Engineered Procurement Firm ThreeCore to Source Custom Direct Materials for Vasca, Inc.; Procurement Firm Emphasizes Lowered Total Costs On Top-Quality Custom Medical Components.

Business/Technology Editors and Medical Writers

BEVERLY, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 19, 2001

ThreeCore, Inc., a pioneering provider of engineered procurement solutions for custom-manufactured components, today announced that it will source an array of custom direct materials for Vasca, Inc., the developer of the LifeSite(R) System, the first major advance in dialysis access treatment in nearly a decade. The agreement represents a move toward managed, private sourcing events within the area of medical research and devices.

"Outsourced procurement processes build upon the same high standards and value as the traditional buyer/seller relationship," said Tom Petersen, President and CEO of ThreeCore, "For example, ThreeCore materials specialists will locate lowest total costs on top-quality parts for Vasca, while making the maximum use of their suppliers' specialized capital equipment," he added. "And since the Internet is a procurement tool for us, not our primary focus, it allows us to work in complement with automated exchanges."

Vasca has ordered low-volume, specialized component, sourcing events to be conducted by ThreeCore materials specialists, who employ online tools to streamline the procurement process along the supply chain. Custom-manufactured components will contribute to Vasca's LifeSite(R) System, which offers a breakthrough technology for vascular access, often referred to as the "Achilles' Heel" of hemodialysis care. The FDA recently awarded 510(k) clearance to the technology.

"Vasca, Inc. - and the medical devices industry in general - believes that improved purchasing habits directly translate into competitive advantage," said Paul Marad, Director of Engineering at Vasca. "We are always looking for ways to improve gross margins on our custom parts, for ways to get parts faster but with the same high quality. We believe ThreeCore has created that unique opportunity."

About Vasca

Vasca, Inc., formed in 1996, develops and markets innovative access technologies and tools to assist physicians and improve patient care and quality of life. For additional information, contact Karen Wilson, Senior Vice President of Worldwide Sales and Marketing at [phone].

About ThreeCore, Inc.

ThreeCore is an engineering-based procurement firm that relies upon human intelligence to manage the procurement process and leverage the power of the Internet in procurement transactions. Its innovative approach blends industry expertise and proprietary supplier rankings with a host of online procurement tools, enabling its manufacturing clients to source custom direct materials at lower total cost. The company is currently focusing on the aerospace, semiconductor, and telecommunications industries, in addition to medical devices and other high-tech manufacturing. For additional information regarding ThreeCore's engineered procurement solutions, contact Joseph Tragert, Vice President of Marketing, at [phone], or visit www.threecore.com.