Woodhead Industries Wins "Control Engineering" 1999 Editors' Choice Award.

Business Editors

DEERFIELD, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 14, 2000

Award granted to Woodhead's RJ-Lnxx(TM) Family of Industrial Ethernet 

Products, the world's first industrial Ethernet cable, connector and Multi-port connectivity solution to extend Ethernet from the office to

the factory floor

Woodhead Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ: WDHD), the global leader in industrial communications and connectivity, today was awarded a Control Engineering 1999 Editors' Choice Award. Woodhead's RJ-Lnxx(TM) industrial Ethernet connector, cable and Multi-port interconnection solution was one of the 40 best products selected from approximately 6,000 product submissions during the year.

According to the editors of this monthly publication, the Company's RJ-Lnxx industrial Ethernet solution was selected on three criteria: service to the industry, technological advancement, and market impact. The Control Engineering 1999 Editors' Choice Awards are presented annually during National Manufacturing Week in Chicago, Illinois, in March.

The RJ-Lnxx industrial Ethernet family is the world's first solution to extend Ethernet to the actuator and sensor level for harsh industrial environments. The product family is comprised of a patent-pending IP67 Industrial Ethernet Connector and an IP67 Ethernet Discrete Input/Output Multi-port Interconnection System with an embedded web server. The embedded web server allows customers to read data from the field I/O over their Ethernet intranet/internet for efficient equipment maintenance and monitoring. The industrialized RJ-45 Ethernet connector is suitable for both process and discrete industries where a commercial RJ-45 connection is unsuitable, such as vibrating environments; indoor/outdoor environments needing protection from hazards such as water, oil and dust; and situations requiring a secure, robust threaded connection that can resist force, disconnection or damage.

In commenting on the award, Woodhead Chairman and C.E.O., C. Mark DeWinter stated: "The commercial implication of this first industrialized Ethernet interconnect system is immediate realization of the recognized advantages of office to factory floor communication, and with it, a promising further expansion of Woodhead's industrial connectivity market arena."

Certain statements contained herein constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve numerous assumptions, known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual and future performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include: achieving sales levels to fulfill revenue expectations; the absence of presently unexpected costs or charges, certain of which may be outside the control of the Company; general economic and business conditions; competition; and other factors described in the Company's SEC filings.

Woodhead Industries, Inc. develops, manufactures, and markets specialty electrical, electronic, and industrial communications products, primarily serving the global automation and control market with connectivity solutions.