Universal Forest Products Named One of Nation's 'Best Companies' by Forbes Magazine
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Dec. 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Universal Forest Products, Inc. (Nasdaq: UFPI) today announced that it has been named to Forbes magazine's prestigious Platinum 400, an annual listing of "America's best big companies," for the sixth time in seven years.
The list appears in the January 10, 2005 issue of Forbes, which currently is on newsstands.
According to Forbes, companies are selected for the list by ranking highly in measurements of corporate practices as well as long- and short-term sales and earnings growth and stock performance. Universal was one of 14 corporations included in the materials industry and it ranked second among them in terms of five-year annualized total returns, with a return of 25.8%. Other companies in the category include Alcoa, Sonoco Products, Ball, and Worthington Industries.
"We're honored that our performance and strategies continue to get noticed by respected publications such as Forbes," said Universal CEO and Vice Chairman William G. Currie. "We're pleased that the people of Universal, who deliver success year after year, get the recognition we believe they deserve. Our achievements are the results of their hard work."
Celebrating its 50th year in 2005, Universal Forest Products 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. The Company also provides framing and installation services in some markets.
Headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Universal has 9,000 employees and 96 facilities in 84 locations in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The Company posted $1.92 billion in net sales through the third quarter of 2004. For information about Universal Forest Products, 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