law or
applicable interpretation of the Staff of the SEC, the Company and the
Guarantors shall use their best efforts to cause to be filed an Exchange Offer
Registration Statement covering the offer by the Company and the Guarantors to
the Holders to exchange all of the Registrable Securities for Exchange
Securities and to have such Registration Statement remain effective until the
closing of the Exchange Offer. The Company and the Guarantors shall commence the
Exchange Offer promptly after the Exchange Offer Registration Statement has been
declared effective by the SEC and use its best efforts to have the Exchange
Offer consummated not later than 60 days after such effective date. The Company
and the Guarantors shall commence the Exchange Offer by mailing the related
exchange offer Prospectus and accompanying documents to each Holder stating, in
addition to such other disclosures as are required by applicable law:

                  (i)      that the Exchange Offer is being made pursuant to
         this Registration Rights Agreement and that all Registrable Securities
         validly tendered will be accepted for exchange;

                  (ii)     the dates of acceptance for exchange (which shall be
         a period of at least 20 business days from the date such notice is
         mailed) (the "Exchange Dates");

                  (iii)    that any Registrable Security not tendered will
         remain outstanding and continue to accrue interest, but will not retain
         any rights under this Registration Rights Agreement;

                  (iv)     that Holders electing to have a Registrable Security
         exchanged pursuant to the Exchange Offer will be required to surrender
         such Registrable Security, together with the enclosed letters of
         transmittal, to the institution and at the address (located in the
         Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York) specified in the notice
         prior to the close of business on the last Exchange Date; and

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                  (v)      that Holders will be entitled to withdraw their
         election, not later than the close of business on the last Exchange
         Date, by sending to the institution and at the address (located in the
         Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York) specified in the notice a
         telegram, telex, facsimile transmission or letter setting forth the
         name of such Holder, the principal amount of Registrable Securities
         delivered for exchange and a statement that such Holder is withdrawing
         his election to have such Securities exchanged.

                  As soon as practicable after the last Exchange Date, the
         Company shall:

                  (i)      accept for exchange Registrable Securities or
         portions thereof tendered and not validly withdrawn pursuant to the
         Exchange Offer; and

                  (ii)     deliver, or cause to be delivered, to the Trustee for
         cancellation all Registrable Securities or portions thereof so accepted
         for exchange by the Company and issue, and cause the Trustee to
         promptly authenticate and mail to each Holder, an Exchange Security
         equal in principal amount to the principal amount of the Registrable
         Securities surrendered by such Holder.

The Company and the Guarantors shall use their best efforts to complete the
Exchange Offer as provided above and shall comply with the applicable
requirements of the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act and other applicable laws and
regulations in connection with the Exchange Offer. The Exchange Offer shall not
be subject to any conditions, other than that the Exchange Offer does not
violate applicable law or any applicable interpretation of the Staff of the SEC.
The Company shall inform the Placement Agents of the names and addresses of the
Holders to whom the Exchange Offer is made, and the Placement Agents shall have
the right, subject to applicable law, to contact such Holders and otherwise
facilitate the tender of Registrable Securities in the Exchange Offer.

         (b)      In the event that (i) the Company and the Guarantors determine
that the Exchange Offer Registration provided for in Section 2(a) above is not
available or may not be consummated as soon as practicable after the last
Exchange Date because it would violate applicable law or the applicable
interpretations of the Staff of the SEC, (ii) the Exchange Offer is not for any
other reason consummated by May 26, 2004 or (iii) the Exchange Offer has been
completed and in the opinion of counsel for the Placement Agents a Registration
Statement must be filed and a Prospectus must be delivered by the Placement
Agents in connection with any offering or sale of Registrable Securities, the
Company and the Guarantors shall use their best efforts to cause to be filed as
soon as practicable after such determination, date or notice of such opinion of
counsel is given to the Company, as the case may be, a Shelf Registration
Statement providing for the sale by the Holders of all of the Registrable
Securities and to have such Shelf Registration Statement declared effective by
the SEC. In the event the Company and the Guarantors are required to file a
Shelf Registration Statement solely as a result of the matters referred to in
clause (iii) of the preceding sentence, the Company and the Guarantors shall use
their best efforts to file and have declared effective by the SEC both an
Exchange Offer Registration Statement pursuant to Section 2(a) with respect to
all Registrable Securities and a Shelf Registration Statement (which may be a
combined Registration Statement with the Exchange Offer Registration Statement)
with respect to offers and sales of Registrable Securities held by the Placement
Agents after completion of the Exchange Offer. The Company and the Guarantors
agree to use their best efforts to keep the Shelf Registration Statement
continuously effective until the expiration of the period referred to in Rule
144(k) with respect to the Registrable Securities or such shorter period that
will terminate when all of the Registrable Securities covered by the Shelf
Registration Statement have been sold pursuant to the Shelf Registration
Statement. The Company and the Guarantors further agree to supplement or amend
the Shelf Registration Statement if required by the rules, regulations or
instructions applicable to the registration form used by the Company for such
Shelf Registration Statement or by the 1933 Act or by any other rules and
regulations thereunder for shelf registration or if reasonably requested by a
Holder with respect to information relating to such Holder, and to use its best
efforts to cause any such amendment to become effective and such Shelf
Registration Statement to become usable as soon as thereafter practicable. The
Company and the Guarantors agree to furnish to the Holders of Registrable
Securities copies of any such supplement or amendment promptly after its being
used or filed with the SEC.

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         (c)      The Company and the Guarantors shall pay all Registration
Expenses in connection with the registration pursuant to Section 2(a) or Section
2(b). Each Holder shall pay all underwriting discounts and commissions and
transfer taxes, if any, relating to the sale or disposition of such Holder's
Registrable Securities pursuant to the Shelf Registration Statement.

         (d)      An Exchange Offer Registration Statement pursuant to Section
2(a) hereof or a Shelf Registration Statement pursuant to Section 2(b) hereof
will not be deemed to have become effective unless it has been declared
effective by the SEC; provided, however, that, if, after it has been declared
effective, the offering of Registrable Securities pursuant to a Shelf
Registration Statement is interfered with by any stop order, injunction or other
order or requirement of the SEC or any other governmental agency or court, such
Registration Statement will be deemed not to have become effective during the
period of such interference until the offering of Registrable Securities
pursuant to such Registration Statement may legally resume. As provided for in
the Indenture, in the event the Exchange Offer is not consummated and the Shelf
Registration Statement is not declared effective on or prior to May 26, 2004,
the interest rate on the Securities will be increased by .5% per annum until the
Exchange Offer is consummated or the Shelf Registration Statement is declared
effective by the SEC.

         (e)      Without limiting the remedies available to the Placement
Agents and the Holders, the Company and the Guarantors acknowledge that any
failure by the Company or the Guarantors to comply with their obligations under
Section 2(a) and Section 2(b) hereof may result in material irreparable injury
to the Placement Agents or the Holders for which there is no adequate remedy at
law, that it will not be possible to measure damages for such injuries precisely
and that, in the event of any such failure, the Placement Agents or any Holder
may obtain such relief as may be required to specifically enforce the Company's
or the Guarantors' obligations under Section 2(a) and Section 2(b) hereof.

         3.       Registration Procedures.

         In connection with the obligations of the Company and the Guarantors
with respect to the Registration Statements pursuant to Section 2(a) and Section
2(b) hereof, the Company and the Guarantors shall as expeditiously as possible:

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         (a)      prepare and file with the SEC a Registration Statement on the
appropriate form under the 1933 Act, which form (x) shall be selected by the
Company and the Guarantors and (y) shall, in the case of a Shelf Registration,
be available for the sale of the Registrable Securities by the selling Holders
thereof and (z) shall comply as to form in all material respects with the
requirements of the applicable form and include all financial statements
required by the SEC to be filed therewith, and use their best efforts to cause
such Registration Statement to become effective and remain effective in
accordance with Section 2 hereof;

         (b)      prepare and file with the SEC such amendments and
post-effective amendments to each Registration Statement as may be necessary to
keep such Registration Statement effective for the applicable period and cause
each Prospectus to be supplemented by any required prospectus supplement and, as
so supplemented, to be filed pursuant to Rule 424 under the 1933 Act; to keep
each Prospectus current during the period described under Section 4(3) and Rule
174 under the 1933 Act that is applicable to transactions by brokers or dealers
with respect to the Registrable Securities or Exchange Securities;

         (c)      in the case of a Shelf Registration, furnish to each Holder of
Registrable Securities, to counsel for the Placement Agents, to counsel for the
Holders and to each Underwriter of an Underwritten Offering of Registrable
Securities, if any, without charge, as many copies of each Prospectus, including
each preliminary Prospectus, and any amendment or supplement thereto and such
other documents as such Holder or Underwriter may reasonably request, in order
to facilitate the public sale or other disposition of the Registrable
Securities; and the Company and the Guarantors consent to the use of such
Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto in accordance with applicable
law by each of the selling Holders of Registrable Securities and any such
Underwriters in connection with the offering and sale of the Registrable
Securities covered by and in the manner described in such Prospectus or any
amendment or supplement thereto in accordance with applicable law;

         (d)      use its best efforts to register or qualify the Registrable
Securities under all applicable state securities or "blue sky" laws of such
jurisdictions as any Holder of Registrable Securities covered by a Registration
Statement shall reasonably request in writing by the time the applicable
Registration Statement is declared effective by the SEC, to cooperate with such
Holders in connection with any filings required to be made with the National
Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. and do any and all other acts and things
which may be reasonably necessary or advisable to enable such Holder to
consummate the disposition in each such jurisdiction of such Registrable
Securities owned by such Holder; provided, however, that neither the Company nor
any Guarantor shall be required to (i) qualify as a foreign corporation or as a
dealer in securities in any jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be
required to qualify but for this Section 3(d), (ii) file any general consent to
service of process or (iii) subject itself to taxation in any such jurisdiction
if it is not so subject;

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         (e)      in the case of a Shelf Registration, notify each Holder of
Registrable Securities, counsel for the Holders and counsel for the Placement
Agents promptly and, if requested by any such Holder or counsel, confirm such
advice in writing (i) when a Registration Statement has become effective and
when any post-effective amendment thereto has been filed and becomes effective,
(ii) of any request by the SEC or any state securities authority for amendments
and supplements to a Registration Statement and Prospectus or for additional
information after the Registration Statement has become effective, (iii) of the
issuance by the SEC or any state securities authority of any stop order
suspending the effectiveness of a Registration Statement or the initiation of
any proceedings for that purpose, (iv) if, between the effective date of a
Registration Statement and the closing of any sale of Registrable Securities
covered thereby, the representations and warranties of the Company or any
Guarantor contained in any underwriting agreement, securities sales agreement or
other similar agreement, if any, relating to the offering cease to be true and
correct in all material respects or if the Company or any Guarantor receives any
notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of the
Registrable Securities for sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation of any
proceeding for such purpose, (v) of the happening of any event during the period
a Shelf Registration Statement is effective which makes any statement made in
such Registration Statement or the related Prospectus untrue in any material
respect or which requires the making of any changes in such Registration
Statement or Prospectus in order to make the statements therein not misleading
and (vi) of any determination by the Company or any Guarantor that a
post-effective amendment to a Registration Statement would be appropriate;

         (f)      make every reasonable effort to obtain the withdrawal of any
order suspending the effectiveness of a Registration Statement at the earliest
possible moment and provide immediate notice to each Holder of the withdrawal of
any such order;

