Release Details

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., April 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Universal Forest Products®,(Nasdaq: UFPI), the nation's leading supplier of engineered wood components to the site-built construction market, today announced it has acquired 50% of the stock of privately held ECJW Holdings Inc. and its two subsidiaries, Thorndale Roof Systems Inc. and Edcor Floor Systems Inc. Terms of the agreement allow for the remaining 50% of the stock to be sold to UFPI in 2001. ECJW's principals, Edward Davis and Cornelius Strik, will continue to operate as senior executives at the company.

Thorndale Roof Systems Inc. manufactures engineered roof trusses for residential and light commercial building applications. Edcor Floor Systems Inc. is a licensed manufacturer of the patented OPEN JOIST 2000(TM) web floor truss system. Located in London, Ontario, both companies service Ontario, Eastern Michigan and Northern Ohio, including the major markets of Detroit and Toronto.

"This acquisition is a great geographic and strategic fit," said William G. Currie, UFPI's chief executive officer. "It allows us to expand our engineered wood component business to a growing new market. It also gives us our third facility with an exclusive manufacturing license to produce the OPEN JOIST 2000(TM) web floor system. This revolutionary patented product complements UFPI's I-Joist(TM) and is a competitive alternative to solid-sawn lumber, with a variety of application and price point advantages."

Universal purchased its first OPEN JOIST 2000(TM) facility in December of 1997, when it acquired Consolidated Building Components of Pennsylvania. Since then, the company has been granted exclusive manufacturing rights West of the Mississippi River. In 1999, the company opened a new OPEN JOIST 2000(TM) plant in Grandview, Texas to service the Southwestern United States. The company plans to open additional facilities to service its licensed territories.

Edward Davis, ECJW's principal, commented, "We are very excited to become part of Universal Forest Products and their dynamic growth strategy. The synergies between our two companies will help us become a more valuable supplier to our customers. In addition, UFPI's financial resources, purchasing power, and manufacturing expertise will greatly enhance our ability to grow our business and provide opportunities for our employees."

Universal Forest Products®, Inc. markets, manufactures, and engineers products for D-I-Y retail home centers, structural lumber products for the manufactured housing industry, engineered wood components for the site-built construction market, and specialty wood packaging for various industries. For information about Universal Forest Products® on the Internet, please contact the company's investor relations web site at www.ufpi.com, or call 888-Buy-UFPI.

Included in this report are certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Such forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs of the Company's management as well as on assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company at the time such statements were made. Actual results could differ materially from those included in such forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainty. These risk factors and additional information are included in the company's reports on Form 10K and 10Q on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. SOURCE Universal Forest Products, Inc.

CONTACT: Charles R. Felix, Sr. V.P. Development and Investor Relations, or Michael R. Cole of V.P. of Finance, both of Universal Forest Products, Inc., 616-364-6161; or Matthew Della Croce, Vice President, 212-453-2316, or Pat McCoy, Managing Supervisor, 212-453-2272, both of Fleishman Hillard, for Universal Forest Products, Inc./