Associated Spring Opens New Product Development Center.

Business Editors

PLYMOUTH, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 1, 2001

Associated Spring, a business unit of Barnes Group Inc. (NYSE:B), today announced the opening of its new state-of-the-art Product Development Center in Plymouth, Michigan.

The 25,000-square-foot facility will house the research and development arm of Associated Spring. The technologically advanced facility will also contain design, testing, evaluation and manufacturing capabilities in one location, which will significantly shorten product development time for Associated Spring's customers.

"Our customers are now able to visit the Product Development Center, work with our designers and engineers and leave with a working prototype, in many cases in a single day," said Leonard M. Carlucci, president, Associated Spring.

Before the opening of the Product Development Center, each of these disciplines - design, testing and evaluation - was spread throughout Associated Spring's worldwide organization. "There is a tremendous opportunity for Associated Spring to increase our design capabilities for our customers. With the opening of the Product Development Center, Associated Spring will have a competitive advantage in the speed in which it can design, test and evaluate new products, further supporting our leadership position as a worldwide precision spring manufacturer," noted Carlucci.

A weeklong open house will be held starting Monday, March 5, 2001, at the Product Development Center. For more information about the open house, please call 734/737-0958.

Associated Spring is North America's largest supplier of precision springs. Today, highly engineered and complex precision stamping and assemblies produced by Associated Spring can be found in a wide variety of consumer and industrial products in the electronics, communications, aerospace, nuclear, petrochemical and transportation markets.

Barnes Group Inc. (www.barnesgroupinc.com) is a diversified international manufacturer of precision metal parts and distributor of industrial supplies, serving a wide range of markets and customers. Founded in 1857 and headquartered in Bristol, Connecticut, Barnes Group consists of three businesses with 2000 sales of $740 million: Associated Spring, a manufacturer of precision mechanical and nitrogen gas springs; Barnes Aerospace, a manufacturer and repairer of aircraft engine and airframe components and assemblies; and Barnes Distribution, a distributor of maintenance, repair and operating (MRO) supplies. Nearly 5,600 dedicated employees at more than 50 locations worldwide contribute to Barnes Group Inc.'s success.