Compass Minerals' North American Salt Division Named ``Vendor of the Year'' by True Value Company.

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. -- North American Salt, a subsidiary of Compass Minerals International, Inc., (NYSE: CMP) today announced it has been recognized as True Value Company's "2006 Vendor of the Year - Plumbing and Heating." The award acknowledges North American Salt's support of True Value's water conditioning salt product line.

"We are honored to be selected by True Value in their plumbing and heating category," said Greg Jennings, vice president of sales and marketing, North American Salt Company. "Service is a critical component of our overall product offering, and this award confirms our internal and external team members' commitment and efforts to bring world-class service to our customers."

According to David Carpenter, Plumbing Product Merchant at True Value Company, North American Salt distinguished themselves among more than 300 vendors serving True Value's plumbing department.

"North American Salt earned this award by going the extra mile to help True Value achieve great results," Carpenter explained. "In addition to delivering 100 percent of their shipments to our warehouse complete and on time, North American Salt was very flexible in working with us and individual True Value retailers, helping us attain strong revenue growth of our own brand of water conditioning salt."

North American Salt supplies True Value retailers with True Value-branded water conditioning salt which has grown rapidly since its introduction in 2004, as well as the Nature's Own brand of potassium chloride water conditioning salt and a variety of de-icing products.

About Compass Minerals International, Inc.

Based in the Kansas City metropolitan area, Compass is the second-leading salt producer in North America and the largest in the United Kingdom. The company operates ten production and packaging facilities, including the largest rock salt mine in the world in Goderich, Ontario. The company's product lines include salt for highway deicing, consumer deicing, water conditioning, consumer and industrial food preparation, agriculture and industrial applications. In addition, Compass is North America's leading producer of sulfate of potash, which is used in the production of specialty fertilizers for high-value crops and turf, and magnesium chloride, which is a premium deicing and dust control agent.