Berkeley Process Control Taps PRI Automation Veteran Daniel Peterson to Head New East Coast Office.

RICHMOND, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 12, 1999--

Berkeley Process Control, Inc. (Berkeley), an innovator in providing automated motion and machine control solutions for the semiconductor industry, today announced that it has established a new office for the Northeastern region and hired semiconductor industry veteran Daniel J. Peterson to head the new facility near Boston, in Woburn, Mass. As director of sales, Eastern area, Peterson, 40, will manage both sales and support activities for the Northeastern and Midwestern United States and Eastern Canada to meet increasing customer demand for Berkeley's breakthrough machine and motion control technology.

Peterson, who will report to Patrick Bormann, Berkeley's vice president of sales and marketing, is charged with working closely with semiconductor equipment manufacturers in the region, seeking to maximize the performance of their advanced semiconductor tools and systems. According to Bormann, as chipmakers migrate toward increasingly complex manufacturing processes and larger diameter wafers, automated machine control becomes increasingly critical to the productivity and cost effectiveness of the manufacturing systems that drive a fab's success.

Bormann stated, "Dan has over 15 years of experience in the semiconductor equipment industry with leaders such as Applied Materials, PRI Automation and Schlumberger. His expertise and thorough understanding of our customers' requirements will be invaluable in helping customers leverage advanced motion control technology to speed the development of next-generation semiconductor systems."

In addition to closer working relationships with Berkeley's customers, the proximity of the Northeastern office will enable real-time response and support capabilities. The office is located at 10 State Street, Woburn, Mass. 01801. Contact the office by calling 781/376-1500 or fax [phone]. The Woburn facility augments the company's other regional offices in Duluth, Ga.; Chicago, Ill.; Chandler, Ariz.; and the United Kingdom.

Before joining Berkeley, Peterson headed the East Coast operations of PRI Automation's Equipe division, and previously served as vice president, sales and marketing of PRI's Tool Automation Systems Division. Prior to joining PRI, Peterson was site operations manager for Applied Materials and director of marketing and sales for Schlumberger Technologies.

Peterson earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Berkeley Process Control, Inc. (Berkeley), Richmond, Calif., a privately held company founded in 1981, is the leading supplier of advanced automated motion and machine control solutions for the critical manufacturing processes used in the semiconductor, fiber optic, packaging and aerospace industries. Berkeley's comprehensive and unique approach to factory automation enables faster time-to-market, greater machine productivity and seamless system integrity for original equipment manufacturers. To learn more about Berkeley, visit their web site at www.berkeleyprocess.com