MOUNT GILEAD, Ohio, U.S.A., June 23, 2003 – For some companies, you can look back two years ago and they have barely changed. For others, it’s a whole different view.

Two years ago in July, the assets of HPM Corp. were purchased by Taylor’s Industrial Services of Tinton Falls, N.J. In what seems like a blink of an eye in HPM’s rich 126-year history, Taylor’s Industrial Services has successfully transformed the new division from a company that many were counting out in July 2001, to one that is quickly regaining its place among the leaders in plastics and metalworking OEMs.

When Taylor’s Industrial Services purchased HPM in July 2001, President and Chief Executive Officer Christopher Filos started with eight employees for servicing the maintenance and parts needs of current customers. From there, the company has steadily grown to more than 160 full-time employees with full lines of injection molding, extrusion and die casting machines.

“At HPM Division, we’ve created a service mentality in a manufacturing environment,” Filos explained. “My brother, Joe (Filos, vice president of Taylor’s Industrial Services) and I have taken those after-hours calls and have driven parts to customers. From the new hire on the floor to my office, every member of Taylor’s HPM has one purpose: To be everything our customers need us to be.

“It’s what sets us apart from our competitors,” Filos added. “Taylor’s HPM is focused on servicing our customers, whether it’s being at a customer’s plant within 24 hours of a call; developing new products like the Freedom Rotator to improve customers’ productivity; or working with a company like Siemens to ensure our customers have the most innovative technology available.”

Filos said that a company’s reputation is based as much on service and how employees interact with customers as much as it is on the products produced.

“Our machines are rugged. They are heavier and sturdier than you’ll get from other machine manufacturers. An operator can tell our machines are top-quality simply from a demonstration or mold trial,” Filos explained. “But, the true perception of a company comes from the service side . . . the personal contact during the sale, responding to engineering questions, and being reachable after hours. The fact that the same person who tests and qualifies the machine on our floor is the same person who installs it at the customer’s plant is proof of our commitment to customers.

“That’s where Taylor’s HPM is different, and why we’ve been able to grow in such a short amount of time. Companies in automotive, appliance, packaging and other industries have seen that we are true to our core values. We do what we say we’re going to do. Our customers can depend on us, today, tomorrow and in the future.”

For more information on Taylor’s HPM Division, visit www.taylorsind.com.

Taylor’s Industrial Services LLC, HPM Division Profile

Taylor’s Industrial Services LLC is a leader in manufacturing, heavy-duty hauling, aviation and property management. Taylor’s HPM Division was founded in 1877 as a maker of apple presses. HPM Division headquarters in Mount Gilead, Ohio, U.S.A., operate on over 85 acres (40 hectares) and 350,000 square feet of manufacturing space, including 250,000 square feet of temperature-controlled space. The division has a proven history in quality, service and innovation.

HPM Division maintains a network of manufacturer representatives and consultants that cover Mexico/Latin America, China and the Pacific Rim, and Europe. In the U.S. and Canada, HPM Division works directly with customers.

Taylor’s HPM operates five lines of injection molding machines, including the GP Series (toggle, 95-285 tons), GP Plus (toggle, 90-900 tons), Universal Toggle Series (95-560 tons), Modular Hydraulic (MLH) Series (220-4000 tons) and the Freedom Hydraulic Series, now with an electric drive option (360-5000 tons).

Its extrusion line includes the Prodex (1.5-3.5” OD, 30:1 L/D), typically for small tube and pipe profile applications, and Prodex Plus (2-15” OD, 50:1 L/D), designed for custom manufacturing. HPM Division offers four distinctive sheet line systems, depending on application.

HPM Division’s die casting line includes the Model II (hot chamber machines, 200, 400 and 600 tons; cold chamber machines, 200-4000 tons), Model M (hot chamber machines, 200, 400 and 600 tons; cold chamber machines, 400-4000 tons; vertical models, 200-600 tons), and Freedom Series, featuring an injection clamp with a die cast shot (cold chamber machines, 600-5000 tons).

Taylor’s Support Services (TSS), another member of Taylor’s Industrial Services LLC, serves and supports the global HPM Division installed machine base for injection molding, extrusion and die cast lines. TSS has its own engineering department, in addition to service technicians in Mount Gilead, Ohio, U.S.A., and 20 contract service providers throughout North America. TSS also has service groups in China, Italy and Mexico.