Construction.com Announces 1st Annual Sweet's Marketplace Award Winners for 2000.

Business Editors

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 22, 2000

Armstrong, U.S. Aluminum, West System Brand and Hilti Recognized for the most effective building product marketing programs in Sweet's

Construction.com, the most comprehensive online marketplace for construction professionals and part of The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP), announced its 1st annual Sweet's Group Marketplace Award winners for 2000. Sweet's Group is the construction industry's premier construction and building product marketplace, with the largest, most comprehensive database of building product information used as the top decision-making resource for 90 percent of the world's architects and design professionals.

The winners, announced at the CSI trade show in Atlanta, are as follows:

-- Best Technical Program (print and electronic) awarded to

Hilti;

-- Best Designed Program (layout and graphic design) awarded to

Armstrong Floor;

-- Most Effective Use of Catalog awarded to West System Brand;

-- Best Digital Program awarded to U.S. Aluminum; and

-- The Best in Sweet's Most Outstanding System Program (print and

electronic) awarded to Armstrong Ceilings.

"Whether through the use of electronic or print mediums, manufacturers are being recognized because their Sweet's programs provide a comprehensive depth of content for end users. The manufacturers honored today all provide information that that is useful for an AEC professional. That is, a specification or purchase can be made directly from their programs. This makes a construction professional's life much easier," said Howard Mager, general manger, Sweet's Group.

For this first annual event, a team of on-staff Sweet's architectural consultants nominated the submissions based on Sweet's GuideLines and the "ideal" Sweet's content. A total of 162 submissions were entered for the Sweet's Marketplace award. An independent panel of five judges from nationally recognized architectural firms like Heery International and Thompson, Ventulett, Stainbeck & Associates received approximately 30 entries to review (5-6 in each category).

Manufacturers receiving an honorable mention for the Best in Sweet's category included National Gypsum, MM Systems, Guardian Industries and Draper.

"The Sweet's market is made up of the entire AEC community -- architects, engineers, contractors and owners. This community requires three part specifications and tables that have substantial data (performance, contact information, and sourcing data). The AEC market needs to find, compare, specify and select in order make purchases. This year's winners know how to do it better than anyone," concluded Jim O'Brien, vice president, Sweet's Content.

About Construction.com

Construction.com is the Construction Industry's Marketplace that enables the AEC Community to work faster, better and cheaper by connecting them with content, applications and services throughout the project life cycle. Building on The McGraw-Hill Companies' heritage as the world's premier information provider to the $1.7 trillion commercial construction industry, construction.com uses the Internet to help its customers to get the latest industry intelligence and interactive solutions that help professional decision-makers do their jobs successfully. By leveraging the powerful content of The McGraw-Hill Companies' leading editorial brands, including F.W. Dodge, Sweet's Group, Engineering News-Record, Architectural Record, and Design-Build, construction.com integrates unmatched market intelligence, unique project management tools, and end-to-end access to the construction community. Construction.com employs more than 1,700 professionals around the world.

About The McGraw-Hill Companies

Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP) is a global information services provider serving the financial services, education and business information markets through leading brands such as Standard & Poor's, Business Week and McGraw-Hill Education. The corporation has more than 400 offices in 32 countries. Sales in 1999 were $4.0 billion. Additional information is available at www.mcgraw-hill.com.