Enfield, CT, February 18, 2004 -- 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 that it has expanded its battery testing capabilities at its world headquarters in Enfield, CT. STR has developed proprietary automated equipment that conducts the Determination of Service Output (Draw-Down) testing as outlined in ANSI C18.1M, Part 1. The equipment enables the batteries to have the voltage drained under a known cycled load until the required end point voltage (EPV) is reached.

STR has manufactured three stations that are capable of holding eight battery cells in each unit. Each of the batteries is loaded into the station with timers connected to each battery cell, allowing for recording the exact time to failure. The equipment is capable of testing battery sizes of AAA, AA, C, D, 9V, and 6V and hearing aid batteries in sizes of 312, 675, 10, and 13.

“There are so many new and improved batteries coming onto the marketplace. Our services help retailers perform independent comparison studies in a cost-effective manner, so that they can bring consumers only the highest quality batteries,” said Tom Harney, Manager of Technical Services at STR.

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, the United Kingdom, and the U.S. – and the expansion of its battery testing capabilities is part of this growth strategy.

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 is the first consumer products testing company in the U.S. to earn the ISO-9002 accreditation.