         (g)      in the case of a Shelf Registration, furnish to each Holder of
Registrable Securities, without charge, at least one conformed copy of each
Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto (without
documents incorporated therein by reference or exhibits thereto, unless
requested);

         (h)      in the case of a Shelf Registration, cooperate with the
selling Holders of Registrable Securities to facilitate the timely preparation
and delivery of certificates representing Registrable Securities to be sold and
not bearing any restrictive legends and enable such Registrable Securities to be
in such denominations (consistent with the provisions of the Indenture) and
registered in such names as the selling Holders may reasonably request at least
one business day prior to the closing of any sale of Registrable Securities;

         (i)      in the case of a Shelf Registration, upon the occurrence of
any event contemplated by Section 3(e)(v) hereof, use its best efforts to
prepare and file with the SEC a supplement or post-effective amendment to a
Registration Statement or the related Prospectus or any document incorporated
therein by reference or file any other required document so that, as thereafter
delivered to the purchasers of the Registrable Securities, such Prospectus will
not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material
fact necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances
under which they were made, not misleading. The Company and the Guarantors agree
to notify the Holders to suspend use of the Prospectus as promptly as
practicable after the occurrence of such an event, and the Holders hereby agree
to suspend use of the Prospectus until the Company and the Guarantors have
amended or supplemented the Prospectus to correct such misstatement or omission;

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         (j)      a reasonable time prior to the filing of any Registration
Statement, any Prospectus, any amendment to a Registration Statement or
amendment or supplement to a Prospectus or any document which is to be
incorporated by reference into a Registration Statement or a Prospectus after
initial filing of a Registration Statement, provide copies of such document to
the Placement Agents and their counsel (and, in the case of a Shelf Registration
Statement, the Holders and their counsel) and make such of the representatives
of the Company and the Guarantors as shall be reasonably requested by the
Placement Agents or their counsel (and, in the case of a Shelf Registration
Statement, the Holders or their counsel) available for discussion of such
document, and shall not at any time file or make any amendment to the
Registration Statement, any Prospectus or any amendment of or supplement to a
Registration Statement or a Prospectus or any document which is to be
incorporated by reference into a Registration Statement or a Prospectus, of
which the Placement Agents and their counsel (and, in the case of a Shelf
Registration Statement, the Holders and their counsel) shall not have previously
been advised and furnished a copy or to which the Placement Agents or their
counsel (and, in the case of a Shelf Registration Statement, the Holders or
their counsel) shall object;

         (k)      obtain a CUSIP number for all Exchange Securities or
Registrable Securities, as the case may be, not later than the effective date of
a Registration Statement;

         (l)      cause the Indenture to be qualified under the Trust Indenture
Act of 1939, as amended (the "TIA"), in connection with the registration of the
Exchange Securities or Registrable Securities, as the case may be, cooperate
with the Trustee and the Holders to effect such changes to the Indenture as may
be required for the Indenture to be so qualified in accordance with the terms of
the TIA and execute, and use its best efforts to cause the Trustee to execute,
all documents as may be required to effect such changes and all other forms and
documents required to be filed with the SEC to enable the Indenture to be so
qualified in a timely manner;

         (m)      in the case of a Shelf Registration, make available for
inspection by a representative of the Holders of the Registrable Securities, any
Underwriter participating in any disposition pursuant to such Shelf Registration
Statement, and attorneys and accountants designated by the Holders, at
reasonable times and in a reasonable manner, all financial and other records,
pertinent documents and properties of the Company and the Guarantors, and cause
the respective officers, directors and employees of the Company and the
Guarantors to supply all information reasonably requested by any such
representative, Underwriter, attorney or accountant in connection with a Shelf
Registration Statement;

                                       9
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         (n)      in the case of a Shelf Registration, use its best efforts to
cause all Registrable Securities to be listed on any securities exchange or any
automated quotation system on which similar securities issued by the Company or
any Guarantor are then listed if requested by the Majority Holders, to the
extent such Registrable Securities satisfy applicable listing requirements;

         (o)      use its best efforts to cause the Exchange Securities to
continue to be rated by two nationally recognized statistical rating
organizations (as such term is defined in Rule 436(g)(2) under the 1933 Act), if
the Registrable Securities have been rated;

         (p)      if reasonably requested by any Holder of Registrable
Securities covered by a Registration Statement, (i) promptly incorporate in a
Prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment such information with respect
to such Holder as such Holder reasonably requests to be included therein and
(ii) make all required filings of such Prospectus supplement or such
post-effective amendment as soon as the Company has received notification of the
matters to be incorporated in such filing; and

         (q)      in the case of a Shelf Registration, enter into such customary
agreements and take all such other actions in connection therewith (including
those requested by the Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities being
sold) in order to expedite or facilitate the disposition of such Registrable
Securities including, but not limited to, an Underwritten Offering and in such
connection, (i) to the extent possible, make such representations and warranties
to the Holders and any Underwriters of such Registrable Securities with respect
to the business of the Company and its subsidiaries, the Registration Statement,
Prospectus and documents incorporated by reference or deemed incorporated by
reference, if any, in each case, in form, substance and scope as are customarily
made by issuers to underwriters in underwritten offerings and confirm the same
if and when requested, (ii) obtain opinions of counsel to the Company and the
Guarantors (which counsel and opinions, in form, scope and substance, shall be
reasonably satisfactory to the Holders and such Underwriters and their
respective counsel) addressed to each selling Holder and Underwriter of
Registrable Securities, covering the matters customarily covered in opinions
requested in underwritten offerings, (iii) obtain "cold comfort" letters from
the independent certified public accountants of the Company and the Guarantors
(and, if necessary, any other certified public accountant of any subsidiary of
the Company or any Guarantor, or of any business acquired by the Company or any
Guarantor for which financial statements and financial data are or are required
to be included in the Registration Statement) addressed to each selling Holder
and Underwriter of Registrable Securities, such letters to be in customary form
and covering matters of the type customarily covered in "cold comfort" letters
in connection with underwritten offerings, and (iv) deliver such documents and
certificates as may be reasonably requested by the Holders of a majority in
principal amount of the Registrable Securities being sold or the Underwriters,
and which are customarily delivered in underwritten offerings, to evidence the
continued validity of the representations and warranties of the Company and the
Guarantors made pursuant to clause (i) above and to evidence compliance with any
customary conditions contained in an underwriting agreement.

         In the case of a Shelf Registration Statement, the Company and the
Guarantors may require each Holder of Registrable Securities to furnish to the
Company and the Guarantors such information regarding the Holder and the
proposed distribution by such Holder of such Registrable Securities as the
Company and the Guarantors may from time to time reasonably request in writing.

                                       10
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         In the case of a Shelf Registration Statement, each Holder agrees that,
upon receipt of any notice from the Company and the Guarantors of the happening
of any event of the kind described in Section 3(e)(v) hereof, such Holder will
forthwith discontinue disposition of Registrable Securities pursuant to a
Registration Statement until such Holder's receipt of the copies of the
supplemented or amended Prospectus contemplated by Section 3(i) hereof, and, if
so directed by the Company and the Guarantors, such Holder will deliver to the
Company and the Guarantors (at its expense) all copies in its possession, other
than permanent file copies then in such Holder's possession, of the Prospectus
covering such Registrable Securities current at the time of receipt of such
notice. If the Company and the Guarantors shall give any such notice to suspend
the disposition of Registrable Securities pursuant to a Registration Statement,
the Company and the Guarantors shall extend the period during which the
Registration Statement shall be maintained effective pursuant to this Agreement
by the number of days during the period from and including the date of the
giving of such notice to and including the date when the Holders shall have
received copies of the supplemented or amended Prospectus necessary to resume
such dispositions. The Company and the Guarantors may give any such notice only
twice during any 365 day period and any such suspensions may not exceed 30 days
for each suspension and there may not be more than two suspensions in effect
during any 365 day period.

         The Holders of Registrable Securities covered by a Shelf Registration
Statement who desire to do so may sell such Registrable Securities in an
Underwritten Offering. In any such Underwritten Offering, the investment banker
or investment bankers and manager or managers (the "Underwriters") that will
administer the offering will be selected by the Majority Holders of the
Registrable Securities included in such offering.

         4.       Participation of Broker-Dealers in Exchange Offer.

         (a)      The Staff of the SEC has taken the position that any
broker-dealer that receives Exchange Securities for its own account in the
Exchange Offer in exchange for Securities that were acquired by such
broker-dealer as a result of market-making or other trading activities (a
"Participating Broker-Dealer"), may be deemed to be an "underwriter" within the
meaning of the 1933 Act and must deliver a prospectus meeting the requirements
of the 1933 Act in connection with any resale of such Exchange Securities.

         The Company and the Guarantors understand that it is the Staff's
position that if the Prospectus contained in the Exchange Offer Registration
Statement includes a plan of distribution containing a statement to the above
effect and the means by which Participating Broker-Dealers may resell the
Exchange Securities, without naming the Participating Broker-Dealers or
specifying the amount of Exchange Securities owned by them, such Prospectus may
be delivered by Participating Broker-Dealers to satisfy their prospectus
delivery obligation under the 1933 Act in connection with resales of Exchange
Securities for their own accounts, so long as the Prospectus otherwise meets the
requirements of the 1933 Act.

                                       11
<PAGE>

         (b)      In light of the above, notwithstanding the other provisions of
this Agreement, the Company and the Guarantors agree that the provisions of this
Agreement as they relate to a Shelf Registration shall also apply to an Exchange
Offer Registration to the extent, and with such reasonable modifications thereto
as may be, reasonably requested by the Placement Agents or by one or more
Participating Broker-Dealers, in each case as provided in clause (ii) below, in
order to expedite or facilitate the disposition of any Exchange Securities by
Participating Broker-Dealers consistent with the positions of the Staff recited
in Section 4(a) above; provided that:

                  (i)      the Company and the Guarantors shall not be required
         to amend or supplement the Prospectus contained in the Exchange Offer
         Registration Statement, as would otherwise be contemplated by Section
         3(i), for a period exceeding 180 days after the last Exchange Date (as
         such period may be extended pursuant to the penultimate paragraph of
         Section 3 of this Agreement) and Participating Broker-Dealers shall not
         be authorized by the Company and the Guarantors to deliver and shall
         not deliver such Prospectus after such period in connection with the
         resales contemplated by this Section 4; and

                  (ii)     the application of the Shelf Registration procedures
         set forth in Section 3 of this Agreement to an Exchange Offer
         Registration, to the extent not required by the positions of the Staff
         of the SEC or the 1933 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder,
         will be in conformity with the reasonable request to the Company and
         the Guarantors by the Placement Agents or with the reasonable request
         in writing to the Company and the Guarantors by one or more
         broker-dealers who certify to the Placement Agents and the Company and
         the Guarantors in writing that they anticipate that they will be
         Participating Broker-Dealers; and provided further that, in connection
         with such application of the Shelf Registration procedures set forth in
         Section 3 to an Exchange Offer Registration, the Company and the
         Guarantors shall be obligated (x) to deal only with one entity
         representing the Participating Broker-Dealers, which shall be Morgan
         Stanley & Co. Incorporated unless it elects not to act as such
         representative, (y) to pay the fees and expenses of only one counsel
         representing the Participating Broker-Dealers, which shall be counsel
         to the Placement Agents unless such counsel elects not to so act and
         (z) to cause to be delivered only one, if any, "cold comfort" letter
         with respect to the Prospectus in the form existing on the last
         Exchange Date and with respect to each subsequent amendment or
         supplement, if any, effected during the period specified in clause (i)
         above.

