Universal Forest Products Named One of the Country's Top 50 Manufacturers by Industry Week Magazine
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., July 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Universal Forest Products, Inc. (Nasdaq: UFPI) today announced that it was again included on the list of the "Top 50 U.S. Manufacturers" compiled by Industry Week magazine.
The article states, "The top U.S. manufacturers have overcome terrorism, war and recession to deliver superior performance."
It's the second year in a row Universal has been included on the list, which is being reported in the magazine's August 2004 issue. To come up with the list, Industry Week considered the members of its "U.S. 500," a list of the largest publicly traded manufacturing companies in the United States (Universal is #302 on that list). It then rated the companies' financial performance during the past three years (2000 to 2003) in six areas: revenue growth, return on equity, profit margin, asset turnover, inventory turnover, and return on assets.
Universal is joined on the list by such prestigious firms as Harley- Davidson Inc., Reynolds & Reynolds Co., Hormel Foods corp., Colgate Palmolive Co., and Stryker Corp.
"We're honored to be included on the list and to be in such strong company," said Universal's CEO William G. Currie. "This is another recognition of the strength of our business model and our people. We're proud to deliver strong performance year after year for our shareholders, and happy when others recognize us for our capabilities and success."
Based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Universal has 96 facilities and 9,000 employees throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico and had sales of $1.9 billion in 2003. The Company markets, manufactures, and engineers wood and wood-alternative 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. Among Universal's newest and fastest-growing ventures are framing and installation services for the site-built and retail sectors. In conjunction with its customers, Universal uses its engineering and manufacturing expertise, coupled with highly skilled employees, to design and construct buildings and decks. For information about Universal Forest Products on the Internet, please visit the Company's web site at http://www.ufpi.com, or call 888-Buy-UFPI.
SOURCE Universal Forest Products, Inc.
CONTACT: Lynn Afendoulis, Director, Public Affairs of Universal Forest Products, Inc., +1-616-364-6161