Concrete Contractors and Suppliers Transact Business Over the BuildPoint Online Marketplace.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 20, 2000

BuildPoint Delivers E-Commerce Platform to Configure

Custom Concrete Products, Negotiate Pricing and Order Online

BuildPoint Corporation, the leading e-commerce company for the construction industry, today announced rapid adoption of its online procurement tool by concrete contractors and suppliers.

One of the largest concrete subcontractors on the West Coast, Conco of Concord, Calif., has been using BuildPoint.com to purchase concrete from the world's largest supplier of ready mix concrete, RMC Group p.l.c. Using the BuildPoint procurement platform, RMC and Conco are able to reduce time spent on administrative tasks and paperwork by expediting the request for quote (RFQ) and negotiation process.

"It's not surprising that ready-mix concrete is the first type of material to be transacted over BuildPoint.com on a large scale," said Wallace Johnson, chairman of the Information Technology committee of the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA) and director of supplier development for concrete at BuildPoint. "Concrete contractors stand to greatly benefit from online tools that streamline the purchasing of ready mix concrete."

"As construction materials procurement moves online, it is becoming increasingly clear that specialized communities within the industry require specialized functionality," said Kent Allen, senior e-Commerce analyst, Aberdeen Group. "BuildPoint has successfully launched an e-commerce platform for concrete purchasing that is both familiar to the users and significantly more efficient than paper intensive processes."

Buying Concrete Online

Using the BuildPoint Product Marketplace, concrete contractors can search from among 140,000 available mixes of concrete to meet their specific project needs. Contractors can then use the system to build an electronic RFQ that is used during the negotiation process between the buyer and seller. Once a supplier is selected, contractors can use BuildPoint to issue an electronic purchase order. In January 2001, BuildPoint will deliver tools for contractors and suppliers that allow for the placement of will call and firm orders into concrete dispatching centers via the BuildPoint Product Marketplace.

Benefits of eCommerce in the Concrete Industry

BuildPoint's procurement platform centralizes and streamlines the process for both buyer and seller by helping them manage and track paperwork, greatly reducing costly miscommunications and time spent on administrative tasks. Contractors can also use BuildPoint.com to upload their plans and specifications, which suppliers can view online.

"BuildPoint's purchasing solution is a fast and easy way for Conco to distribute our request for quotes to suppliers, receive quotes back from select suppliers, issue purchase orders, and buy materials over the Internet," said Steve Gonsalves, president of Conco. "Going forward we expect to transfer more business processes online and conduct them through an online marketplace. We believe BuildPoint is developing the right e-commerce solution to meet our needs."

"RMC believes that e-commerce will form an integral part of its business in the future and we are excited to be working with BuildPoint as an e-commerce partner in the United States," said Christopher Crouch, director of e-commerce, marketing and technical services, RMC Group.

"Using a neutral marketplace such as BuildPoint.com to manage the procurement cycle helps help both contractors and suppliers save time and money by streamlining business process," said James Piraino, president and CEO of BuildPoint. "In addition, BuildPoint offers suppliers an immediate e-commerce presence at a minimal cost and in front of more than 30,000 contractors at the time and place when they are going to buy."

About RMC

The RMC Group is a leader in the supply of materials and services to the construction industry worldwide. The company employs more than 35,000 people in 2,200 separate production units in over 25 countries. RMC is the world's biggest producer of ready mixed concrete -- in 1998 RMC manufactured and delivered about 47 million cubic meters. Other products include cement, aggregates and pre-cast, pre-stressed and aerated concrete products.

For more information, please visit the RMC Web sites at www.rmc-group.com and www.rmcindustries.com.

About BuildPoint

BuildPoint Corporation, the leading e-commerce company for the $3.2 trillion construction industry, provides fast, reliable and secure e-commerce applications for the industry's largest community of contractors. BuildPoint.com(SM) is a leading contractor's marketplace that allows buyers and sellers to negotiate for and procure construction products and services online; provides online bid solicitation management and lead generation; and offers financial services including insurance, lending, and leasing.

More than 35,000 member companies transact business over BuildPoint.com, including more than 75 of the Engineering News Record's Top 400 general contractors.

BuildPoint is a private company whose investors include construction.com, part of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Chase Capital Partners, RMC Group, SAP Ventures, Techfund Capital, Thomas Weisel Partners, and Vortex Partners. The company is headquartered in Redwood City, Calif., with sales offices nationwide. For more information on BuildPoint, visit www.buildpoint.com or send e-mail to [e-mail].