Release Details

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., April 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Universal Forest Products® (Nasdaq: UFPI) today announced it has signed a letter of intent with Walker- Williams Lumber Company to acquire its lumber treating facilities located in Youngstown, Ohio; Blanchester, Ohio; and Westville, Indiana. The acquisition is scheduled to close at a later date, pending the company's due diligence and Board approval. Walker-Williams will continue to own and operate their two facilities in Alabama.

"Our four existing lumber treating facilities in the Great Lakes region are running near full capacity," said William G. Currie, UFPI's chief executive officer. "These three strategically located facilities will give us an additional 200 million board feet of capacity, allowing us to expand our service to the Do-it-yourself retail and pro-dealer markets. With seven facilities in the Great Lakes region, we will be the largest supplier of pressure treated lumber and value-added products in the Midwest."

Mr. John Taylor, president of Walker-Williams Lumber Company, commented, "In light of the consolidation in the industry and the reduction in the number of D-I-Y customers, we felt it was important for us to exit the treated lumber business and focus on our deck accessory and fence business."

Universal Forest Products(R) 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(R) 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, 616-364-6161, or Michael R. Cole, V.P. of Finance, 616-364-6161, both of Universal Forest Products, Inc.; or Matthew Della Croce, Vice President, 212-453-2316, or Rebecca Weiss, Account Supervisor, 212-453-2243, both of Fleishman Hillard, for Universal Forest Products, Inc./