SAN DIEGO - January 13, 2003 - Trade Service, the leading provider of content services for the electrical, plumbing/PVF, HVACR, and industrial MRO industries, and TradePower, a leader in integrated software and e-business solutions for the wholesale distribution industry, today announced a signed partnership agreement representing a unique opportunity for distributors to realize the efficiencies of electronic data management within their business and e-commerce applications.

Central to the alliance is the intersection of key technology initiatives: Trade Service’s eDataFlex™ content and TradePower’s 2003 version of its enterprise software solutions, TradeSource and Array Classic. The high quality, product content within eDataFlex will extend the capabilities of both TradeSource and Array Classic, allowing distributors to streamline business system updating and improve customer responsiveness by using text-based searching, via long, full word descriptions, to locate item information quickly. The searchable, attributed content along with product images in eDataFlex can also be leveraged to enhance the purchasing process through TradePower’s Web Service Center.

“This strategic alliance enables our customers to benefit from the synergy between eDataFlex content and both TradeSource and Array Classic,” said Tony Dubreville, President and CEO of Trade Service. “We look forward to exploring other technologies with TradePower in the future that may translate into new products or process improvements for the distribution industry.”

Under the terms of the alliance, TradePower has designated Trade Service as a preferred content partner. By developing its business and web applications around eDataFlex content, functionality is optimized with the ability to effectively utilize current and accurate product and price information needed for inventory control, timely invoicing, and other day-to-day applications. eDataFlex content, integrated with TradeSource and Array Classic, also allows easy access to expanded product descriptions and pricing data required to support a fully functional back office system. Special data elements include long, full-word descriptions, expanded commodity code tables, and discount schedule and product group codes, ensuring consistency and increased management control over non-stock merchandising company-wide. And used within TradePower’s distributor storefront application, eDataFlex content enhances e-commerce opportunities by enabling buyers to locate products online quickly and easily.

“This alliance strengthens our ability to provide our customers with business-specific solutions that address the key challenges that they face today,” said Dean Jester, CEO of TradePower. “TradePower and Trade Service can now jointly offer complementary solutions that provide distributors with intelligent use of data to effectively drive profit maximizing initiatives, while realizing significant efficiencies and productivity gains.”

About TradePower
Our solutions are proven to increase sales and reduce operating costs to maximize profits and growth. TradePower delivers powerful distribution management systems for the electrical, plumbing, specialty tools and fastener industries. Since our inception as Trade Service Systems in 1969, TradePower’s advanced software solutions have given hundreds of distributors the competitive edge that drives their business.

TradePower builds long-term partnerships with clients and provides integrated solutions that enhance customer service, productivity and profitability. TradePower adds value with outstanding service, education, and support to ensure high customer satisfaction. TradePower is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania. For more information about TradePower’s solutions and services, please call (800) 289-8771, visit www.tradepower.com, or send e-mail to info@tradepower.com.

About Trade Service
Trade Service Corporation is the leading provider of standardized product and price information to the electrical, plumbing/PVF, HVACR, industrial MRO, and office products industries. Since 1931, the company has been the leader in content acquisition, aggregation, management, publishing, and distribution, offering a variety of products, services, and systems to meet the content needs of over 20,000 distributors, contractors, government agencies and “buy side” Fortune 1000 subscribers. The range of solutions provided includes printed directories, electronic catalogs, pricing data for business system updating, and robust attributed content to fuel full-functioning Internet storefronts. For more information, visit www.tradeservice.com.