ATLAS Services Opens Puerto Rico's First Value-Added Logistics Service Center; Company Provides OEMs With Management Services for Materials and Complex Inventory Processes.

CAGUAS, Puerto Rico--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 18, 1998--ATLAS (Advanced Technology Logistics and Support) Services, a global provider of value-added outsourcing and supply-chain logistics solutions, announced today that it has opened Puerto Rico's first value-added support facility in Caguas, located approximately 30 minutes south of San Juan.

The new service center will offer the growing number of OEM manufacturers in Puerto Rico access to a complete pathway of value-added services ranging from traditional distributor functions, such as kitting and autoreplenishment, to a full complement of semiconductor-programming services and master distribution relationships.

Encouraged by duty-free access and other incentives, American manufacturers and contract manufacturers are opening operations in Puerto Rico. Until now, companies such as Intel, Sensormatic, Storage Tech, EMS, MTS, Checkpoint, Hewlett-Packard, and DSC-Alcatel have not had access to the critical services a local value-added support facility can provide.

"This is an untapped market and an excellent opportunity for ATLAS to bring a high level of service to the growing number of firms that have set up shop on the island," said Jim Smith, ATLAS president and CEO. "We're here to support these manufacturers with programs to shorten cycle times, reduce or eliminate customer inventories and assure total product quality through an ISO-9002 registered process."

Hal Grussmeyer, director of operations for the 23,000-square-foot facility, has hired site manager Rolando Albarracin, programming center manager Ralph Rodriguez, and has hired and trained an initial staff.

"By outsourcing our programming to ATLAS, we'll not only save money by eliminating some hard costs, we can also reduce our investment in expensive machinery that we'll no longer need," said Joe Rodriguez, materials manager for DSC-Alcatel. "We expect to make money in the process."

"With the arrival of ATLAS on the island, we're anticipating a huge time savings," said Joe Maldonado, materials manager for Intel. "We'll now be able to meet our projected deadlines within a few hours and gain the flexibility to adjust schedules without being concerned about inventory availability."

ATLAS Services is a member company of VEBA Electronics Inc., headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif. Operating as a service center for Wyle, Insight Electronics and Unique Technologies, ATLAS specializes in pipelining inventories to match MRP forecasts and automating the supply of components to the production floor. ATLAS also manages all aspects of component-level design support, semiconductor programming, contract electronics assembly, manufacturing coordination, testing and finished goods inventory management.

For additional information about ATLAS Services, please contact the company at 165 Technology, Irvine, Calif. 92618. Telephone: [phone], or visit www.atlas-services.com.