         (c)      The Placement Agents shall have no liability to the Company,
any Guarantor or any Holder with respect to any request that it may make
pursuant to Section 4(b) above.

                                       12
<PAGE>

         5.       Indemnification and Contribution.

         (a)      Each of the Company and the Guarantors agrees, jointly and
severally, to indemnify and hold harmless the Placement Agents, each Holder and
each Person, if any, who controls any Placement Agent or any Holder within the
meaning of either Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act, or
is under common control with, or is controlled by, any Placement Agent or any
Holder, from and against all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including,
without limitation, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by the
Placement Agent, any Holder or any such controlling or affiliated Person in
connection with defending or investigating any such action or claim) caused by
any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in
any Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto) pursuant to which Exchange
Securities or Registrable Securities were registered under the 1933 Act,
including all documents incorporated therein by reference, or caused by any
omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be
stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or
caused by any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact
contained in any Prospectus (as amended or supplemented if the Company and the
Guarantors shall have furnished any amendments or supplements thereto), or
caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact
necessary to make the statements therein in light of the circumstances under
which they were made not misleading, except insofar as such losses, claims,
damages or liabilities are caused by any such untrue statement or omission or
alleged untrue statement or omission based upon information relating to the
Placement Agents or any Holder furnished to the Company or the Guarantors in
writing by Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated or any selling Holder expressly for
use therein. In connection with any Underwritten Offering permitted by Section
3, the Company and the Guarantors will also indemnify the Underwriters, if any,
selling brokers, dealers and similar securities industry professionals
participating in the distribution, their officers and directors and each Person
who controls such Persons (within the meaning of the 1933 Act and the 1934 Act)
to the same extent as provided above with respect to the indemnification of the
Holders, if requested in connection with any Registration Statement.

         (b)      Each Holder agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify
and hold harmless the Company, the Guarantors, the Placement Agents and the
other selling Holders, and each of their respective directors, officers who sign
the Registration Statement and each Person, if any, who controls the Company,
the Guarantors, any Placement Agent and any other selling Holder within the
meaning of either Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act to
the same extent as the foregoing indemnity from the Company and the Guarantors
to the Placement Agents and the Holders, but only with reference to information
relating to such Holder furnished to the Company and the Guarantors in writing
by such Holder expressly for use in any Registration Statement (or any amendment
thereto) or any Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto).

                                       13
<PAGE>

         (c)      In case any proceeding (including any governmental
investigation) shall be instituted involving any Person in respect of which
indemnity may be sought pursuant to either paragraph (a) or paragraph (b) above,
such Person (the "indemnified party") shall promptly notify the Person against
whom such indemnity may be sought (the "indemnifying party") in writing and the
indemnifying party, upon request of the indemnified party, shall retain counsel
reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the indemnified
party and any others the indemnifying party may designate in such proceeding and
shall pay the fees and disbursements of such counsel related to such proceeding.
In any such proceeding, any indemnified party shall have the right to retain its
own counsel, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense
of such indemnified party unless (i) the indemnifying party and the indemnified
party shall have mutually agreed to the retention of such counsel or (ii) the
named parties to any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include
both the indemnifying party and the indemnified party and representation of both
parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential
differing interests between them. It is understood that the indemnifying party
shall not, in connection with any proceeding or related proceedings in the same
jurisdiction, be liable for (a) the fees and expenses of more than one separate
firm (in addition to any local counsel) for the Placement Agents and all
Persons, if any, who control any Placement Agent within the meaning of either
Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act, (b) the fees and
expenses of more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for
the Company and the Guarantors, their directors, their officers who sign the
Registration Statement and each Person, if any, who controls the Company or the
Guarantors within the meaning of either such Section and (c) the fees and
expenses of more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for
all Holders and all Persons, if any, who control any Holders within the meaning
of either such Section, and that all such fees and expenses shall be reimbursed
as they are incurred. In such case involving the Placement Agents and Persons
who control the Placement Agents, such firm shall be designated in writing by
Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated. In such case involving the Holders and such
Persons who control Holders, such firm shall be designated in writing by the
Majority Holders. In all other cases, such firm shall be designated by the
Company. The indemnifying party shall not be liable for any settlement of any
proceeding effected without its written consent but, if settled with such
consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the indemnifying
party agrees to indemnify the indemnified party from and against any loss or
liability by reason of such settlement or judgment. Notwithstanding the
foregoing sentence, if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an
indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of
counsel as contemplated by the second and third sentences of this paragraph, the
indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of any
proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is
entered into more than 30 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the
aforesaid request and (ii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed the
indemnified party for such fees and expenses of counsel in accordance with such
request prior to the date of such settlement. No indemnifying party shall,
without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any
settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding in respect of which such
indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity could have been
sought hereunder by such indemnified party, unless such settlement includes an
unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on claims
that are the subject matter of such proceeding.

         (d)      If the indemnification provided for in paragraph (a) or
paragraph (b) of this Section 5 is unavailable to an indemnified party or
insufficient in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities, then each
indemnifying party under such paragraph, in lieu of indemnifying such
indemnified party thereunder, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by
such indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages or
liabilities in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative fault
of the indemnifying party or parties on the one hand and of the indemnified
party or parties on the other hand in connection with the statements or
omissions that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, as well
as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative fault of the
Company, the Guarantors and the Holders shall be determined by reference to,
among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material
fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to
information supplied by the Company or the Guarantors or by the Holders and the
parties' relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to
correct or prevent such statement or omission. The Holders' respective
obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 5(d) are several in
proportion to the respective principal amount of Registrable Securities of such
Holder that were registered pursuant to a Registration Statement.

                                       14
<PAGE>

         (e)      The Company, the Guarantors and each Holder agree that it
would not be just or equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 5 were
determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation that does
not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in paragraph (d)
above. The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the
losses, claims, damages and liabilities referred to in paragraph (d) above shall
be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, any legal or
other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with
investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the
provisions of this Section 5, no Holder shall be required to indemnify or
contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which
Registrable Securities were sold by such Holder exceeds the amount of any
damages that such Holder has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such
untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No Person
guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of
the 1933 Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any Person who was not
guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The remedies provided for in this
Section 5 are not exclusive and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may
otherwise be available to any indemnified party at law or in equity.

         The indemnity and contribution provisions contained in this Section 5
shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any
termination of this Agreement, (ii) any investigation made by or on behalf of
the Placement Agents, any Holder or any Person controlling any Placement Agent
or any Holder, or by or on behalf of the Company, the Guarantors, their officers
or directors or any Person controlling the Company or the Guarantors, (iii)
acceptance of any of the Exchange Securities and (iv) any sale of Registrable
Securities pursuant to a Shelf Registration Statement.

         6.       Miscellaneous.

         (a)      No Inconsistent Agreements. Neither the Company nor the
Guarantors have entered into, and on or after the date of this Agreement will
not enter into, any agreement which is inconsistent with the rights granted to
the Holders of Registrable Securities in this Agreement or otherwise conflicts
with the provisions hereof. The rights granted to the Holders hereunder do not
in any way conflict with and are not inconsistent with the rights granted to the
holders of the Company's or the Guarantors'other issued and outstanding
securities under any such agreements.

         (b)      Amendments and Waivers. The provisions of this Agreement,
including the provisions of this sentence, may not be amended, modified or
supplemented, and waivers or consents to departures from the provisions hereof
may not be given unless the Company and the Guarantors have obtained the written
consent of Holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the
outstanding Registrable Securities affected by such amendment, modification,
supplement, waiver or consent; provided, however, that no amendment,
modification, supplement, waiver or consent to any departure from the provisions
of Section 5 hereof shall be effective as against any Holder of Registrable
Securities unless consented to in writing by such Holder.

                                       15
<PAGE>

         (c)      Notices. All notices and other communications provided for or
permitted hereunder shall be made in writing by hand-delivery, registered
first-class mail, telex, telecopier, or any courier guaranteeing overnight
delivery (i) if to a Holder, at the most current address given by such Holder to
the Company by means of a notice given in accordance with the provisions of this
Section 6(c), which address initially is, with respect to the Placement Agents,
the address set forth in the Placement Agreement; and (ii) if to the Company or
the Guarantors, initially at the Company's address set forth in the Placement
Agreement and thereafter at such other address, notice of which is given in
accordance with the provisions of this Section 6(c).

         All such notices and communications shall be deemed to have been duly
given: at the time delivered by hand, if personally delivered; five business
days after being deposited in the mail, postage prepaid, if mailed; when
answered back, if telexed; when receipt is acknowledged, if telecopied; and on
the next business day if timely delivered to an air courier guaranteeing
overnight delivery.

         Copies of all such notices, demands, or other communications shall be
concurrently delivered by the Person giving the same to the Trustee, at the
address specified in the Indenture.

         (d)      Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall inure to the
benefit of and be binding upon the successors, assigns and transferees of each
of the parties, including, without limitation and without the need for an
express assignment, subsequent Holders; provided that nothing herein shall be
deemed to permit any assignment, transfer or other disposition of Registrable
Securities in violation of the terms of the Placement Agreement. If any
transferee of any Holder shall acquire Registrable Securities, in any manner,
whether by operation of law or otherwise, such Registrable Securities shall be
held subject to all of the terms of this Agreement, and by taking and holding
such Registrable Securities such Person shall be conclusively deemed to have
agreed to be bound by and to perform all of the terms and provisions of this
Agreement and such Person shall be entitled to receive the benefits hereof. The
Placement Agents (in their capacity as Placement Agents) shall have no liability
or obligation to the Company or the Guarantors with respect to any failure by a
Holder to comply with, or any breach by any Holder of, any of the obligations of
such Holder under this Agreement.

         (e)      Purchases and Sales of Securities. The Company and the
Guarantors shall not, and shall use their best efforts to cause their affiliates
(as defined in Rule 405 under the 1933 Act) not to, purchase and then resell or
otherwise transfer any Securities.

         (f)      Third Party Beneficiary. The Holders shall be third party
beneficiaries to the agreements made hereunder between the Company and the
Guarantors, on the one hand, and the Placement Agents, on the other hand, and
shall have the right to enforce such agreements directly to the extent it deems
such enforcement necessary or advisable to protect its rights or the rights of
Holders hereunder.

                                       16
<PAGE>

         (g)      Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of
counterparts and by the parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which
when so executed shall be deemed to be an original and all of which taken
together shall constitute one and the same agreement.

         (h)      Headings. The headings in this Agreement are for convenience
of reference only and shall not limit or otherwise affect the meaning hereof.

         (i)      Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of
the State of New York.

         (j)      Severability. In the event that any one or more of the
provisions contained herein, or the application thereof in any circumstance, is
held invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and
enforceability of any such provision in every other respect and of the remaining
provisions contained herein shall not be affected or impaired thereby.

                                       17
<PAGE>

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement as of the
date first written above.

                                             STEEL DYNAMICS, INC.

                                             By: /s/ Tracy L. Shellabarger
                                                 -------------------------------
                                                 Name:  Tracy L. Shellabarger
                                                 Title:

                                             SDI INVESTMENT COMPANY

                                             By: /s/ Tracy L. Shellabarger
                                                 -------------------------------
                                                 Name:  Tracy L. Shellabarger
                                                 Title:

                                             DYNAMIC BAR PRODUCTS LLC

                                             By: /s/ Tracy L. Shellabarger
                                                 -------------------------------
                                                 Name:  Tracy L. Shellabarger
                                                 Title:

                                             STLD HOLDINGS, INC.

