Okidata announces winners of the First Annual Best Dressed Small Business Contest.

MT. LAUREL, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--February 20, 1997--

- 20 "Best Dressed" Offices selected--

- Grand Prize Winner to be Announced March 26 in Washington DC--

Okidata today announced the 20 semi-finalist winners of the First Annual Best Dressed Small Business Contest, created for small businesses and home businesses with nine or less employees. The grand prize winning business, which will receive over $30,000 in cash and prizes, will be selected from today's 20 semi-finalists, all of whom have already won an Okidata OL600e LED Page Printer valued at $499.

The twenty semi-finalists eligible for the grand prize include both home-based and office-based small businesses representing 12 states, from New York to California, Florida to Washington. Entries ranged from podiatrists to psychologists; dental labs to designers. But all the winners had two things in common: their entries communicated a passion about their business and a savvy use of space, technology and dcor:

"CD Roms hold more than a thousand books to maximize space," wrote an attorney. "E-mail usage, broadcast fax and Internet Web sites cut costs and boost customer interactivity," wrote another entrant. Still another wrote, "Paintings... and plants... bring the outdoors indoors, reminders that, Yes, there is life outside the office, but also vitality within it."

The Grand prize winner will be announced at the Small Business World Expo to be held in Washington, DC, on March 26, 1997. Renowned fashion critic Mr. Blackwell, who served as the contest's principal judge, will be at the ceremony in Washington to award the grand prize. Also in attendance will be his fellow contest judges, small business experts Steve Morgenstern, contributing editor of Home Office Computing magazine and author of Grow Your Business with Desk- Top Marketing; Jill Bond, editor-in-chief of Entrepreneurial Edge Magazine; and Okidata president and CEO Dennis Flanagan.

"We are delighted to announce the 20 semi-finalists winners of the First Annual Okidata Best Dressed Small Business Contest," says Flanagan. "It's been a tough judging process because the entries that we received are as varied, as spirited and creative as the people driving the small and home business enterprises of today. That's why we love being a part of this exciting market."

"All I have to do now is pick the worst dressed office," adds Mr. Blackwell. "I'm going to show up on their doorstep with a gallon of paint and an Okidata printer."

All small businesses and home businesses of nine employees or less were eligible to participate in the contest. Entries included a short essay of 150 words or less explaining why their office is the "best dressed," based on decor, technology and space efficiency and include an example of how their office meets this criteria.

As part of the contest, all small businesses that entered will receive a free brochure that offers advice and tips on how to make the small business more productive. The brochure is written by Steve Morgenstern.

Headquartered in Mt. Laurel, NJ, Okidata, a division of Oki America, Inc., is a full-line supplier of PC peripheral equipment, including serial impact dot matrix printers; ink jet printers; LED page printers; and a full line of plain paper multifunction facsimile machines. Okidata's entire line of printers and multifunction facsimile machines are in compliance with the EPA's Energy Star Program. Its parent company, Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd., a $7.1 billion multinational corporation with headquarters in Tokyo, is a world leader in information processing systems, telecommunications and electronics.

Okidata is a registered trademark of Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd., M.D./M.R., Oki Electric Industry Company, Ltd.

Okidata Best Dressed Small Business Contest semi-finalists:

Rebecca Atlee, Atlee Consulting, Everett, WA Dr. Meredith Burrus, Ph.D., Miami, FL Vince Clause, VRC Enterprises Inc., Spring, TX J. Christopher Connor D.P.M, PA Diplomate American Board of Podiatric Surgery, Sewell NJ Alii Farrel, Farrel/Dornbirere Associates Inc., Rochester, NY Jule Gradek, Sir Hinkleman's Catering, McMinnville, OR Christy Hicks, Oakland City 4-H Youth Programs, Pontiac, MI Alan R. Kutner & Associates, Bala Cynwyd, PA Kimberly Lasher, TDS Design, Inc., Grand Rapids, MI Amy Lindgren, Prototype Resume and Career Services, St. Paul MN Boyd Lisewych, Priority, Inc., Gulfport, FL Jimmy R. Mann, Twain Enterprises, Vine Grove, KY Georgia Patrick, The Communicators, Inc., Jefferson, MD Dr. James Piano, Sellersville, PA Bettye Pierce Zoller, ZWL Publishing, Inc./Professional Speech Training, Dallas, TX Jane Ritley, Kitsap Community Foundation, Bremerton, WA Donna Sheldon, Professional and Necessary Dental Approaches (P.A.N.D.A.), San Juan Capistrano, CA Paul Soult, Liberty Land Transfer, Inc., Conshohocken, PA Karen Stockwell, Insurance Agency, Inc., Port Richey, FL Mark Williams, MCS Ulterior, Pickerton, OH

CONTACT: Manning, Selvage & Lee

Jo Ellen Zumberge, 212/213-7060