Thomas & Betts Provides Update On New Global Order Management System.

Business Editors/High Tech Writers

MEMPHIS, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 23, 2000

Order Backlog Associated with System Start Up Eliminated;

System Provides Foundation for Shift to Web-Enabled Distribution

System

Thomas & Betts Corporation (NYSE:TNB) announced today that it has eliminated the order backlog that was caused by the late-1999 implementation of its new global order processing system. The web-enabled TOPS (T&B Order Processing System), designed to consolidate worldwide order handling, cleared the existing backlog as of the end of February and is processing orders on a current basis. The effectiveness of TOPS was demonstrated in February when the system was able to process shipments that were higher than in either February of last year or January of this year. The company has incurred higher-than-normal expenses associated with eliminating the order backlog, as discussed in Thomas & Betts' fourth-quarter 1999 earnings release.

TOPS is a proprietary global order management system, containing 4,500 separate programs, that includes advanced Internet, data warehouse and decision support technologies. The system manages, on a worldwide basis, the inventory, ordering, pricing and fulfillment for more than 100,000 of the company's products. TOPS enables real-time allocation of stock to customers' orders while allowing the company's distributor customer's web-access to track the status of their order. The self-service order-tracking site has had more than 750,000 hits since the beginning of the year and the number of customer user sessions have steadily increased since January.

As a leading supplier for electrical, electronics and communications components, Thomas and Betts ships approximately 4,000 to 5,000 orders per day out of four major distribution centers in North America and Europe. In the early stages of the TOPS implementation, the company's shipping backlog had risen as high as six days in a number of locations versus a normal rate of approximately one-half day.

"Converting from a patchwork of legacy systems to the state-of- the-art TOPS system caused a significant amount of heartache for our customers, shareholders and employees," said Clyde R. Moore, Thomas & Betts president and chief executive officer. "We are pleased to have successfully worked through the system's start-up problems and eliminated the associated order backlog.

"Managing the inventory and logistics of more than 100,000 products is a highly complex task -- a task compounded by the dramatic change in distribution dynamics caused by the shift toward B2B e-commerce," Moore continued. "TOPS enables Thomas & Betts to continue to be a leader as the industry migrates to a web-based distribution model."

Thomas & Betts is one of the world's leading designers and manufacturers of connectors and components for worldwide electrical and electronic markets. Headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., the company has over 250 manufacturing, distribution and office facilities in 25 countries. In 1999, Thomas & Betts reported sales of $2.52 billion and net earnings of $2.56 per diluted share. Visit Thomas & Betts on the World Wide Web at www.tnb.com.

Forward-looking statements in this news release are subject to many uncertainties in the company's operations and business environments. Such uncertainties, which are discussed further in the company's quarterly filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, may cause the actual results of the company to be materially different from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.