FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Media Relations 202-268-2155 October 29, 2003 Release No. 079 www.usps.com U.S. POSTAL SERVICE HONORS 10 OUTSTANDING COMPANIES WITH '2003 QUALITY SUPPLIER AWARDS' WASHINGTON, DC - Postmaster General John E. Potter today recognized 10 companies that the United States Postal Service considers "the best of the best" in supplying its employees with the equipment, tools and services they need to deliver superior products and services to the American public. "By setting high standards of excellence within your own companies, you have helped us raise the bar of excellence within the Postal Service to respond to the needs of our customers and to better serve the American people," Potter told key executives of the award-winning companies during an afternoon ceremony at Postal Service headquarters. "You have helped us increase our efficiency, add value to our services, and improve customer satisfaction." Keith Strange, Vice President of Supply Management for the U.S. Postal Service, noted that thanks to the work of all Quality Supplier Award winners - and the Postal Service Supply Management team - the Postal Service saved or avoided some $469 million in costs this past year. "Together, we have changed and reconfigured the way we manage supply management," said Strange. "You have helped us reduce our costs, and every year we are becoming an even better team. We're becoming more creative and more innovative and, together, we're finding newer and smarter ways to improve the services and products you provide." According to Strange, purchasing supplies and materials is no small task. In fiscal year 2003, the Postal Service spent more than $9.6 billion for transportation, facilities, supplies, and services with a supplier base that included more than 25,000 suppliers. Each supplier recognized is one of only 10 companies receiving a Quality Supplier Award this year. 2003 Quality Supplier Award categories and winners are listed below: SMALL BUSINESS Auth-Florence Manufacturing Company of Glendale Heights, IL (High Security Cluster Box Units) Cleanwise Inc. of Marlborough, MA (Cleaning Supplies for Postal Facilities Nationwide) Johnston McLamb of Chantilly, VA (Lifecycle Management Systems for Information Technology Programs) NECS of Jasper, IN (Tax Recovery For Commercial Fuel Purchases) Wheeler Bros. Inc. of Somerset, PA (Spare Parts for Postal Vehicle Management Facilities) LARGE BUSINESS Grainger of Lake Forest, IL (Maintenance Repair and Operational Supplies for Postal Facilities Nationwide) Hewlett Packard Company of Palo Alto, CA (Providers of PCs, Hardware, Software and Technical Support) Lockheed Martin Distribution Technologies of Owego, NY (Automated Package Processing Systems) Northrop Grumman Automation and Information Systems of Elkridge, MD (Feeder Enhanced De-Stacking Retrofit - Flats Sorter Enhancements) U.S. Bank Voyager Fleet Systems Inc. of Houston, TX (Credit Card Services for Fuel, Repair, and Vehicle Services Purchases) Following are comments by the Quality Supplier Award winners: SMALL BUSINESS Auth-Florence Manufacturing Company of Glendale Heights, IL (High Security Cluster Box Units) "Winning this award represents the value of working hard to exceed the requirements of a trusted and demanding customer. Our efforts - in concert with clearly stated goals and objectives provided by representatives from U.S. Postal Service Purchasing, Inspection Service, Engineering and Delivery Programs - enabled us to provide products that set new standards of excellence in quality, security and cost-effective manufacturing. We accept this award on behalf of the Auth-Florence employees and our U.S. Postal Service teammates who worked together to make this initiative a reality." --David P. Dailey, President and CEO Cleanwise Inc. of Marlborough, MA (Cleaning Supplies for Postal Facilities Nationwide) "Winning the U.S. Postal Service Quality Supplier Award is a major accomplishment for Cleanwise Inc. It recognizes a job well done by all of our employees and partners. This award depicts our consistent pride in quality, customer service and satisfaction, and shows our true dedication to the U.S. Postal Service contract. We have accomplished this by our continual commitment to excellence in building our relationships with the Maintenance team members and the U.S. Postal Service Committee. We are extremely proud to win this award and will continue to work toward providing the U.S. Postal Service with increased quality service and customer satisfaction." --Keith Alsheimer, President Johnston McLamb of Chantilly, VA (Lifecycle Management Systems for Information Technology Programs) "It is a great honor for Johnston McLamb to receive the U.S. Postal Service Quality Supplier Award for 2003. We realize how extensive the qualifying criteria and evaluation process are for this award, and we are proud to have been judged as 'having truly made a difference in helping the Postal Service