                                             By: /s/ Tracy L. Shellabarger
                                                 -------------------------------
                                                 Name:  Tracy L. Shellabarger
                                                 Title:

                                             FERROUS RESOURCES LLC

                                             By: /s/ Tracy L. Shellabarger
                                                 -------------------------------
                                                 Name:  Tracy L. Shellabarger
                                                 Title:

                                             STEEL DYNAMICS SALES NORTH
                                             AMERICA, INC.

                                             By: /s/ Tracy L. Shellabarger
                                                 -------------------------------
                                                 Name:  Tracy L. Shellabarger
                                                 Title:

Confirmed and accepted as of the date first above written:

MORGAN STANLEY & CO. INCORPORATED
GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO.
J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES INC.

BY: MORGAN STANLEY & CO. INCORPORATED

By: /s/
    -------------------------------
    Name:
    Title:

<PAGE>

                                   SCHEDULE I

                                   Guarantors

SDI Investment Company
Dynamic Bar Products LLC
STLD Holdings, Inc.
Ferrous Resources LLC
Steel Dynamics Sales North America, Inc.<PAGE>

                                                                    Exhibit 10.4

                                                                  EXECUTION COPY

                                  $100,000,000

                              Steel Dynamics, Inc.

                          9 1/2% Senior Notes Due 2009

                              PLACEMENT AGREEMENT

November 14, 2003

<PAGE>

                                                               November 14, 2003

Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated
Goldman, Sachs & Co.
J.P. Morgan Securities Inc.
     c/o Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated
     1585 Broadway
     New York, New York 10036

Dear Sirs and Mesdames:

                  Steel Dynamics, Inc., an Indiana corporation (the "Company"),
proposes to issue and sell to the several purchasers named in Schedule I hereto
(the "Placement Agents") $100,000,000 principal amount of its 9 1/2% Senior
Notes Due 2009 (the "Securities") to be issued pursuant to the provisions of an
Indenture, dated as of March 26, 2002 (the "Original Indenture"), between the
Company, the Initial Subsidiary Guarantor (as defined therein) and Fifth Third
Bank, as Trustee (the "Trustee"), as amended and supplemented by the First
Supplemental Indenture, dated as of September 6, 2002 (the "First Supplemental
Indenture"), the Second Supplemental Indenture, dated as of September 30, 2002
(the "Second Supplemental Indenture") and the Third Supplemental Indenture,
dated as of December 31, 2002 (the "Third Supplemental Indenture") and as
further supplemented by a fourth supplemental indenture to be dated as of
November 26, 2003 (the "Fourth Supplemental Indenture" and the Original
Indenture, as so amended and supplemented, is herein referred to as the
"Indenture"). The obligations of the Company under the Securities and the
Indenture will be unconditionally guaranteed on a senior unsecured basis by the
subsidiaries of the Company listed on Schedule II hereto (the "Guarantors")
pursuant to the terms of the Indenture (each a, "Guarantee" and, collectively,
the "Guarantees").

                  The Securities will be offered without being registered under
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), to qualified
institutional buyers in compliance with the exemption from registration provided
by Rule 144A under the Securities Act and in offshore transactions in reliance
on Regulation S under the Securities Act ("Regulation S").

                  The Placement Agents and their direct and indirect transferees
will be entitled to the benefits of a Registration Rights Agreement dated the
date hereof between the Company, the Guarantors and the Placement Agents (the
"Registration Rights Agreement").

                  In connection with the sale of the Securities, the Company
will prepare a final offering memorandum (the "Final Memorandum" or
"Memorandum") including or incorporating by reference a description of the terms
of the Securities and the Guarantee, the terms of the offering and a description
of the Company and the Guarantors. As used herein, the term "Memorandum" shall
include in each case the documents incorporated by reference therein. The terms
"supplement", "amendment" and "amend" as used herein with respect to the
Memorandum shall include all documents deemed to be incorporated by reference in
the Final Memorandum that are filed subsequent to the date of the Memorandum
with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") pursuant to the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act").

                                       1
<PAGE>

                  Prior to the execution of this Agreement, the Company entered
into that certain Sixth Amendment to the Credit Agreement dated as of November
13, 2003 (the "Sixth Amendment") which amends the Credit Agreement dated as of
November 14, 2003, as amended, among the Company, the Lenders defined therein,
JPMorgan Chase Bank, as administrative agent for the Lenders thereunder, General
Electric Capital Corporation, as documentation agent and Morgan Stanley Senior
Funding, Inc., as arranger and syndication agent, (the "Credit Agreement") in
order to allow the Company to incur the indebtedness evidenced by the
Securities.

         1.       Representations and Warranties. The Company and the
Guarantors, jointly and severally, represent and warrant to, and agree with, you
that:

                  (a)      (i)      Each document, if any, filed or to be filed
         pursuant to the Exchange Act and incorporated by reference in the
         Memorandum complied or will comply when so filed in all material
         respects with the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations
         of the Commission thereunder and (ii) the Memorandum, in the form used
         by the Placement Agents to confirm sales and on the Closing Date (as
         defined in Section 4), will not contain any untrue statement of a
         material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the
         statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they
         were made, not misleading, except that the representations and
         warranties set forth in this paragraph do not apply to statements or
         omissions in the Memorandum based upon information relating to any
         Placement Agent furnished to the Company in writing by such Placement
         Agent through you expressly for use therein.

                  (b)      The Company has been duly incorporated, is validly
         existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the
         jurisdiction of its incorporation, has the corporate power and
         authority to own its property and to conduct its business as described
         in the Memorandum and is duly qualified to transact business and is in
         good standing in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business
         or its ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification,
         except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good
         standing would not have a material adverse effect on the Company and
         its subsidiaries, taken as a whole.

                  (c)      Each subsidiary of the Company has been duly
         incorporated, is validly existing as a corporation in good standing
         under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, has the
         corporate power and authority to own its property and to conduct its
         business as described in the Memorandum and is duly qualified to
         transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which
         the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property
         requires such qualification, except to the extent that the failure to
         be so qualified or be in good standing would not have a material
         adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole;
         each subsidiary of the Company and the percentage of capital stock and
         voting stock of each such subsidiary owned by the Company is set forth
         on Schedule III hereto and all of the issued shares of capital stock of
         each subsidiary of the Company have been duly and validly authorized
         and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and are owned directly by
         the Company, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or
         claims.

                                       2
<PAGE>

                  (d)      This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and
         delivered by the Company and the Guarantors.

                  (e)      The shares of common stock outstanding on the date
         hereof have been duly authorized and are validly issued, fully paid and
         non-assessable.

                  (f)      The Securities have been duly authorized and, when
         executed and authenticated in accordance with the provisions of the
         Indenture and delivered to and paid for by the Placement Agents in
         accordance with the terms of this Agreement, will be valid and binding
         obligations of the Company, enforceable in accordance with their terms,
         subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or similar laws affecting
         creditors' rights generally and general principles of equity, and will
         be entitled to the benefits of the Indenture and the Registration
         Rights Agreement.

                  (g)      The Guarantee by each Guarantor has been duly
         authorized, executed and delivered by each Guarantor and is a valid and
         binding obligation of the Guarantor, enforceable in accordance with its
         terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or similar laws
         affecting creditors' rights generally and general principles of equity.

                  (h)      The Original Indenture, as amended by the First
         Supplemental Indenture, the Second Supplemental Indenture and the Third
         Supplemental Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered
         by the Company and each of the Guarantors, and is a valid and binding
         agreement of the Company and each of the Guarantors, enforceable in
         accordance with its terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency
         or similar laws affecting creditors' rights generally and general
         principles of equity. The Fourth Supplemental Indenture has been duly
         authorized, and when executed and delivered by the Company and each of
         the Guarantors, will be a valid and binding agreement of the Company
         and each of the Guarantors, enforceable in accordance with its terms,
         subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or similar laws affecting
         creditors' rights generally and general principles of equity.

                  (i)      The Registration Rights Agreement has been duly
         authorized, executed and delivered by, and is a valid and binding
         agreement of, the Company and each Guarantor, enforceable in accordance
         with its terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or similar
         laws affecting creditors' rights generally and general principles of
         equity and except as rights to indemnification and contribution under
         the Registration Rights Agreement may be limited under applicable law.

                                       3
<PAGE>

                  (j)      The execution and delivery by the Company and the
         Guarantors of, and the performance by the Company and the Guarantors of
         their respective obligations under, this Agreement, the Indenture, the
         Registration Rights Agreement, the Securities (in the case of the
         Company) and the Guarantees (in the case of the Guarantors) will not
         contravene any provision of applicable law or the articles of
         incorporation or by-laws of the Company or the Guarantors or any
         agreement or other instrument binding upon the Company or any of its
         subsidiaries that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries,
         taken as a whole (including, but not limited to, the Credit Agreement
         as amended by the Sixth Amendment), or any judgment, order or decree of
         any governmental body, agency or court having jurisdiction over the
         Company or any subsidiary, and no consent, approval, authorization or
         order of, or qualification with, any governmental body or agency is
         required for the performance by the Company or the Guarantors of their
         respective obligations under this Agreement, the Indenture, the
         Registration Rights Agreement, the Securities (in the case of the
         Company) and the Guarantees (in the case of the Guarantors), except
         such as may be required by the securities or Blue Sky laws of the
         various states in connection with the offer and sale of the Securities
         and by Federal and state securities laws with respect to the Company's
         and the Guarantors' obligations under the Registration Rights
         Agreement.

                  (k)      There has not occurred any material adverse change,
         or any development involving a prospective material adverse change, in
         the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business or
         operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, from
         that set forth in the Final Memorandum (exclusive of any amendments or
         supplements thereto subsequent to the date of this Agreement).

                  (l)      There are no legal or governmental proceedings
         pending or threatened to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries
         is a party or to which any of the properties of the Company or any of
         its subsidiaries is subject other than proceedings accurately described
         in all material respects in the Memorandum and proceedings that would
         not have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries,
         taken as a whole, or on the power or ability of the Company or the
         Guarantors to perform their respective obligations under this
         Agreement, the Indenture, the Registration Rights Agreement, the
         Securities (in the case of the Company) and the Guarantee (in the case
         of the Guarantors) or to consummate the transactions contemplated by
         the Final Memorandum.

                  (m)      Each of the Company and its subsidiaries has all
         necessary consents, authorizations, approvals, orders, certificates and
         permits of and from, and has made all declarations and filings with,
         all federal, state, local and other governmental authorities, all
         self-regulatory organizations and all courts and other tribunals, to
         own, lease, license and use its properties and assets and to conduct
         its business in the manner described in the Final Memorandum, except to
         the extent that the failure to obtain such consents, authorizations,
         approvals, orders, certificates and permits or make such declarations
         and filings would not have a material adverse effect on the Company and
         its subsidiaries, taken as a whole. Neither the Company nor any of its
         subsidiaries has received any notice of proceedings relating to the
         revocation or modification of any such consent, authorization,
         approval, order, certificate or permit which, singly or in the
         aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or
         finding, would result in a material adverse change in the condition,
         financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business or operations of
         the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, except as described
         in or contemplated by the Final Memorandum.

