American Custom Components Taps Industry Veteran Michael Orton for Executive VP Position.

ANAHEIM, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 21, 1997--

Fast-Growing Electronic Parts Maker Increases Management Depth

With Top Industry Talent to Handle Explosive Growth in

Computer and Telecom Sectors

Fulfilling its promise to bring in top industry talent to manage its rapid growth, American Custom Components (OTCBB:RBBS) Tuesday announced the appointment of Michael R. Orton as executive vice president.

Orton, a well-known technology executive, is a veteran of numerous high-profile assignments at firms such as IBM, Micropolis, JTS Corp., and Laser Magnetic Storage International. Orton's appointment follows American Custom Components' (American) Oct. 14 announcement that it has acquired the services of former Seagate Technology senior strategist John Groom.

"In addition to being recognized industry heavyweights, their respective skills make a powerful combination," said American's founder Tony Walk. Orton is strong in administration and systems, while Groom is a world-class strategist and new products engineer. "Furthermore, they have the credentials and global contacts to bring in a great deal of new business.

"We've proven that we have the patent-winning design talent and manufacturing capability to meet the needs of the leading technology OEMs," continued Walk, "and in bringing on board Michael Orton and John Groom, we now have the top-level talent to manage our rapid growth and bring it to the bottom line. Michael has managed international operations that have grown to over $100 million in a very short time, and John Groom's accomplishments at Seagate are well-respected throughout the industry."

"I am confident we can duplicate American's remarkable success with disk drive makers, in the fast-growing telecommunications area," commented Orton. "And the participation in leading-edge technologies such as the retail shelf-price tag system is very exciting."

American Custom Components is reshaping the specialty electronic parts business by offering a unique "rapid response" development process to leading technology companies. As larger old-line parts suppliers have increasingly focused on large-volume lower-margin items, a void has been created in supplying custom-designed parts for new technology products.

American's ability to design and produce new parts in as little as four weeks (vs. 14 or more weeks for larger suppliers) has yielded an impressive stream of high-margin contracts for state-of-the-art components used in products manufactured by major U.S. technology companies.

A California company founded in 1994, American is using its success in disk drive components to fuel its participation in exciting new products such as a revolutionary new electronic retail shelf price-tag system; a cell phone recharger; critical performance components for the U.S. government's TOW missile system; and a new credit card-activated gas pump -- all containing American's patented design elements. -0-

Statements in this release are made pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Investors are cautioned that such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, continued acceptance of the company's products, increased levels of competition for the company, and dependence on third-party suppliers.

CONTACT: The Michelson Group Inc.

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