Compass Minerals' Subsidiaries Increase Prices on All Consumer and Industrial Products

December 7, 2009

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 7, 2009-- North American Salt Company and Sifto Canada Corp., both subsidiaries of Compass Minerals (NYSE: CMP), have announced an average price increase of $6 per ton on all consumer and industrial packaged and bulk mineral products, including consumer and professional deicing products, agricultural minerals, salt-based water conditioning products, industrial minerals, pool salt and food-grade salt. These increases will be effective with all North American shipments on January 4, 2010, or as contracts allow.

About Compass Minerals

Based in the Kansas City metropolitan area, Compass Minerals is a leading producer of minerals, including salt, sulfate of potash specialty fertilizer and magnesium chloride. The company provides highway deicing salt to customers in North America and the United Kingdom and specialty fertilizer to growers worldwide. Compass Minerals also produces consumer deicing and water conditioning products, ingredients used in consumer and commercial foods, and other mineral-based products for consumer, agricultural and industrial applications. Compass Minerals also provides records management services to businesses throughout the U.K.

About North American Salt Company

North American Salt Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Compass Minerals, sells salt and other minerals to customers throughout the United States. The company’s products include mined rock salt for highway and consumer deicing, and high-grade branded and private label mineral products for consumer and industrial uses.

About Sifto Canada Corp.

Sifto Canada Corp. is Canada’s premier provider and marketer of highway and consumer deicing salt. Operating the world’s largest rock salt mine in Goderich, Ontario, Sifto also is a leading producer of high-quality food salt, water care minerals, agricultural minerals, and many other consumer and industrial salt and mineral products. Sifto is a wholly owned subsidiary of Compass Minerals. For more information, visit www.siftocanada.com.

This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on the Company's current expectations and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially. The differences could be caused by a number of factors including those factors identified in Compass Minerals International's annual report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 20, 2009. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements made in this press release to reflect future events or developments.

Source: Compass Minerals

Compass Minerals
Peggy Landon, 913-344-9315
Director of Investor Relations and Corporate Communications