[0] Stonebridge Enables Canal Forest Resources to Offer Real-Time Management of Timber Investment Portfolios Via the Web.

Business/Technology Editors

CHARLOTTE, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 18, 2001

New "Cypress" System Provides Vast Range of New and Unique Services

Stonebridge Technologies, an award-winning technology consulting company with operations here in Charlotte, today announced the completion of an engagement with Canal Forest Resources, Inc. (CFR) to create a Web-based system that gives timberland owners the ability to more effectively manage their timber portfolios.

CFR, which is also based in Charlotte, is a leading forestry consulting and timber investment management firm.

Stonebridge, in collaboration with CFR, developed an online system called Cypress(TM) that enables CFR's customers to manage spatial and attribute data concurrently, export data for further analysis and run historical reports about their properties via the Internet. The system also serves up maps and data that help CFR's forestry experts track more than 1.5 million timberland acres.

"Providing customers with leading technology on the Web represents a substantial leap for timber investors," said Robin Jolley, CFR's president. "This system gives our customers immediate access to pertinent data, maintaining a superior edge over competition."

CFR manages timberland on behalf of landowners and investors in much the same way that securities firms manage stock and bond portfolios. Cypress enables CFR's customers to evaluate the performance of timber investments in real time. For example, customers can review historical and current volumetric data to calculate current and future inventory, and they can view forest management information such as fertilizations and herbicide treatments. Previously CFR updated investors on their timber holdings via traditional delivery of printed reports on a quarterly basis that were once manually produced.

To develop the Cypress system, Stonebridge consultants from the company's Charlotte operations helped CFR identify issues affecting data management and security, geographic information systems (GIS), business workflow, dynamic reporting and Internet delivery. Stonebridge integrated new technology with CFR's existing GIS and database management resources, creating a system that manages workflow processes, reporting and Internet delivery which included integration to a third-party GIS mapping tool.

"This Web-based system permits the integrated management of spatial and attribute data for clients that have geographically dispersed forest investments," said John Welker, CFR's vice president of technical services. "The Web delivery shortens the information delivery cycle for the hierarchy of persons responsible for managing and reporting the performance of these investments."

Cypress' security features give users far-ranging access to information while protecting portfolios' confidentiality and data integrity. For example, landowners and investors can access information specific to their own timber holdings. Authorized CFR personnel can change attribute data only for properties under their jurisdiction. CFR managers can approve attribute changes before they are transferred into an investor-accessed database.

David Boling, Stonebridge's Charlotte area manager, said, "The Cypress system provides CFR's customers with greater business insight on a real-time basis and enables them to make better informed decisions, and we are pleased to have played a part in bringing this system to life."

About Canal Forest Resources, Inc.

Canal Forest Resources (CFR) is a forestry consulting firm catering to institutional investors, large private landowners and the Forest Industry. Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., CFR has 23 offices throughout the South and Great Lakes regions. The company was incorporated in 1985 as a subsidiary of Canal Industries, Inc., a private corporation with principal offices in Conway, South Carolina. Specializing as a timber investment resource, CFR manages over 500,000 acres of timberland and more than 1 million acres of timberland data. For more information on CFR Services and Cypress(TM), visit us at www.canalforest.com.

About Stonebridge Technologies, Inc.

Stonebridge Technologies is an award-winning technology consulting company serving businesses in the South Central and Southeastern United States. Stonebridge collaborates with clients to architect, develop and deploy enterprise integration solutions that leverage rapid advances in Web-enabled technologies and devices to transform and extend the life of existing business-critical systems. Built on the latest innovations of leading technology partners such as Sun Microsystems and Oracle, Stonebridge's core skills in enterprise relationship management, business intelligence, and enterprise resource planning help clients increase revenues, gain operational efficiencies and create sustained competitive advantage. Stonebridge has operations in 11 cities: Atlanta, Austin, Birmingham, Charlotte, Dallas, Houston, Nashville, Tampa, Oklahoma City, Orlando and Tulsa. The company's corporate headquarters is located in Dallas. More information about Stonebridge is available at www.sbti.com.