For Second Straight Year the University of Florida Names Sterling Financial The ``Fastest Growing Privately Held Company in Florida''.

Business & News Editors/Education Writers

BOCA RATON, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 8, 2002

In an unprecedented achievement, Sterling Financial Investment Group, Inc., the Boca Raton-based investment-banking firm that has 47 offices in eight countries, founded by entrepreneur and prominent Hispanic community leader Charles Patrick Garcia, Chairman and CEO of the firm, was named for a second year in a row by the University of Florida as the "Fastest Growing Privately Held Firm in Florida" during the Sixth Annual Florida 100 Awards Program. No other company has won two years in a row.

The top participants and winners of this highly regarded competition will be revealed to an audience of more than 350 entrepreneurs from across the state during a dinner ceremony held February 8th, 2002, in Orlando, Florida. Garcia, a Panamanian-American and majority owner of the firm, also was honored with the top spot in the state as the Fastest Growing Minority (Hispanic)-owned firm.

"It's a major accomplishment to win this award one time," says Arnold A. Heggestad, Ph.D., University of Florida's Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Warrington College of Business, "but to win two years in a row is very impressive."

The Sixth Annual Florida 100 Awards Program is sponsored by the University of Florida's Warrington College of Business and the Fisher School of Accounting -- consistently ranked among the top ten public university accounting programs in the nation. The Florida 100 competition reviews and analyzes privately held firms from across the State, and ranks the top 100 firms. According to Dr. Heggestad, the program highlights the business savvy and creative efforts of the entrepreneurs who make a significant impact on the state's economy each year. According to the Florida Department of Corporations there are over 100,000 private companies in the State of Florida.

"The single most important thing that has fueled our growth is our great management team and the firm's success in forecasting `buy and sell' stock recommendations," says Garcia, "providing exceptional results and performance for our clients is essential." In addition to being a full-service investment-banking firm, Sterling Financial has carved out a unique niche specializing in the healthcare and biotech sectors. The firm's combined average return on stock performance recommendations for the 52 companies it covers for the year-ended 2001 was 57.5%.(a) This follows a 93.8% return for 2000. Sterling Financial and its management team have been widely quoted and appeared on CBS, ABC, CNN, CNBC, FOX, Univision, and Telemundo.

"Our performance has yielded results, and our results have generated a lot of recognition from the industry, in Florida and also abroad," says Alexis Korybut, President of Sterling Financial. In addition to the Top Florida 100 award, Sterling Financial earned entree to the roster of the top 10 investment banking companies in South Florida -- it is the number one privately held firm on this list, the balance of which are publicly-held companies.

Charles Garcia serves in various high-level, high profile positions in government where he has been vocal about improving education for children in Florida. On January 28th, President George Bush announced Mr. Garcia's appointment to the "President's Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans." Garcia is only one of 17 members of the President's prestigious, newly appointed commission and he is also a member of the Florida Board of Education, the 7-member panel created by Florida Governor Jeb Bush in July 2001.

Garcia has been honored both domestically and internationally for his success as a businessman, as well as, for his contributions to the Hispanic community. This past year Univision, the nation's largest television network, selected Garcia for their series "Orgullo Hispano" which spotlights Hispanics who have made "an exceptional impact on the culture and life of American society." Hispanic Business magazine named Garcia one of the "100 most influential Hispanics in the United States" and he was profiled on the cover of Hispanic Today magazine in an article titled "Committing to Hispanic America."

Sterling's Financial is the only company in South Florida whose research is carried by the worldwide financial services giant, Bloomberg. Sterling Financial's market research is followed by more than 100 foreign and domestic banks, dealerships, hedge funds and insurance companies, and transacts more than $4 billion per month trading fixed-income securities.

To learn more about Sterling Financial, visit the website at: http://www.mysterling.com.

Editors Note: Photo gallery now at http://www.mysterling.com/cpg (after 11 p.m. will also contain publishable quality images of the event).

(a) The above calculations of return are based upon the assumption of equal dollar purchases or sales of the securities recommended for purchase or sale on the date of such recommendations and the closing of such position on the date of withdrawal of the recommendation, or if the recommendation was not withdrawn the position being maintained until December 31st. Past performance is not indicative of future performance. For a list of all Sterling Financial recommendations contact Jeff Mustard at 954/801-8263 or email: [e-mail]