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30,000 s/f facility in Shanghai and 40,000 s/f facility in Shenzhen will provide a full range of quality testing, inspection, and audit services to the consumer products industries

Enfield, CT, December 16, 2003 -- Specialized Technology Resources, Inc. (STR) of Enfield, Connecticut, the largest full service, privately-owned consumer product quality assurance testing and compliance monitoring company in the world, today announced the expansion of its two quality testing and inspection laboratories in China. STR’s Shanghai, China laboratory, which opened in mid-November 2003, has been expanded to 30,000 s/f and its staff will increase from 79 to over 200 by early 2004. The company’s Shenzhen, China laboratory, which will open in mid-December 2003, will grow to 40,000 s/f and its staff will increase from 236 to over 300 by early 2004.

STR’s China facilities will house some of the most technologically advanced laboratories ever built for the testing of consumer hard and soft goods (i.e., toys/toy premiums, electronics/electrical equipment, garments/textiles, and general merchandise). The company will offer a full range of services including: product risk assessment and consulting; product testing to national and international standards; product evaluations for safety, performance, design, and construction; factory capabilities audits; quality assurance inspections; fair labor and social compliance monitoring programs; and custom designed quality assurance programs.

Over the past five years, STR has been aggressively expanding its consumer products testing operations – with new or expanded laboratories in China, France, India, Israel, Peru, South Africa, Taiwan, Turkey, and the United Kingdom – and the expansion in China is part of this growth strategy. Shenzhen and Shanghai have become centers of activity for many of STR’s clients, with increased production capabilities and buying offices moving there from other overseas locations.

“We have a 70,000 s/f, full-service laboratory in Hong Kong where our business has been growing at a rate of over 20% a year, and we decided our next level of growth should be in China where many of our clients are also expanding their operations,” said John Gual, Chief Operating Officer of STR. “We will be able to offer our clients more services, more resources, and more on-the-ground access whenever they need us. Our clients expect us to be on the cutting edge of every technological development in the industry, and our new facilities will help us to continue to meet their high expectations.”

Founded in 1944, Specialized Technology Resources, Inc. has grown into the largest full service, privately-owned consumer product quality assurance testing and compliance monitoring company in the world with fully accredited laboratories and inspection offices in over 30 countries over five continents. STR offers a wide range of quality assurance, compliance consulting, and ISO registration services to retailers, manufacturers, and suppliers of consumer hard, soft, and consumable goods. STR also provides materials development services, industrial products services, and manufacturing services to its diverse client base. STR is the first consumer products testing company in the U.S. to earn the ISO-9002 accreditation.