Palladium Alliance International Welcomes Linus Drogs as New Casting Consultant to Help Explain the Uses for Palladium

(Billings, Montana) April 24, 2008 – Palladium Alliance International (PAI), the marketing arm of Stillwater Mining Company in Billings, Montana, announced today the hiring of Linus Drogs as the organization’s new Casting Consultant. Drogs brings with him more than two decades of casting expertise. His role at PAI will include appearing at trade conferences, advising manufacturers on how to cast Palladium, and overseeing the creation and dissemination of technical information on the uses of Palladium.

“I see my role as a conduit and technician to the jewelry manufacturing trade to help with the process and procedures in making Palladium jewelry,” says Drogs. “I offer my experience and expertise with a scientific approach on casting a white metal such as Palladium.”

Drogs began his career in the jewelry industry in January 1984. His first job was an apprenticeship in a small jewelry store owned by a close friend. In May 1984, after only four months, he was offered a starting position with a local casting company. Three years later, Drogs opened Au Enterprises, Inc. in Berkley, Michigan. Since then he’s had the opportunity to work on several technical projects pivotal to the jewelry industry, and help develop the industry’s evolving technical needs in the wake of shifting precious metals prices.

From 1997 to 1998, he helped with production testing for Steven Kretchmer on the S+1 platinum alloy. He was also retained to conduct tests in conjunction with North American Jewelers on Hoover & Strong’s PlatOro platinum alloy, and later Stuller’s X1 white gold alloy. Ransom & Rudolph also consulted Drogs on production results of their popular Ultra-Vest Maxx investment, designed for maximum thermal stability when casting white metals at high temperatures.

Drogs is in high demand at trade shows and as a consultant to various publications. For the past two years, he’s been a judge for AJM Magazine’s Innovation Award; for four years he’s acted as a source for quotes and opinion articles. Drogs made a casting presentation at MJSA 2007, he will participate in two roundtable discussions at this year’s JCK Las Vegas, and he is preparing a lost wax glass casting presentation at the 2008 Santa Fe Jewelry Symposium – an event he’s attended for 14 years.

Drogs is enthusiastic about his new role with PAI. The uses for Palladium in jewelry present exciting possibilities that will greatly impact the industry: “Palladium has several special properties including its density that make it a unique material. Once the consumer has been educated on these benefits and characteristics that Palladium offers, growth and demand will follow.”

About Palladium Alliance International
Palladium Alliance International (PAI) is the world’s first organization dedicated to establishing Palladium as a luxurious, precious and distinctive white metal. To promote this idea, PAI provides education, marketing and technical support and a vision for the advancement of Palladium. Formed in March 2006 with offices in the UK, U.S. and China, PAI has planned a 2008-2009 campaign – designed and executed by DJS Marketing – to aggressively market to consumers and the trade. Together, PAI and DJS are organizing a coalition of talented experts to work with retailers, producers and manufacturers to raise awareness of the many uses for Palladium in the global marketplace.