July, 2005

ADVANTAGE LITES & LOUVERS RECEIVES WARM WELCOME TO NEW HOME IN WALLACE, NORTH CAROLINA

   Bronx, N.Y. - The city of Wallace, North Carolina, hosted a luncheon on June 30 welcoming Advantage Lites & Louvers (A-LL), a Zero International company, as its newest corporate citizen. Hosting the luncheon were mayor Charles Farrior, Jr.; members of the Wallace 100 Committee; and Scott Satterfield, CEO of Wilmington Industrial Development Inc., who took the lead in locating suitable space for A-LL. Zero president Elias Wexler and vice president of sales Jerry Heid, AHC/CSI, represented Advantage Lites & Louvers, which is now in full operation at its 25,000 sq. ft. headquarters and manufacturing plant in Wallace, in NC's Duplin County. Also attending were Jim and Frankie Hammontree of H&H Sales and Associates in Charlotte, NC, regional sales representatives for A-LL.

A-LL relocated in April from Burgaw, NC, in neighboring Pender County, where it shared quarters with a previous owner, LL Building Products, Inc. Triple the size of its previous space, the new facility gives A-LL needed room to grow as it expands its product offerings and production of door louvers and vision lites. The siting of the new plant in close proximity to its former home reflects Zero's commitment to maintaining operations within North Carolina and has allowed a seamless transition with no disruption to staffing.

Satterfield, whose organization partners with the Wallace 100 Committee in promoting industry and business growth in the region, helped A-LL secure its space in an 800,000 sq. ft. building also occupied by Guilford Mills and a variety of smaller companies. He acknowledged building owner and general contractor Ross Sykes as a major business leader whose responsiveness and efficient upfitting of the space allowed A-LL to meet an aggressive schedule for its move.

"We are very proud that our collective efforts were able to accommodate Advantage and Zero in such as timely manner, at the same time saving jobs for the region," Satterfield remarked at the welcoming reception.

In welcoming Advantage Lites & Louvers, Mayor Farrior noted Zero's plans for growing the company. "We are very pleased that Advantage has become the newest industry in Wallace." he said. "We are delighted to have you as part of our growing regional business community. We anticipate a long, productive relationship and of course look forward as well to the future jobs your expansion plans will bring to our city."

A-LL's Wallace facility provides room for major equipment upgrades. A new state-of-the-art powder-coating system, which is online as of midsummer, allows maximum flexibility for customizing colors and scheduling production to meet customer needs. The added factory space also facilitates ongoing quality-control improvements to ensure product output to Zero's recognized high quality standards.

Based in Bronx, New York, Zero is a leading manufacturer of door and window sealing hardware known for the quality of its product line. That line includes sound-control gasketing, INTUMET™ positive-pressure fire and smoke assemblies, and a full array of other specialized sealing systems for doors and windows; high-performance continuous hinges; and TRACTION TREAD™ systems for door saddles and stair nosings. Acquired by Zero in December, 2004, the product line of Advantage Lites & Louvers is widely known to the door hardware industry dating from its origins as part of the former Leslie Locke Building Products company.

Advantage Lites & Louvers is now located at: 605 Old Wilmington Road, Wallace, NC 28466. For product information, readers may visit the company's website at www.a-ll.com.

For sales information and customer service, readers may contact: Zero International and Advantage Lites & Louvers.