Black Box Corporation Announces Letter of Intent to Merge With UK-Based Ohmega Installations.

PITTSBURGH--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 25, 1999--Black Box Corporation (Nasdaq:BBOX) today announced that it has signed a letter of intent to merge United Kingdom-based Ohmega Installations Limited into a wholly-owned subsidiary, with a tentative closing date prior to March 31, 1999. Located in Newbury, Berkshire, England, privately-held Ohmega Installations specializes in on-site services for premise cabling and related products throughout Southern England. Annual revenues of Ohmega Installations approximate $2 million.

This is the tenth merger, and the first in Europe, in the last twelve months as Black Box continues to aggressively expand its worldwide technical support services.

Commenting on the planned merger, Fred C. Young, Chief Executive Officer of Black Box Corporation, stated, "We are very excited about Ohmega Installations joining our growing family of Black Box companies. Ohmega Installations has an outstanding reputation in England for high quality technical support services, serving a prestigious and growing market."

Commenting on behalf of Ohmega Installations, Derek Grant, Managing Director, said, "We look forward to the potential growth opportunities this merger affords both companies. We will now be able to offer our customers additional products and enhanced technical support, while Black Box can expand its on-site premise cabling installation services. Together, the two organizations will be capable of offering superior connectivity hot-line support and on-site design, installation and maintenance." Mr. Grant will continue to serve as Managing Director of Ohmega Installations, reporting to Patrick A. Hudgell, Technical Marketing Director of Black Box United Kingdom.

Fred Young added, "With Europe almost 30% of our business, expanding our successful U.S. on-site program in this direction is a natural. We are starting in England because of the depth of local management and market size opportunity. Interestingly, England was one of the first expansions of our phone support business outside the U.S. over 15 years ago."

Black Box is a leading worldwide technical service provider of computer communications and networking services and related products to businesses of all sizes, operating in 77 countries throughout the world.