                                       4
<PAGE>

                  (n)      The Company and its subsidiaries (i) are in
         compliance with any and all applicable foreign, federal, state and
         local laws and regulations relating to the protection of human health
         and safety, the environment or hazardous or toxic substances or wastes,
         pollutants or contaminants ("Environmental Laws"), (ii) have received
         all permits, licenses or other approvals required of them under
         applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses
         and (iii) are in compliance with all terms and conditions of any such
         permit, license or approval, except where such noncompliance with
         Environmental Laws, failure to receive required permits, licenses or
         other approvals or failure to comply with the terms and conditions of
         such permits, licenses or approvals would not, singly or in the
         aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the Company and its
         subsidiaries, taken as a whole.

                  (o)      In the ordinary course of business, the Company
         conducts a periodic review of the effect of Environmental Laws on the
         business, operations and properties of the Company and its
         subsidiaries, in the course of which it identifies and evaluates
         associated costs and liabilities (including, without limitation, any
         capital or operating expenditures required for clean-up, closure of
         properties or compliance with Environmental Laws or any permit, license
         or approval, any related constraints on operating activities and any
         potential liabilities to third parties). On the basis of such review,
         the Company has reasonably concluded that such associated costs and
         liabilities would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a material
         adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole.

                  (p)      Neither the Company nor the Guarantors, after giving
         effect to the offering and sale of the Securities and the application
         of the proceeds thereof as described in the Final Memorandum, will be
         an "investment company" as such term is defined in the Investment
         Company Act of 1940, as amended.

                  (q)      None of the Company, any Guarantor or any affiliate
         (as defined in Rule 501(b) of Regulation D under the Securities Act, an
         "Affiliate") of the Company or any Guarantor has directly, or through
         any agent, (i) sold, offered for sale, solicited offers to buy or
         otherwise negotiated in respect of, any security (as defined in the
         Securities Act) which is or will be integrated with the sale of the
         Securities in a manner that would require the registration under the
         Securities Act of the Securities or (ii) engaged in any form of general
         solicitation or general advertising in connection with the offering of
         the Securities, (as those terms are used in Regulation D under the
         Securities Act) or in any manner involving a public offering within the
         meaning of Section 4(2) of the Securities Act.

                  (r)      None of the Company, any Guarantor, their Affiliates
         or any person acting on its or their behalf has engaged or will engage
         in any directed selling efforts (within the meaning of Regulation S)
         with respect to the Securities and the Company, any Guarantor and their
         Affiliates and any person acting on its or their behalf have complied
         and will comply with the offering restrictions requirement of
         Regulation S.

                  (s)      It is not necessary in connection with the offer,
         sale and delivery of the Securities to the Placement Agents in the
         manner contemplated by this Agreement to register the Securities or the
         Guarantees under the Securities Act or to qualify the Indenture under
         the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended.

                                       5
<PAGE>

                  (t)      The Securities and the Guarantees satisfy the
         requirements set forth in Rule 144A(d)(3) under the Securities Act.

                  (u)      The Securities and the Guarantees conform in all
         material respects to the description thereof contained in the Final
         Memorandum under the heading "Description of the Notes".

                  (v)      Subsequent to the respective dates as of which
         information is given in the Final Memorandum, (1) the Company and its
         subsidiaries have not incurred any material liability or obligation,
         direct or contingent, nor entered into any material transaction not in
         the ordinary course of business; (2) the Company has not purchased any
         of its outstanding capital stock, nor declared, paid or otherwise made
         any dividend or distribution of any kind on its capital stock; and (3)
         there has not been any material change in the capital stock, short-term
         debt or long-term debt of the Company and its consolidated
         subsidiaries, except in each case as described in or contemplated by
         the Final Memorandum.

                  (w)      The Company and its subsidiaries have good and
         marketable title in fee simple to all real property and good and
         marketable title to all personal property owned by them which is
         material to the business of the Company and its subsidiaries, in each
         case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and defects except such
         as are described in the Final Memorandum or such as do not materially
         affect the value of such property and do not interfere with the use
         made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and its
         subsidiaries: and any real property and buildings held under lease by
         the Company and its subsidiaries are held by them under valid,
         subsisting and enforceable leases with such exceptions as are not
         material and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made
         of such property and buildings by the Company and its subsidiaries, in
         each case except as described in or contemplated by the Final
         Memorandum.

                  (x)      The Company and its subsidiaries own or possess, or
         can acquire on reasonable terms, all material patents, patent rights,
         licenses, inventions, copyrights, know-how (including trade secrets and
         other unattended and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential
         information, systems or procedures), trademarks, service marks and
         trade names currently employed by them in connection with the business
         now operated by them, and neither the Company nor any of its
         subsidiaries has received any notice of infringement of or conflict
         with asserted rights of others with respect to any of the foregoing
         which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable
         decision, ruling or finding, would result in any material adverse
         change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings,
         business or operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a
         whole.

                  (y)      No material labor dispute with the employees of the
         Company or any of its subsidiaries exists, except as described in or
         contemplated by the Final Memorandum, or, to the knowledge of the
         Company, is imminent; and the Company is not aware of any existing,
         threatened or imminent labor disturbance by the employees of any of its
         principal suppliers, manufacturers or contractors that could result in
         any material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise,
         or in the earnings, business or operations of the Company and its
         subsidiaries, taken as a whole.

                                       6
<PAGE>

                  (z)      The Company and each of its subsidiaries are insured
         by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses
         and risks and in such amounts as are prudent and customary in the
         businesses in which they are engaged; neither the Company nor any such
         subsidiary has been refused any insurance coverage sought or applied
         for; and neither the Company nor any such subsidiary has any reason to
         believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance
         coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar
         coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its
         business at a cost that would not materially and adversely affect the
         condition, financial or otherwise, or the earnings, business or
         operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole,
         except as described in or contemplated by the Final Memorandum.

                  (aa)     The Company and each of its subsidiaries maintain a
         system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable
         assurance that (1) transactions are executed in accordance with
         management's general or specific authorizations; (2) transactions are
         recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in
         conformity with generally accepted accounting principles and to
         maintain asset accountability; (3) access to assets is permitted only
         in accordance with management's general or specific authorization; and
         (4) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the
         existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken
         with respect to any differences.

         2.       Agreements to Sell and Purchase. The Company hereby agrees to
sell to the several Placement Agents, and each Placement Agent, upon the basis
of the representations and warranties herein contained, but subject to the
conditions hereinafter stated, agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase
from the Company the respective principal amount of Securities set forth in
Schedule I hereto opposite its name at a purchase price of 106.956725% of the
principal amount, plus accrued interest thereon from September 15, 2003 to but
excluding the Closing Date thereof (the "Purchase Price").

                  The Company and the Guarantors hereby agree that, without the
prior written consent of Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated on behalf of the
Placement Agents, it will not, during the period beginning on the date hereof
and continuing to and including the Closing Date, offer, sell, contract to sell
or otherwise dispose of any debt of the Company or any Guarantor or warrants to
purchase debt of the Company or any Guarantor substantially similar to the
Securities or the Guarantees (other than the sale of the Securities under this
Agreement.)

         3.       Terms of Offering. You have advised the Company and the
Guarantors that the Placement Agents will make an offering of the Securities
purchased by the Placement Agents hereunder on the terms to be set forth in the
Final Memorandum, as soon as practicable after this Agreement is entered into as
in your judgment is advisable.

                                       7
<PAGE>

         4.       Payment and Delivery. Payment for the Securities shall be made
to the Company in Federal or other funds immediately available in New York City
against delivery of such Securities for the respective accounts of the several
Placement Agents at 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on November 26, 2003, or at
such other time on the same or such other date, not later than December 8, 2003,
as shall be designated in writing by you. The time and date of such payment are
hereinafter referred to as the "Closing Date."

                  Certificates for the Securities shall be in definitive form or
global form, as specified by you, and registered in such names and in such
denominations as you shall request in writing not later than one full business
day prior to the Closing Date. The certificates evidencing the Securities shall
be delivered to you on the Closing Date for the respective accounts of the
several Placement Agents, with any transfer taxes payable in connection with the
transfer of the Securities to the Placement Agents duly paid, against payment of
the Purchase Price therefor.

         5.       Conditions to the Placement Agents' Obligations. The several
obligations of the Placement Agents to purchase and pay for the Securities on
the Closing Date are subject to the following conditions:

                  (a)      Subsequent to the execution and delivery of this
         Agreement and prior to the Closing Date:

                           (i)      there shall not have occurred any
                  downgrading, nor shall any notice have been given of any
                  intended or potential downgrading or of any review for a
                  possible change that does not indicate the direction of the
                  possible change, in the rating accorded the Company or any of
                  the Company's securities or in the rating outlook for the
                  Company by any "nationally recognized statistical rating
                  organization," as such term is defined for purposes of Rule
                  436(g)(2) under the Securities Act; and

                           (ii)     there shall not have occurred any change, or
                  any development involving a prospective change, in the
                  condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings,
                  business or operations of the Company and its subsidiaries,
                  taken as a whole, from that set forth in the Final Memorandum
                  (exclusive of any amendments or supplements thereto subsequent
                  to the date of this Agreement) that, in your judgment, is
                  material and adverse and that makes it, in your judgment,
                  impracticable to market the Securities on the terms and in the
                  manner contemplated in the Final Memorandum.

                  (b)      The Placement Agents shall have received on the
         Closing Date a certificate, dated the Closing Date and signed by an
         executive officer of the Company and each Guarantor, to the effect set
         forth in Section 5(a)(i) and to the effect that the representations and
         warranties of the Company and such Guarantor contained in this
         Agreement are true and correct as of the Closing Date and the Company
         and such Guarantor has complied with all of the agreements and
         satisfied all of the conditions on its part to be performed or
         satisfied hereunder on or before the Closing Date.

                  The officer signing and delivering such certificate may rely
         upon the best of his or her knowledge as to proceedings threatened.

                                       8
<PAGE>

                  (c)      The Placement Agents shall have received on the
         Closing Date an opinion of Barrett & McNagny LLP, counsel for the
         Company and the Guarantors, dated the Closing Date, to the effect set
         forth in Exhibit A. Such opinion shall be rendered to the Placement
         Agents at the request of the Company and the Guarantors and shall so
         state therein.

                  (d)      The Placement Agents shall have received on the
         Closing Date an opinion of Latham & Watkins, New York counsel for the
         Company and the Guarantors, dated the Closing Date, to the effect set
         forth in Exhibit B. Such opinion shall be rendered to the Placement
         Agents at the request of the Company and the Guarantors and shall so
         state therein.

                  (e)      The Placement Agents shall have received on the
         Closing Date an opinion of Shearman & Sterling LLP, counsel for the
         Placement Agents, dated the Closing Date, in form and substance
         satisfactory to you.

                  (f)      The Placement Agents shall have received on each of
         the date hereof and the Closing Date letters, dated the date hereof or
         the Closing Date, as the case may be, in form and substance
         satisfactory to the Placement Agents, from Ernst & Young LLP,
         independent public accountants, containing statements and information
         of the type ordinarily included in accountants' "comfort letters" to
         underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain
         financial information contained in or incorporated by reference into
         the Final Memorandum; provided that the letters delivered on the
         Closing Date shall use a "cut-off date" not less than three business
         days prior to the Closing Date.

                  (g)      The Sixth Amendment to the Credit Agreement shall
         have been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the parties
         thereto, and be in full force and effect.

