Bell Microproducts Announces Appointment of Remo Canessa as CFO.

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 9, 1998--Bell Microproducts (Nasdaq:BELM), a leading value-added distributor and contract manufacturer of electronic products, today announced the appointment of Remo Canessa as chief financial officer.

Effective today, he will report to Bruce Jaffe, senior vice president of finance and operations and will oversee the company's daily financial functions.

Canessa has served in corporate finance positions at several Silicon Valley technology firms. Most recently, he was vice president of finance and chief financial officer at Infoseek Corp. From 1993 to 1998, he was a part of Bell Microproducts' management team, serving first as corporate controller, then as vice president of finance and finally as acting chief financial officer. He has also worked as finance manager and headquarters controller at Ampex Corporation.

Canessa received his B.A. in economics from the University of California at Berkeley. His M.B.A. in accounting is from Santa Clara University. He is a certified public accountant in the state of California.

"I am pleased to announce Remo's appointment as chief financial officer," said Don Bell, chairman and chief executive officer of Bell Microproducts. "We welcome his in-depth knowledge of the industry and our business in particular as we continue with our plans for growth."

Other Bell Microproducts News

Eugene Chaiken, chairman and CEO of Almo Corporation, whose Computer Products division was recently acquired by Bell, has been named to Bell's board of directors. Chaiken is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University. He has been active in the National Electronic Distributor Association (NEDA), serving as its president and chairman of the board from 1981-1985.

Bell has recently increased its bank line of credit from $100 million to $130 million. The banking syndicate includes California Bank and Trust, Union Bank of California, Comerica Bank, Sanwa Bank and U.S. Bank. The additional credit facility will be used to fund the purchase of Almo's Computer Products division and Tenex Data, both of which were acquired in November, and to support the company's working capital needs.

About Bell Microproducts Inc.

Bell Microproducts Inc. is a distributor of high technology products serving the industrial and commercial markets. The Company markets and distributes the products of more than 70 manufacturers of semiconductors, disk drives, tape drives, optical drives, computers, enhancement products and peripherals primarily to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), value-added resellers (VARs) and system integrators nationwide. The company adds value to its products through a broad range of services including testing, kitting, mass storage subsystem assembly and the integration of complete computer systems. Bell Microproducts, through its Quadrus Division, operates an advanced contract manufacturing facility for printed circuit board assemblies and custom systems assembly.

More information on the company is available from the company's SEC filings or by contacting the company directly. Bell Microproducts' news and product/service information are available at World Wide Web site http://www.bellmicro.com.