operate more effectively.' Our focus has been on working closely with our U.S. Postal Service clients to provide world class innovative software solutions that enable the U.S. Postal Service to streamline operations and meet the challenges of timely worldwide mail delivery. Working as a partner, our team of dedicated professionals has been able to rapidly develop custom large-scale web-based applications that produce near-term measurable results in cost savings and improved levels of service. We appreciate the fact that the U.S. Postal Service has recognized our performance and contributions through this Quality Supplier Award which only strengthens our continued commitment to delivering meaningful results in support of its mission. We consider it a profound privilege to be an IT partner with an organization that is as forward looking as the U.S. Postal Service." --Ronald J. Johnston, President and CEO NECS of Jasper, IN (Tax Recovery For Commercial Fuel Purchases) "We're very proud to have been selected as a recipient of the U.S. Postal Service 2003 Quality Supplier Award for Supply Chain Management Best Practices. We're a small but growing results-oriented company with dedicated employees and a long history of customer focus. To be recognized by one of the largest motor fleets in the world as a key provider of quality service is a tremendous honor and one that we value very highly." --David A. Fuhs, President & CEO Wheeler Bros. Inc. of Somerset, PA (Spare Parts for Postal Vehicle Management Facilities) "Winning this award is an honor to all those involved in our Supply Management partnership with the U.S. Postal Service. A cooperative effort toward these types of innovative ideas and the spirit to get them done has resulted in a win-win for us all." --H.W. Wheeler, Jr., President and CEO LARGE BUSINESS Grainger of Lake Forest, IL (Maintenance Repair and Operational Supplies for Postal Facilities Nationwide) "We at Grainger are honored to receive the 2003 U.S. Postal Service Quality Supplier Award. Every day, Grainger employees across the nation work hard to ensure that the U.S. Postal Service has the products it needs to get its job done through rain, sleet and snow. We take great pride in the fact that we can contribute to such an essential function of our society." --Wesley M. Clark, President and COO Hewlett Packard Company of Palo Alto, CA (Providers of PCs, Hardware, Software and Technical Support) "Hewlett Packard is extremely honored to win its sixth U.S. Postal Service Quality Supplier Award. This recognition is a result of the excellent partnership that the U.S. Postal Service and HP have formed, as well as HP's dedicated U.S. Postal Service Account and Program Teams that are committed to exceeding Postal Service expectations on a daily basis. This team - and the HP worldwide Product, Supply, and Service Professionals who support the U.S. Postal Service -- consistently maintain the attitude of going above and beyond to service our Postal Service customers." --Peter Blackmore, Executive Vice President Lockheed Martin Distribution Technologies of Owego, NY (Automated Package Processing Systems) "Everything we do at Lockheed Martin starts with a deep commitment toward ensuring excellence and delivering what we promise. We undertake initiatives wholeheartedly, commit to supply chain improvements throughout our product life cycles, and strive to meet the highest standards and expectations for quality. To be selected as a 2003 U.S. Postal Service Quality Supplier Award recipient is a tremendous honor. I'm extremely proud of the Distribution Technologies team that achieved this notable supplier recognition." --Judy Marks, President, Lockheed Martin Distribution Technologies Northrop Grumman Automation and Information Systems of Elkridge, MD (Feeder Enhanced De-Stacking Retrofit - Flats Sorter Enhancements) "We share this award with our partner, the U.S. Postal Service, which was an integral part of our team. That teamwork enabled us to offer the most advanced technology and the best solutions for the best value. The commitment and talent of those individuals from both Northrop Grumman and the U.S. Postal Service deserve special commendation." --Vicki E. Spira, Vice President, Northrop Grumman Automation and Information Systems U.S. Bank Voyager Fleet Systems Inc. of Houston, TX (Credit Card Services for Fuel, Repair, and Vehicle Services Purchases) "This is just an incredible honor for Voyager - one which is truly a special tribute to our staff of professionals who work in partnership with the U.S. Postal Service on a daily basis. The U.S. Postal Service touches so many American lives each and every day, that to have been singled out as a Quality Supplier Award recipient is really quite gratifying. We are tremendously proud of our efforts to assist the U.S. Postal Service in improving its processes and its performance for the benefit of us all." --Robert T. Abele, President, U.S. Bank Corporate Payment Systems - 30 -