Don't let our hopes go up in smoke...

Antonio Marcegaglia, Marcegaglia Gazoldo degli Ippoliti, via Bresciani, 16, 46040 Gazoldo Ippoliti, Mantova, Italy Evening Gazette, Borough Road, Middlesbrough, Teesside, England, TS1 3AZ 12.05.09 Dear Sr Marcegaglia, Your visit to Teesside on February 11 heartened all those who have worked so hard to ensure the survival of Redcar's Teesside Cast Products plant since it was first threatened with closure four years ago.

We believed your pledge to the people of Teesside that Marcegaglia would invest in and grow the company because we understood that you had seen the real value in this plant - one not weighed in metal, but in human capital.

The skills and dedication of the 2,000 or more men and women whose loyalty and ability have been tested and proven beyond doubt is worth more to Marcegaglia than any tangible asset on an accountant's spreadsheet.

We know the plant requires considerable reinvestment; we also share your optimism that this downturn is not terminal. And when demand for steel is restored, it will be as much in Marcegaglia's interests to control its supply chain, as it clearly was when you set out the "sound rationale" behind TCP's purchase in 2009. More so, perhaps, since expanding non-European industrial markets will inevitably soak up much of the world's production in the years ahead.

As a family-owned firm, Marcegaglia knows better than most how the will to succeed beats through the generations. And we can assure you that the steel community on Teesside is no different. We are a family, dedicated to steel.

We have fought with determination and pride to keep this industry alive against all the odds and shown that we are capable of competing to the highest standard in the toughest market.

Stand by us now and we won't let you down.

From the people of Teesside