CFM Technologies Opens New $14 Million, 140,000 Square Foot Corporate Headquarters and Production Facility in Ceremonies At Oaklands.

EXTON, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 24, 1999--

CFM Technologies Inc., (Nasdaq: CFMT), a leading manufacturer of advanced cleaning equipment for the semi-conductor and flat panel display industries, today formally opened its new, state of the art 140,000 square foot corporate headquarters and manufacturing facility here in ceremonies attended by municipal government officials, Chester County community leaders and business executives.

Situated on a 14.8-acre landscaped site at Lancaster Avenue and Oaklands Boulevard within the Oaklands Corporate Center, the two-building complex where some 400 personnel are employed was developed at a cost of more than $14 million.

According to Roger A. Carolin, president and chief executive officer of CFM Technologies, "The new brick, precast concrete and reflective glass buildings were custom built to make a substantial contribution to CFM's continued growth and prosperity. To enhance the long-term value of the fixed real estate assets, both structures were designed around a multi-tenant concept to provide for the company's future space needs," Carolin said.

With the opening, CFM production operations are now located in the 60,00 square foot one-story flex structure that includes a raised floor, a contamination-controlled manufacturing environment and a plant capable of supplying semiconductor-grade deionized water for water for use in the company's wet processing systems.

The single-story building features an exterior of brick and high performance insulating glass in a distinctive contemporary treatment. Recessed entrances, accentuated with column arcades, provide visual focal points and design continuity with the adjacent headquarters facility.

The world headquarters of CFM Technologies is in an adjacent 80,000 square foot, four-story office building overlooking Business Route 30 and the Route 30 Bypass which houses the company's engineering, customer support, sales, marketing, executive and administrative staffs.

The headquarters building feature an exterior of alternating bands of architectural precast concrete and lightly reflective insulating glass. A two-story column arcade provides entrance to a main lobby with a connecting architectural stairway that serves as a focal point for both employees and visitors.

Employees at this location provide technical support for CFM customers in the United States and around the world, while CFM engineering teams collaborate with process scientists to develop complex systems that can cost-effectively serve the rapidly evolving semiconductor technology sector.

High-speed fiber optic networks between the two buildings move advanced computer-aided designs between CFM engineering and production staffs to expedite manufacturing processes and reduce time to market cycles.

Other features incorporated into the CFM buildings include innovative leisure areas, outdoor luncheon/break patios, state of the art life safety systems, an advanced heating, ventilating and air conditioning system with complete energy management and a central access control system.

"When we embarked on this plan, we were convinced this complex would make a substantial contribution to CFM's continued growth and prosperity," said Carolin. "It has exceeded our highest expectations. Not only have these buildings proven to be very comfortable and pleasant workplaces, but we have also seen significant improvements in manufacturing productivity due to the smooth layout and excellent organization of the production spaces. In addition, visiting customers have taken this complex and a strong commitment to our industry as well as their future surface conditioning technology and production equipment needs," he said.

Carolin noted that as a part of the long-term facility plan, the third floor of the of the office building containing approximately 20,000 square feet of natural light-filled space is being offered for lease. Served by two elevators, the floor is completely separated from CFM offices on the first two levels of the building but offers access to all public areas and reception spaces within the CFM complex.

Prior to developing its new complex, CFM Technologies was located in a company-owned 26,000 square foot production building and 67,000 square feet of leased office/production/warehouse facilities in the Goshen Corporate Center production facility.

Semiconductor cleaning systems developed by CFM provide superior contamination control and processing capabilities using a totally enclosed processing chamber. Watermarks and other drying defects are eliminated through the company's Direct-Displace T IPA vapor drying technology.

With specific focus on quality, the relatively large systems developed by the company are produced on a custom basis, with overall production limited to less than ten systems per month. Customers of CFM Technologies include IBM, Motorola, Texas Instruments, Samsung and Toshiba.

Designed by the architectural firm of Bernardon & Associates in Kennet Square, Pa., the CFM buildings were constructed by Knauer Gorman Construction, Inc., the prime contractor for Oaklands Corporate Center.

CFM Technologies, Inc. is leading manufacturer of advanced cleaning equipment for the semiconductor industry. Its systems provide superior contamination control and processing capabilities using a totally enclosed processing chamber. Watermarks and other drying defects are eliminated through CFM's Direct-Displace(TM) IPA vapor drying technology. CFM historically has invested in technical innovations to lower cost of ownership.