                  (h)      The Securities shall have been designated PORTAL
         securities in accordance with the rules and regulations adopted by the
         National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. relating to trading in
         the PORTAL Market.

                  (i)      The Placement Agents shall have received such other
         documents and certificates as are reasonably requested by you or your
         counsel.

         6.       Covenants of the Company and Guarantors. In further
consideration of the agreements of the Placement Agents contained in this
Agreement, each of the Company and the Guarantors, jointly and severally,
covenants with each Placement Agent as follows:

                  (a)      To furnish to you in New York City, without charge,
         prior to 10:00 a.m. New York City time on the business day next
         succeeding the date of this Agreement and during the period mentioned
         in Section 6(c), as many copies of the Final Memorandum, any documents
         incorporated by reference therein and any supplements and amendments
         thereto as you may reasonably request.

                  (b)      Before amending or supplementing the final
         Memorandum, to furnish to you a copy of each such proposed amendment or
         supplement and not to use any such proposed amendment or supplement to
         which you reasonably object.

                                       9
<PAGE>

                  (c)      If, during such period after the date hereof and
         prior to the date on which all of the Securities shall have been sold
         by the Placement Agents, any event shall occur or condition exist as a
         result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Final
         Memorandum in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the
         circumstances when the Final Memorandum is delivered to a purchaser,
         not misleading, or if, in the opinion of counsel for the Placement
         Agents, it is necessary to amend or supplement the Final Memorandum to
         comply with applicable law, forthwith to prepare and furnish, at its
         own expense, to the Placement Agents, either amendments or supplements
         to the Final Memorandum so that the statements in the Final Memorandum
         as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the
         circumstances when the Final Memorandum is delivered to a purchaser, be
         misleading or so that the Final Memorandum, as amended or supplemented,
         will comply with applicable law.

                  (d)      To endeavor to qualify the Securities and the
         Guarantees for offer and sale under the securities or Blue Sky laws of
         such jurisdictions as you shall reasonably request.

                  (e)      Whether or not the transactions contemplated in this
         Agreement are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, to pay or
         cause to be paid all expenses incident to the performance of its
         obligations under this Agreement, including: (i) the fees,
         disbursements and expenses of the Company's and the Guarantors' counsel
         and the Company's and the Guarantors' accountants in connection with
         the issuance and sale of the Securities and all other fees or expenses
         in connection with the preparation of the Memorandum (including the fee
         and expenses of counsel to the Placement Agents in connection with the
         preparation therewith) and all amendments and supplements thereto,
         including all printing costs associated therewith, and the delivering
         of copies thereof to the Placement Agents, in the quantities herein
         above specified, (ii) all costs and expenses related to the transfer
         and delivery of the Securities to the Placement Agents, including any
         transfer or other taxes payable thereon, (iii) the cost of printing or
         producing any Blue Sky or legal investment memorandum in connection
         with the offer and sale of the Securities under state securities laws
         and all expenses in connection with the qualification of the Securities
         for offer and sale under state securities laws as provided in Section
         6(d) hereof, including filing fees and the reasonable fees and
         disbursements of counsel for the Placement Agents in connection with
         such qualification and in connection with the Blue Sky or legal
         investment memorandum, (iv) any fees charged by rating agencies for the
         rating of the Securities, (v) all document production charges and
         expenses of counsel to the Placement Agents (but not including their
         fees for professional services) in connection with the preparation of
         this Agreement, (vi) the fees and expenses, if any, incurred in
         connection with the admission of the Securities for trading in PORTAL
         or any appropriate market system, (vii) the costs and charges of the
         Trustee and any transfer agent, registrar or depositary, (viii) the
         cost of the preparation, issuance and delivery of the Securities, (ix)
         the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor
         presentations on any "road show" undertaken in connection with the
         marketing of the offering of the Securities, including, without
         limitation, expenses associated with the production of road show slides
         and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in
         connection with the road show presentations with the prior approval of
         the Company, travel and lodging expenses of the representatives and
         officers of the Company, the Guarantors and any such consultants, and
         the cost of any aircraft chartered in connection with the road show,
         and (x) all other costs and expenses incident to the performance of the
         obligations of the Company and the Guarantors hereunder for which
         provision is not otherwise made in this Section. It is understood,
         however, that except as provided in this Section, Section 8, and the
         last paragraph of Section 10, the Placement Agents will pay all of
         their costs and expenses, including fees and disbursements of their
         counsel, transfer taxes payable on resale of any of the Securities by
         them and any advertising expenses connected with any offers they may
         make.

                                       10
<PAGE>

                  (f)      None of the Company, the Guarantors or their
         Affiliates will sell, offer for sale or solicit offers to buy or
         otherwise negotiate in respect of any security (as defined in the
         Securities Act) which could be integrated with the sale of the
         Securities in a manner which would require the registration under the
         Securities Act of the Securities or the Guarantees.

                  (g)      Not to solicit any offer to buy or offer or sell the
         Securities by means of any form of general solicitation or general
         advertising (as those terms are used in Regulation D under the
         Securities Act) or in any manner involving a public offering within the
         meaning of Section 4(2) of the Securities Act.

                  (h)      While any of the Securities remain "restricted
         securities" within the meaning of the Securities Act, to make
         available, upon request, to any seller of the Securities the
         information specified in Rule 144A(d)(4) under the Securities Act,
         unless the Company is then subject to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
         Exchange Act.

                  (i)      To use its best efforts to permit the Securities to
         be designated PORTAL securities in accordance with the rules and
         regulations adopted by the National Association of Securities Dealers,
         Inc. relating to trading in the PORTAL Market.

                  (j)      None of the Company, the Guarantors or their
         Affiliates or any person acting on their behalf (other than the
         Placement Agents) will engage in any directed selling efforts (as that
         term is defined in Regulation S) with respect to the Securities, and
         the Company, the Guarantors and their Affiliates and each person acting
         on their behalf (other than the Placement Agents) will comply with the
         offering restrictions requirement of Regulation S.

                  (k)      During the period of two years after the Closing
         Date, the Company and the Guarantors will not, and will not permit any
         of their affiliates (as defined in Rule 144 under the Securities Act)
         to resell any of the Securities which constitute "restricted
         securities" under Rule 144 that have been reacquired by any of them.

                                       11
<PAGE>

         7.       Offering of Securities; Restrictions on Transfer. (a) Each
Placement Agent, severally and not jointly, represents and warrants that such
Placement Agent is a qualified institutional buyer as defined in Rule 144A under
the Securities Act (a "QIB"). Each Placement Agent, severally and not jointly,
agrees with the Company and the Guarantors that (i) it will not solicit offers
for, or offer or sell, such Securities by any form of general solicitation or
general advertising (as those terms are used in Regulation D under the
Securities Act) or in any manner involving a public offering within the meaning
of Section 4(2) of the Securities Act and (ii) it will solicit offers for such
Securities only from, and will offer such Securities only to, persons that it
reasonably believes to be (A) in the case of offers inside the United States,
QIBs and (B) in the case of offers outside the United States, to persons other
than U.S. persons ("foreign purchasers," which term shall include dealers or
other professional fiduciaries in the United States acting on a discretionary
basis for foreign beneficial owners (other than an estate or trust)) in reliance
upon Regulation S under the Securities Act that, in each case, in purchasing
such Securities are deemed to have represented and agreed as provided in the
Final Memorandum under the caption "Transfer Restrictions".

                  (b)      Each Placement Agent, severally and not jointly,
         represents, warrants, and agrees with respect to offers and sales
         outside the United States that:

                           (ii)     such Placement Agent understands that no
                  action has been or will be taken in any jurisdiction by the
                  Company or the Guarantors that would permit a public offering
                  of the Securities, or possession or distribution of the
                  Memorandum or any other offering or publicity material
                  relating to the Securities, in any country or jurisdiction
                  where action for that purpose is required;

                           (iii)    such Placement Agent will comply with all
                  applicable laws and regulations in each jurisdiction in which
                  it acquires, offers, sells or delivers Securities or has in
                  its possession or distributes the Memorandum or any such other
                  material, in all cases at its own expense;

                           (iv)     neither the Securities nor the Guarantee
                  have been registered under the Securities Act and may not be
                  offered or sold within the United States or to, or for the
                  account or benefit of, U.S. persons except in accordance with
                  Rule 144A or Regulation S under the Securities Act or pursuant
                  to another exemption from the registration requirements of the
                  Securities Act;

                           (v)      such Placement Agent has offered the
                  Securities and will offer and sell the Securities (A) as part
                  of their distribution at any time and (B) otherwise until 40
                  days after the later of the commencement of the offering and
                  the Closing Date, only in accordance with Rule 903 of
                  Regulation S or as otherwise permitted in Section 7(a);
                  accordingly, neither such Placement Agent, its Affiliates nor
                  any persons acting on its or their behalf have engaged or will
                  engage in any directed selling efforts (within the meaning of
                  Regulation S) with respect to the Securities, and any such
                  Placement Agent, its Affiliates and any such persons have
                  complied and will comply with the offering restrictions
                  requirement of Regulation S;

                           (vi)     such Placement Agent has (A) not offered or
                  sold and, prior to the date six months after the Closing Date,
                  will not offer or sell the Securities to persons in the United
                  Kingdom except to persons whose ordinary activities involve
                  them in acquiring, holding, managing or disposing of
                  investments (as principal or agent) for the purposes of their
                  businesses or otherwise in circumstances which have not
                  resulted and will not result in an offer to the public in the
                  United Kingdom within the meaning of the Public Offers of
                  Securities Regulations 1995; (B) complied and will comply with
                  all applicable provisions of the Financial Services Act 1986
                  with respect to anything done by it in relation to the
                  Securities in, from or otherwise involving the United Kingdom,
                  and (C) only issued or passed on and will only issue or pass
                  on in the United Kingdom any document received by it in
                  connection with the issue of the Securities to a person who is
                  of a kind described in Article 11(3) of the Financial Services
                  Act 1986 (Investment Advertisements) (Exemptions) Order 1996
                  or is a person to whom such document may otherwise lawfully be
                  issued or passed on; and

                                       12
<PAGE>

                           (vii)    such Placement Agent agrees that, at or
                  prior to confirmation of sales of the Securities, it will have
                  sent to each distributor, dealer or person receiving a selling
                  concession, fee or other remuneration that purchases the
                  Securities from it during the restricted period a confirmation
                  or notice to substantially the following effect:

                           "The Securities covered hereby have not been
                  registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 (the
                  "Securities Act") and may not be offered and sold within the
                  United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S.
                  persons (i) as part of their distribution at any time or (ii)
                  otherwise until 40 days after the later of the commencement of
                  the offering and the closing date, except in either case in
                  accordance with Regulation S (or Rule 144A if available) under
                  the Securities Act. Terms used above have the meaning given to
                  them by Regulation S."

                           Terms used in this Section 7(b) have the meanings
                  given to them by Regulation S.

         8.       Indemnity and Contribution. (a) Each of the Company and the
Guarantors agrees, jointly and severally, to indemnify and hold harmless each
Placement Agent, each person, if any, who controls any Placement Agent within
the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the
Exchange Act and each affiliate of any Placement Agent within the meaning of
Rule 405 under the Securities Act from and against any and all losses, claims,
damages and liabilities (including, without limitation, any legal or other
expenses reasonably incurred in connection with defending or investigating any
such action or claim) caused by any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement
of a material fact contained in either Memorandum (as amended or supplemented if
the Company or the Guarantors shall have furnished any amendments or supplements
thereto), or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a
material fact necessary to make the statements therein in the light of the
circumstances under which they were made not misleading, except insofar as such
losses, claims, damages or liabilities are caused by any such untrue statement
or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission based upon information
relating to any Placement Agent furnished to the Company and the Guarantors in
writing by such Placement Agent through you expressly for use therein.

