Release Details

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., March 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Universal Forest Products, Inc. (Nasdaq: UFPI) announced it has acquired the remaining 50% of the stock of ECJW Holdings, Inc. and its two subsidiaries, Thorndale Roof Systems Inc. and Edcor Floor Systems Inc. UFPI had acquired 50% of ECJW Holdings, Inc. in April 2000. Terms of the agreement allowed for the balance of the stock to be sold to UFPI in 2001.

Thorndale Roof Systems manufactures engineered roof trusses for residential and light commercial building applications. Edcor Floor Systems Inc. is a licensed manufacturer of the 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. UFPI has additional OPEN JOIST 2000^TM manufacturing facilities in Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Texas.

"We are very pleased with the financial performance of this acquisition," said William G. Currie, UFPI's chief executive officer. "Both subsidiaries have been immediately accretive to earnings and have met, or exceeded, all financial targets. ECJW's principals, Edward Davis and Cornelius Strik, have done an outstanding job and will continue to operate the company."

Michael B. Glenn, UFPI's president and chief operating officer, stated, "ECJW has been an outstanding geographic and strategic fit for our company. In addition to roof trusses, their facility manufactures a proprietary OPEN JOIST 2000^TM floor system that complements UFPI's I-Joist^TM products and is a competitive alternative to solid-sawn lumber, offering a variety of application and price point advantages. We will continue to look for acquisition opportunities as we broaden our geographic reach and expand our penetration to the site-built construction market.

Universal Forest Products® 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 1-888-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. Among the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially are the following: Adverse lumber market trends, competitive activity, negative economic trends, government regulations, and weather. 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, 616-364-6161, or Michael R. Cole, Chief Financial Officer, 616-364-6161, both of Universal Forest Products, Inc.; 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.