SUNBELT FOREST PRODUCTS CORPORATION

Sunbelt Forest Products Leads Florida Preserved Wood Market Transition with ACQ Technology

            BARTOW, FL (February 12, 2002) — Sunbelt Forest Products Corporation of Bartow, Florida, the first and only wood preserver in the state of Florida to manufacture and market arsenic-free preserved wood products, first began manufacturing such products using ACQ (Alkaline Copper Quaternary) in May 2001.  ACQ products are marketed under the Preserve^® and Preserve Plus^® brand names.

            In the wake of today’s announcement from the U.S. EPA concerning the future of CCA (Chromated Copper Arsenate) wood preservative, Sunbelt is well positioned to offer customers arsenic-free Preserve^® (ACQ preserved wood) and Preserve Plus^® (ACQ plus water repellent) wood products.

            “We’ve been preserving wood with ACQ now for almost 10 months, and our customer base for Preserve^® and Preserve Plus^® has grown dramatically over the last few months in particular,” said Carl Holland, President, Sunbelt Forest Products.  “Retail distributors in the state of Florida have a reliable source to service the growing consumer demand for arsenic-free treated wood products.  Sunbelt continuously strives to meet the demands of the marketplace by utilizing the latest technologies to improve the performance, appearance and life of treated wood products.”

            Sunbelt Forest Products Corporation is one of the South’s leading manufacturers of high quality pressure treated lumber.  It is committed to creating value for consumers and to conserving forests by extending the life of wood and wood products.  The Company offers a variety of pressure treated wood products for decking, fencing, and other outdoor applications.  Additional information about the company and its products is available online at www.sunbeltfp.com .

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