Butler Manufacturing Company to Establish Metal Building Plant in Northeast Mexico.

Business Editors

KANSAS CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 22, 2003

Butler Manufacturing Company (NYSE: BBR) announced that it will establish a new manufacturing plant in Monterrey, Mexico to produce frames and its long-bay structural system known as Landmark 2000.

"This new facility will enable Butler to be more competitive in both costs and service, thus enabling us to grow significantly in the years ahead, especially in Latin American markets," said Ron Rutledge, President and Chief Operating Officer of Butler. "The plant will primarily serve building markets throughout Mexico and Latin America, but also markets in the U.S. as well.

The 120,000 square foot plant, which will be leased by Butler, is expected to be operational in the fourth quarter of this year. The company's investment in equipment for the facility will be approximately $4 million. When fully staffed, the operation will employ approximately 200 associates. Butler currently has an engineering and sales office in Mexico City, and sales offices in Monterrey, Mexico and Santiago, Chile.

Butler Manufacturing Company is the world's leading producer of pre-engineered building systems, a leading supplier of architectural aluminum systems and components, and provides construction and real estate services for the nonresidential construction market.

Statements in this press release concerning the company's business outlook or future economic performance; anticipated profitability, revenues, expenses or other financial items, together with other statements that are not historical facts, are "forward-looking statements" as that term is defined under the Federal Securities Laws. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those stated in such statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, industry cyclicality, fluctuations in customer demand and order pattern, the seasonal nature of the business, changes in pricing or other actions by competitors, and general economic conditions, as well as other risks detailed in the company's 2002 Annual Report to Shareholders on page 16.

The information and opinions contained in this release have been furnished and approved by Butler Manufacturing Company. We are retained by them as investor relations counsel.