                  (b)      Each Placement Agent agrees, severally and not
         jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, the Guarantors,
         their directors and officers and each person, if any, who controls the
         Company or the Guarantors within the meaning of either Section 15 of
         the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act to the same extent
         as the foregoing indemnity from the Company and the Guarantors to such
         Placement Agent, but only with reference to information relating to
         such Placement Agent furnished to the Company and the Guarantors in
         writing by such Placement Agent through you expressly for use in either
         Memorandum or any amendments or supplements thereto.

                                       13
<PAGE>

                  (c)      In case any proceeding (including any governmental
         investigation) shall be instituted involving any person in respect of
         which indemnity may be sought pursuant to Section 8(a) or 8(b), such
         person (the "indemnified party") shall promptly notify the person
         against whom such indemnity may be sought (the "indemnifying party") in
         writing and the indemnifying party, upon request of the indemnified
         party, shall retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified
         party to represent the indemnified party and any others the
         indemnifying party may designate in such proceeding and shall pay the
         fees and disbursements of such counsel related to such proceeding. In
         any such proceeding, any indemnified party shall have the right to
         retain its own counsel, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall
         be at the expense of such indemnified party unless (i) the indemnifying
         party and the indemnified party shall have mutually agreed to the
         retention of such counsel or (ii) the named parties to any such
         proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the
         indemnifying party and the indemnified party and representation of both
         parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or
         potential differing interests between them. It is understood that the
         indemnifying party shall not, in respect of the legal expenses of any
         indemnified party in connection with any proceeding or related
         proceedings in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the fees and
         expenses of more than one separate firm (in addition to any local
         counsel) for all such indemnified parties and that all such fees and
         expenses shall be reimbursed as they are incurred. Such firm shall be
         designated in writing by Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated, in the case
         of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 8(a), and by the Company, in
         the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 8(b). The
         indemnifying party shall not be liable for any settlement of any
         proceeding effected without its written consent, but if settled with
         such consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the
         indemnifying party agrees to indemnify the indemnified party from and
         against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment.
         Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time an indemnified
         party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the
         indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by
         the second and third sentences of this paragraph, the indemnifying
         party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of any
         proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement
         is entered into more than 30 days after receipt by such indemnifying
         party of the aforesaid request and (ii) such indemnifying party shall
         not have reimbursed the indemnified party in accordance with such
         request prior to the date of such settlement. No indemnifying party
         shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party,
         effect any settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding in
         respect of which any indemnified party is or could have been a party
         and indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified
         party, unless such settlement includes an unconditional release of such
         indemnified party from all liability on claims that are the subject
         matter of such proceeding.

                                       14
<PAGE>

                  (d)      To the extent the indemnification provided for in
         Section 8(a) or 8(b) is unavailable to an indemnified party or
         insufficient in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities
         referred to therein, then each indemnifying party under such paragraph,
         in lieu of indemnifying such indemnified party thereunder, shall
         contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a
         result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (i) in such
         proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received
         by the Company and the Guarantors, on the one hand, and the Placement
         Agents, on the other hand, from the offering of the Securities or (ii)
         if the allocation provided by clause 8(d)(i) above is not permitted by
         applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not
         only the relative benefits referred to in clause 8(d)(i) above but also
         the relative fault of the Company and the Guarantors, on the one hand,
         and of the Placement Agents, on the other hand, in connection with the
         statements or omissions that resulted in such losses, claims, damages
         or liabilities, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.
         The relative benefits received by the Company and the Guarantors, on
         the one hand, and the Placement Agents, on the other hand, in
         connection with the offering of the Securities shall be deemed to be in
         the same respective proportions as the net proceeds from the offering
         of the Securities (before deducting expenses) received by the Company
         and the total discounts and commissions received by the Placement
         Agents in respect thereof, bear to the aggregate offering price of the
         Securities. The relative fault of the Company and the Guarantors, on
         the one hand, and of the Placement Agents, on the other hand, shall be
         determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or
         alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged
         omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by
         the Company and the Guarantors or by the Placement Agents and the
         parties' relative intent, knowledge, access to information and
         opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The
         Placement Agents' respective obligations to contribute pursuant to this
         Section 8 are several in proportion to the respective principal amount
         of Securities they have purchased hereunder, and not joint.

                  (e)      The Company, the Guarantors and the Placement Agents
         agree that it would not be just or equitable if contribution pursuant
         to this Section 8 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the
         Placement Agents were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any
         other method of allocation that does not take account of the equitable
         considerations referred to in Section 8(d). The amount paid or payable
         by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages and
         liabilities referred to in Section 8(d) shall be deemed to include,
         subject to the limitations set forth above, any legal or other expenses
         reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with
         investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding
         the provisions of this Section 8, no Placement Agent shall be required
         to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total
         price at which the Securities resold by it in the initial placement of
         such Securities were offered to investors exceeds the amount of any
         damages that such Placement Agent has otherwise been required to pay by
         reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or
         alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation
         (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be
         entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such
         fraudulent misrepresentation. The remedies provided for in this Section
         8 are not exclusive and shall not limit any rights or remedies which
         may otherwise be available to any indemnified party at law or in
         equity.

                  (f)      The indemnity and contribution provisions contained
         in this Section 8 and the representations, warranties and other
         statements of the Company and the Guarantors contained in this
         Agreement shall remain operative and in full force and effect
         regardless of (i) any termination of this Agreement, (ii) any
         investigation made by or on behalf of any Placement Agent, any person
         controlling any Placement Agent or any affiliate of any Placement Agent
         or by or on behalf of the Company, the Guarantors, their officers or
         directors or any person controlling the Company or the Guarantors and
         (iii) acceptance of and payment for any of the Securities.

                                       15
<PAGE>

         9.       Termination. The Placement Agents may terminate this Agreement
by notice given by you to the Company, if after the execution and delivery of
this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date (i) trading generally shall have
been suspended or materially limited on, or by, as the case may be, any of the
New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq National
Market, the Chicago Board of Options Exchange, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange
or the Chicago Board of Trade, (ii) trading of any securities of the Company
shall have been suspended on any exchange or in any over-the-counter market,
(iii) a material disruption in securities settlement, payment or clearance
services in the United shall have occurred, (iv) any moratorium on commercial
banking activities shall have been declared by Federal or New York State
authorities or (v) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of
hostilities, or any change in financial markets or any calamity or crisis that,
in your judgment, is material and adverse and which, singly or together with any
other event specified in this clause (v), makes it, in your judgment,
impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offer, sale or delivery of the
Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Final Memorandum.

         10.      Effectiveness; Defaulting Placement Agents. This Agreement
shall become effective upon the execution and delivery hereof by the parties
hereto.

         If, on the Closing Date, any one or more of the Placement Agents shall
fail or refuse to purchase Securities that it or they have agreed to purchase
hereunder on such date, and the aggregate principal amount of Securities which
such defaulting Placement Agent or Placement Agents agreed but failed or refused
to purchase is not more than one-tenth of the aggregate principal amount of
Securities to be purchased on such date, the other Placement Agents shall be
obligated severally in the proportions that the principal amount of Securities
set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule I bears to the aggregate
principal amount of Securities set forth opposite the names of all such
non-defaulting Placement Agents, or in such other proportions as you may
specify, to purchase the Securities which such defaulting Placement Agent or
Placement Agents agreed but failed or refused to purchase on such date; provided
that in no event shall the principal amount of Securities that any Placement
Agent has agreed to purchase pursuant to this Agreement be increased pursuant to
this Section 10 by an amount in excess of one-ninth of such principal amount of
Securities without the written consent of such Placement Agent. If, on the
Closing Date any Placement Agent or Placement Agents shall fail or refuse to
purchase Securities which it or they have agreed to purchase hereunder on such
date and the aggregate principal amount of Securities with respect to which such
default occurs is more than one-tenth of the aggregate principal amount of
Securities to be purchased on such date, and arrangements satisfactory to you
and the Company for the purchase of such Securities are not made within 36 hours
after such default, this Agreement shall terminate without liability on the part
of any non-defaulting Placement Agent or of the Company or of the Guarantors. In
any such case either you or the Company shall have the right to postpone the
Closing Date, but in no event for longer than seven days, in order that the
required changes, if any, in the Final Memorandum or in any other documents or
arrangements may be effected. Any action taken under this paragraph shall not
relieve any defaulting Placement Agent from liability in respect of any default
of such Placement Agent under this Agreement.

                                       16
<PAGE>

         If this Agreement shall be terminated by the Placement Agents, or any
of them, because of any failure or refusal on the part of the Company or the
Guarantors to comply with the terms or to fulfill any of the conditions of this
Agreement, or if for any reason the Company shall be unable to perform its
obligations under this Agreement, the Company will reimburse the Placement
Agents or such Placement Agents as have so terminated this Agreement with
respect to themselves, severally, for all out-of-pocket expenses (including the
fees and disbursements of their counsel) reasonably incurred by such Placement
Agents in connection with this Agreement or the offering contemplated hereunder.

         11.      Notices. All notices and other communications under this
Agreement shall be in writing and mailed, delivered or sent by facsimile
transmission to: if sent to the Placement Agents, Morgan Stanley & Co.
Incorporated, 1585 Broadway, New York, New York 10036, attention: High Yield New
Issues Group, facsimile number (212) 761-0587 and if sent to the Company or to
the Guarantors, to Steel Dynamics, Inc., 6714 Pointe Inverness Way, Suite 200,
Fort Wayne, Indiana 46804, attention: Tracy Shellabarger, facsimile number (219)
969-3555.

         12.      Counterparts. This Agreement may be signed in any number of
counterparts, each of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the
signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument.

         13.      Applicable Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and
construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.

         14.      Headings. The headings of the sections of this Agreement have
been inserted for convenience of reference only and shall not be deemed a part
of this Agreement

                                       17
<PAGE>

                                             Very truly yours,

                                             STEEL DYNAMICS, INC.

                                             By: /s/ Tracy L. Shellabarger
                                                 -------------------------------
                                                 Name:  Tracy L. Shellabarger
                                                 Title:

                                             SDI INVESTMENT COMPANY

                                             By: /s/ Tracy L. Shellabarger
                                                 -------------------------------
                                                 Name:  Tracy L. Shellabarger
                                                 Title:

                                             DYNAMIC BAR PRODUCTS LLC.

                                             By: /s/ Tracy L. Shellabarger
                                                 -------------------------------
                                                 Name:  Tracy L. Shellabarger
                                                 Title:

                                             STLD HOLDINGS, INC.

                                             By: /s/ Tracy L. Shellabarger
                                                 -------------------------------
                                                 Name:  Tracy L. Shellabarger
                                                 Title:

                                             FERROUS RESOURCES LLC

                                             By: /s/ Tracy L. Shellabarger
                                                 -------------------------------
                                                 Name:  Tracy L. Shellabarger
                                                 Title:

                                             STEEL DYNAMICS SALES NORTH
                                             AMERICA, INC.

