Brady Corporation (NYSE: BRC), an international manufacturer of identification, specialty tapes, graphics and safety products, announced that it will begin manufacturing operations in China at a new facility in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China. Brady will manufacture high-performance labels and precision die-cut materials for electronics, telecommunications, industrial and other markets at a facility at No. 229, Xingchuang Ba Lu, Wuxi-Singapore Industrial Park, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China, later this year. The company is now in the process of hiring production employees and setting up the operation in Wuxi. There Brady will manufacture products ranging from labels used to identify printed circuit boards, wires, cables, patch panels and outlets in telecommunication closets, to specialty die-cut parts for use in cellular phones, pagers and hard disk drives for customers including Seagate, Motorola, Ericsson, Nokia, Shanghai Bell and other electronic and telecommunication product manufacturers. Brady (Wuxi) Co., Ltd. will be supported by Brady's offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen which provide marketing, customer service and technical support. Additional manufacturing, as well as research and product development, will continue at Brady Corporation Asia Pte. Ltd. in Singapore, which serves as the regional headquarters supporting Brady's branch offices in Hong Kong, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand and China. Brady first began marketing identification and precision tape products in China in the early 1990s through its Hong Kong office. Brady opened a representative office in Beijing in 1998 to improve technical support and service for companies in the region. Starting a manufacturing operation in Wuxi reflects Brady's efforts to increase its presence in Asia. "China provides Brady with significant opportunities for long- term growth. As one of the world's fastest growing economies, it has a strong industrial base and continues to attract multinational companies in telecommunications, electronics, manufacturing and other Brady markets," said A.S. Hon, Brady Corporation managing director, Asia operations. "We chose Wuxi as our new manufacturing location in China because it is well located to serve the needs of our customers. It also has an excellent infrastructure and industrial park management, and is receptive to business investment." "Brady (Wuxi) Co., Ltd. will further strengthen Brady's global Identification Solutions and Specialty Tapes business by expanding production beyond existing operations in Asia, United States, Europe, Canada and Brazil," said David Schroeder, Brady Corporation vice president, Identification Solutions and Specialty Tapes Group. "As demand for Brady products in China continues to grow, we will be looking to expand even further to ensure we provide our customers with exceptional service and value-adding products." Brady Corporation, founded in 1914 and headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis., USA, is an international provider of identification and safety solutions, graphic systems and specialty tapes. It markets more than 30,000 products including high-performance labels for wires, cables and circuit boards; data- collection systems and software; safety signs; narrow- and wide-format printing systems; and various die-cut products for hard disk drives, cellular phones and other devices. Brady serves industrial, electrical, electronic, telecommunications, governmental, education, and many other markets. Brady has several operations in Asia including Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, the Philippines, China, South Korea, Australia, and Japan. In addition to its operations in Asia, Brady has operations in the United States, Canada, Belgium, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Mexico and Brazil. Brady employs more than 2,500 people worldwide. With fiscal 1998 sales of $455 million (US), its stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol BRC. More information is available on the Internet at http://www.bradycorp.com ots Original Text Service: Brady Corporation Internet: http://www.newsaktuell.de Contact: A.S. Hon, Singapore 65-775-2077 or Carole Herbstreit, US, 414-438- 6882, both of Brady Corporation Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/952350.html or Fax: (USA) 800- 758-5804, ext. 952350 Web site: http://www.bradycorp.com