Bid Express Announces Partnership with Oinke, Inc. to Provide Commercial Financing Solutions to Contractors and Builders.

Business Editors & High-Tech/Real Estate Writers

NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 16, 2000

Bid Express, the leading Internet-enhanced contract bidding service in the southeastern U.S. and Oinke, Inc., the nation's preeminent provider of online commercial financing solutions, announced today the formation of a partnership that provides commercial financing to contractors and builders. Under the terms of the agreement, Bid Express will add the commercial finance center to its web site beginning Monday, August 14. The new service provides Bid Express customers with easy access to the commercial finance marketplace resulting in faster and more efficient borrowing for commercial real estate and business loans and equipment leasing.

"Partnering with Oinke provides an additional way for our company to assist our customers' needs," says Terry Tramel, president of Bid Express. "The auction-method that Oinke incorporates in allowing its customers to receive bids for their financing projects fits perfectly with our mission to take the risk out of contracting for our customers."

With the "Powered By Oinke" finance center, business customers put their financing needs up for auction. Lenders whose financing criteria match those of the loan request then bid on the borrower's application. Oinke guarantees that a minimum of ten lenders will view each loan, and that three lenders will submit bids.

"Bid Express joins a growing list of customer-oriented, Internet-enabled companies to partner with Oinke in offering a commercial financing solution," said Thomas Markel, chairman and CEO of Oinke. "We are honored to form this partnership with Bid Express."

Oinke, Inc.

Using the "Powered by Oinke" solution, companies such as Bid Express provide an Internet trading exchange connecting business and commercial real estate borrowers with qualified lenders in a secure auction environment. Oinke's standardized online Auction Summary Application Package (ASAP) forms simplify the borrowing process for 63 different loan types, dramatically reducing typical loan paperwork and facilitating negotiations with a worldwide pool of more than 150 lenders, including Wall Street firms, insurance companies, banks and finance companies. The new Bid Express finance center will specialize in equipment leases and business and commercial real estate loans ranging from $100,000 to $500 million.

Bid Express is the leading Internet-enhanced contract bidding service that provides professional, experienced and qualified contractors to meet commercial building improvement needs in the Southeastern U.S. Bid Express researches each contractor to ensure that the proper licenses and insurance certificates have been filed, checks their credit history and then screens them through the Better Business Bureau. With contractors all across the southeast region, Bid Express takes the risk out of contracting. To place a bid or learn more about on-line contract bidding, visit Bid Express on-line at www.BidExpress.com or call 615/885-BIDS (2437).