News Release

Auth-Florence Recognized as Strategic Partner By USPS Awarded Multi-year Sole Source Contract to Manufacture

Manhattan, Kansas, February 2005> After more than a year of development, Auth-Florence Manufacturing has been named the "Sole Source" Strategic Partnership and sole provider of outdoor delivery and mail collection equipment (CBUs) by the U.S. Postal Service Delivery, Industrial Equipment and Telecom Category Management Team in Greensboro, North Carolina.

After a Nationwide multiyear examination of numerous competitors, the award follows Auth-Florence winning the USPS Quality Supplier Award in 2003. Dave Dailey, President of Auth-Florence, expresses his appreciation that the USPS has recognized the company as the unchallenged leader in the market place based on past performance, production, design, distribution and quality.

Over the 7 to 15 year period of this contract the company will manufacture Cluster Box Units (CBUs), Outdoor Parcel Lockers (OPLs) High Security CBUs (HSCBUs) and related postal specialties for the Postal Service from its brand new 192,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Manhattan, KS. With its state-of-the-art robotic welding equipment, powder coating technology and economies of scale, this facility is located near the USPS Topeka Distribution Center, increasing the availability and transport of postal products throughout the country in partnership with Auth-Florence's nationwide distribution network.

To support the Postal Service' new quality and mail safeguarding standards, the ISO 9001:2000 certified and UL audited facility was built specifically to produce outdoor freestanding multi-tenant mailboxes and parcel boxes allowing increased volumes and production efficiencies. These advancements allow further improvements in delivery efficiency and security of postal equipment while lowering costs and expanding its delivery capabilities, both considerable advantages to be passed along to the USPS.

For over a century, Auth-Florence has been the nation's preeminent manufacturer of postal specialty products, focusing solely on the design and production of mailboxes and mailbox accessories, and it is the first company to design and manufacture mailbox products which meet or exceed the Postal Service's new regulatory standards set to go into effect later this year.

For more information about Auth-Florence's standard product line and CBU products, log onto auth-florence.com/products. For more information regarding security issues and Security Upgrade Kits, log onto auth-florence.com/securityupgrade/main.html.