Contact:     Ronda J Williams
                                                           312-706-3232

            Oil-Dri Announces Western Region Reorganization

   CHICAGO - July 17, 2003 - Oil-Dri Corporation of America
   (NYSE: ODC) announced today a reorganization of service
   for its customers in the Pacific Northwest. On July 31,
   2003, the company will close its Christmas Valley, Ore.,
   facility and transfer existing customers to its newly
  .acquired plant in Taft, Calif., and other Oil-Dri
   facilities. The company anticipates that during the fourth
   quarter it will take a one-time charge not exceeding
   $850,000, to cover closing costs, severance and land
   reclamation.

   Sales from the Christmas Valley plant represent less than
   1% of the company's business. The plant currently operates
   on a limited basis and has 12 employees. After the plant
   is closed, those full-time employees will be offered a
   severance package and given priority consideration for
   employment at other Oil-Dri locations as jobs become
   available.

   The plant closing will not materially impact the company's
   reported earnings going forward. Nor does the company
   expect the charge taken to affect its previously stated
   per share earnings estimates of $0.45 to $0.60 for the
   fiscal year ended July 31, 2003.

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     Oil-Dri Corporation of America is the world's largest
     manufacturer of cat litter and a leading supplier of
     specialty sorbent products for industrial, automotive,
     agricultural, horticultural and specialty markets.

     This release contains certain forward-looking statements
     regarding the company's expected performance for future
     periods, and actual results for such periods might
     materially differ. Such forward-looking statements are
     subject to uncertainties which include, but are not limited
     to, competitive factors in the consumer market; the level
     of success in implementation of price increases and
     surcharges; changes in overall agricultural demand;
     increasing regulation of the food chain; changes in the
     market conditions, the overall economy, energy prices, and
     other factors detailed from time to time in the company's
     annual report and other reports filed with the Securities
     and Exchange Commission.