                                             By: /s/ Tracy L. Shellabarger
                                                 -------------------------------
                                                 Name:  Tracy L. Shellabarger
                                                 Title:

Accepted as of the date hereof

MORGAN STANLEY & CO. INCORPORATED
GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO.
J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES INC.

By: Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated

By: /s/
    -------------------------------
    Name:
    Title:

<PAGE>

                                   SCHEDULE I

                                Placement Agents

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                         Principal Amount of
                     Placement Agent                 Securities to be Purchased
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated...............            $ 70,000,000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Goldman, Sachs & Co. ...........................            $ 25,000,000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. ....................            $  5,000,000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total:  ........................................            $100,000,000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

<PAGE>

                                  SCHEDULE II

                                   Guarantors

SDI Investment Company
Dynamic Bar Products LLC
STLD Holdings, Inc
Ferrous Resources LLC
Steel Dynamics Sales North America, Inc.

<PAGE>

                                  SCHEDULE III

                                  Subsidiaries

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                             Percent of capital              Percent of voting
                                                        stock/equity units owned by     stock/voting units owned by
Name                                                        Steel Dynamics, Inc.            Steel Dynamics, Inc.
----                                                    ---------------------------     ---------------------------
<S>                                                               <C>                             <C>
Iron Dynamics, Inc.                                                 100%                            100%
New Millennium Building Systems, LLC                                100%                            100%
Omni Dynamic Aviation, LLC                                         97.5%                           97.5%
Paragon Steel Enterprises, LLC                                       50%                             50%
SDI Investment Company                                              100%                            100%
Dynamic Bar Products LLC                                            100%                            100%
STLD Holdings, Inc                                                  100%                            100%
Ferrous Resources LLC                                               100%                            100%
Steel Dynamics Sales North America, Inc                             100%                            100%
</TABLE>

<PAGE>

                                   EXHIBIT A

             OPINION OF COUNSEL FOR THE COMPANY AND THE GUARANTORS

         Attach draft opinion of the counsel for the Company and the Guarantors
to be delivered pursuant to Section 5(c) of the Placement Agreement to the
effect that:

         A.       The Company has been duly incorporated, is validly existing as
a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its
incorporation, has the corporate power and authority to own its property and to
conduct its business as described in the Final Memorandum and is duly qualified
to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the
conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such
qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in
good standing would not have a material adverse effect on the Company and its
subsidiaries, taken as a whole.

         B.       Each subsidiary of the Company has been duly incorporated or
organized, is validly existing as a corporation or as a limited liability
company in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation
or organization, has the corporate power and authority to own its property and
to conduct its business as described in the Final Memorandum and is duly
qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in
which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property
requires such qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so
qualified or be in good standing would not have a material adverse effect on the
Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole; all of the issued shares of
capital stock, and all membership units or interests, of each subsidiary of the
Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and
non-assessable, and are owned directly by the Company, free and clear of all
liens, encumbrances, equities or claims.

         C.       The Placement Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and
delivered by the Company and the Guarantors.

         D.       All shares of common stock of the Company and its subsidiaries
outstanding on the Closing Date have been duly authorized and are validly
issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

         E.       The Securities have been duly authorized, executed and
delivered by the Company.

         F.       The Guarantee by each Guarantor has been duly authorized,
executed and delivered by such.

         G.       The Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered
by the Company and the Guarantors.

         H.       The Registration Rights Agreement has been duly authorized,
executed and delivered by the Company and the Guarantors.

                                      A-1
<PAGE>

         I.       The Sixth Amendment to the Credit Agreement has been duly
authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and the Guarantors named
therein and is in full force and effect.

         J.       The execution and delivery by the Company and the Guarantors
of, and the performance by the Company and the Guarantors of their respective
obligations under, the Placement Agreement, the Indenture, the Registration
Rights Agreement, the Securities (in the case of the Company) and the Guarantees
(in the case of the Guarantors) will not contravene any provision of applicable
law or the articles of incorporation or by-laws of the Company or the Guarantors
or, to the best of such counsel's knowledge, any agreement or other instrument
binding upon the Company or any of its subsidiaries that is material to the
Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, (including, but not limited to,
the Credit Agreement as amended by the Sixth Amendment) or, to the best of such
counsel's knowledge, any judgment, order or decree of any governmental body,
agency or court having jurisdiction over the Company or any subsidiary, and no
consent, approval, authorization or order of, or qualification with, any
governmental body or agency is required for the performance by the Company or
the Guarantors of their respective obligations under the Placement Agreement,
the Indenture, the Registration Rights Agreement, the Securities (in the case of
the Company) and the Guarantees (in the case of the Guarantors), except such as
may be required by the securities or Blue Sky laws of the various states in
connection with the offer and sale of the Securities and by Federal and state
securities laws with respect to the Company's and the Guarantors' obligations
under the Registration Rights Agreement.

         K.       After due inquiry, such counsel does not know of any legal or
governmental proceedings pending or threatened to which the Company or any of
its subsidiaries is a party or to which any of the properties of the Company or
any of its subsidiaries is subject other than proceedings fairly summarized in
all material respects in the Final Memorandum and proceedings which such counsel
believes are not likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company and its
subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or on the power or ability of the Company and
the Guarantors to perform their respective obligations under the Placement
Agreement, the Indenture, the Registration Rights Agreement, the Securities (in
the case of the Company), and the Guarantees (in the case of the Guarantors) or
to consummate the transactions contemplated by the Final Memorandum.

         L.       After due inquiry, to the best of our knowledge, the Company
and its subsidiaries (i) are in compliance with any and all applicable foreign,
federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to the protection of
human health and safety, the environment or hazardous or toxic substances or
wastes, pollutants or contaminants ("Environmental Laws"), (ii) have received
all permits, licenses or other approvals required of them under applicable
Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses and (iii) are in
compliance with all terms and conditions of any such permit, license or
approval, except where such noncompliance with Environmental Laws, failure to
receive required permits, licenses or other approvals or failure to comply with
the terms and conditions of such permits, licenses or approvals would not,
singly or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the Company and
its subsidiaries, taken as a whole.

                                      A-2
<PAGE>

         M.       Each of the Company and the Guarantors are not, and after
giving effect to the offering and sale of the Securities and the application of
the proceeds thereof as described in the Final Memorandum, will not be an
"investment company" as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of
1940, as amended.

         N.       The statements related to legal matters, documents or
proceedings included in the Final Memorandum under the captions "Risk
Factors--Environmental regulation imposes substantial costs and limitations on
our operations," "Description of Notes," "Description of Capital Stock,"
"Description of Certain Indebtedness," "Certain ERISA Considerations," "Private
Placement," and "Transfer Restrictions," and in "Item 1 -
Business--Environmental Matters," "Item 3 - Legal Proceedings," "Item 1 -
Business - Section 201 Investigation," "Item 1 - Business--Risk Factors--Risks
Related to Our Business--Environmental regulation imposes substantial costs and
limitations on our operations" and "Item 13 - Certain Relationships and Related
Transactions" of the Company's most recent annual report on Form 10-K and in
"Item 1 - Legal Proceedings," of each quarterly report on Form 10-Q included or
incorporated by reference in the Final Memorandum, in each case fairly summarize
in all material respects such matters, documents or proceedings.

         O.       The statements in the Final Memorandum under the caption
"United States Federal Income Tax Considerations," insofar as such statements
constitute a summary of the United States federal tax laws referred to therein,
are accurate and fairly summarize in all material respects the United States
federal tax laws referred to therein.

         P.       Such counsel (i) is of the opinion that each document
incorporated by reference in the Final Memorandum (except for financial
statements and schedules and other financial and statistical data included
therein as to which such counsel need not express any opinion), complied as to
form when filed with the Commission in all material respects with the Exchange
Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and (ii) has no
reason to believe that (except for financial statements and schedules and other
financial and statistical data as to which such counsel need not express any
belief) the Final Memorandum when issued contained, or as of the date such
opinion is delivered contains, any untrue statement of a material fact or
omitted or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the
statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were
made, not misleading.

         Q.       Based upon the representations, warranties and agreements of
the Company in the Placement Agreement and of the Placement Agents in the
Placement Agreement, it is not necessary in connection with the offer, sale and
delivery of the Securities to the Placement Agents under the Placement Agreement
or in connection with the initial resale of such Securities by the Placement
Agents in accordance with the Placement Agreement to register the Securities
under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or to qualify the Indenture under
the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, it being understood that no opinion is
expressed as to any subsequent resale of any Security.

                                      A-3
<PAGE>

         R.       Each of the Company and its subsidiaries has all necessary
certificates, orders, permits, licenses, authorizations, consents and approvals
of and from, and has made all declarations and filings with, all federal, state
and local governmental authorities, all self-regulatory organizations and all
courts and tribunals, to own, lease, license and use its properties and assets
and to conduct its business in the manner described in the Final Memorandum, and
neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of
proceedings relating to revocation or modification of any such certificates,
orders, permits, licenses, authorizations, consents or approvals, nor is the
Company or any of its subsidiaries in violation of, or in default under, any
federal, state or local law, regulation, rule, decree, order or judgment
applicable to the Company or any of its subsidiaries the effect of which, singly
or in the aggregate, would have a material adverse effect on the prospects,
condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business or operations of
the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, except as described in the
Final Memorandum.

         With respect to paragraph P above, counsel may state that his or her
opinion and belief are based upon his or her participation in the preparation of
the Final Memorandum (and any amendments or supplements thereto), and review and
discussion of the contents thereof and review of the documents incorporated by
reference therein, but are without independent check or verification except with
respect to paragraphs N and O.

                                      A-4
<PAGE>

                                   EXHIBIT B

         OPINION OF NEW YORK COUNSEL FOR THE COMPANY AND THE GUARANTORS

         Attach draft opinion of the New York counsel for the Company and the
Guarantors to be delivered pursuant to Section 5(d) of the Placement Agreement
to the effect that:

         A.       Assuming the Securities have been duly authorized, executed
and delivered by the parties thereto, the Securities are valid and binding
obligations of the Company, enforceable in accordance with their terms, subject
to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or similar laws affecting creditors' rights
generally and general principles of equity, and will be entitled to the benefits
of the Indenture and the Registration Rights Agreement.

         B.       Assuming the Guarantees have been duly authorized, executed
and delivered by the parties thereto, the Guarantees are valid and binding
agreements of the Guarantors enforceable against the Guarantors in accordance
with its terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or similar laws
affecting creditors' rights generally and general principles of equity, and will
be entitled to the benefits of the Indenture and the Registration Rights
Agreement.

         C.       Assuming the Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and
delivered by the parties thereto, the Indenture is a valid and binding agreement
of the Company and the Guarantors, enforceable in accordance with its terms,
subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or similar laws affecting
creditors' rights generally and general principles of equity.

         D.       Assuming the Registration Rights Agreement has been duly
authorized, executed and delivered by the parties thereto, the Registration
Rights Agreement is a valid and binding agreement of the Company and the
Guarantors, enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject to applicable
bankruptcy, insolvency or similar laws affecting creditors' rights generally and
general principles of equity and except as rights to indemnification and
contribution under the Registration Rights Agreement may be limited under
applicable law.

         E.       Assuming the Sixth Amendment has been duly authorized,
executed and delivered by the parties thereto, the Sixth Amendment is a valid
and binding agreement of the Company and the Guarantors, enforceable in
accordance with its terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or
similar laws affecting creditors' rights generally and general principles of
equity.

                                      B-1

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