Touch International Celebrates Successful Inaugural Year

Expansion of Manufacturing Capabilities to Meet Customer Demand

Austin, Texas - May 1, 2003 - Touch International today reported a successful first year operation, citing key milestones and goals met by the company. Highlights include the opening of the Texas-based Touch International Custom Solutions Center (CSC), the company's most profitable division; and a multitude of key target accounts wins, including several fortune 100 companies and the top three makers of touch-enabled products. Touch International was launched in February 2002, by three touch screen industry veterans, Michael Woolstrum, Gary Barrett, and Bob Senior, to compete directly against 3M Touch Systems (formerly MicroTouch) and Tyco owned Elo TouchSystems. Research group, Market On estimates the touch screen market at one billion dollars and projects annual growth to continue at approximately 22 percent through 2005.

Expansion Highlights

In 2002, the company expanded its direct and indirect sales forces across the globe. Working with distributors, such as Bell Micro, Touch International has extended its reach across the United States and Canada into the European Union. European customers are supported through the distributor network managed from Touch International's German headquarters, while Asia is supported through Touch International's manufacturing partner, eTurboTouch Technology, based in Chung-Li City, Taiwan.

Since January, 2003, Touch International tripled its engineering and manufacturing work force to meet backlog demands at the company's, Custom Solutions Center, located near Austin, Texas. Recent hires of industry veterans have raised the experience level of the manufacturing organization to an average of seven years. In May, the company will add a second shift to optimize manufacturing capacity and meet increasing customer demand. "Taking advantage of the recent 3M factory shut down, said Grieg Spidle, Vice President of the Custom Solutions Center, "we seized the opportunity to grow our custom products business."

Spidle continued, "In 2001, I left my position as the Operations Manager of the 3M Austin factory to work for Touch International! I am glad we have been able to meet and service the needs of customers who were left in a lurch by the shutdown, many who I know from my former experience."

Opened in July 2002, the Touch International Custom Solutions Center specializes in the design and manufacture of custom touch screen components, based on application-specific constraints or requirements. Examples of custom product features include: flame retardant, smash resistant, high or volatile temperature ranges, hybrid membrane switch devices, water proof for NEMA IV environments, heavy-duty shock resistance, day-light readable, and unusually small or large sizes and borders.

The Touch International Custom Solutions Center is currently developing and producing a range of products in the military, aerospace, medical, industrial, retail, and consumer markets. Clients include the United States Air Force and industry leading aerospace manufacturers. Current projects include flame retardant touch screens for integration into entertainment systems stationed in the backs of air plane seats. CSC also produces products for ruggedized, handheld computers used in industrial and military applications. Consumer projects include a new web phone scheduled to hit the market this year and tablet PCs. Touch International targets original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), systems integrators (SIs), and value-added resellers (VARs) who integrate touchscreens and touch-enabled displays into systems used in industrial automation, retail point-of-sale, hospitality, banking, medical equipment, gaming and entertainment, military, transportation, public-access kiosks, and education.

About Touch International

Founded by industry veterans, Touch International, Inc. is a privately held, worldwide supplier of high-quality touch screen components. Through its expanded manufacturing facilities, Touch International is able to offer a wide variety and rapid delivery of lower-priced, high-reliability products, based on customer needs and specifications. Touch International is headquartered in Austin, with five factories strategically placed around the globe, and additional sales and support offices on four continents.

For Information, Contact:
Anne Ahola-Ward, Touch International
Phone: 512.832.8292x310
Email: aahola-ward@touchintl.com
Touch International