IMMEDIATE RELEASE             June 26, 2003

Duluth, Minn., U.S.A.—A lease agreement with a global production company for space in a light manufacturing building at the Airpark industrial complex was approved today (June 26) by the Duluth Seaway Port Authority.

General Pattern, Blaine, Minn., a Rapid Product Development (RPD) organization with offices across Europe and North America, will lease 9,255 square feet of space in the building located at the Port Authority-owned complex adjacent to the Duluth International Airport.

General Pattern partnered with the University of Minnesota Duluth and the Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI) to in April open the Northern Lights Technology rapid prototyping center at NRRI. It plans to use the Airpark space to house four product development incubators that will be beneficial to UMD engineering students. The location will also allow convenient service to aviation, medical and mining industry businesses requiring rapid prototyping of products.

“ The new site will create in excess of 40 high tech jobs once completed in September,” said Denny Reiland, president of General Pattern.

“ We will be able to offer the entire ‘northern tier’ of Minnesota the very best in time compression technologies, from stereo lithography and silicon tooling to the latest injection mold tooling and ‘real material’ production parts,” said Reiland.

Reiland’s grandfather founded the privately held company in 1922 making tooling patterns for the foundry industry. General Pattern has production facilities in Ham Lake, Minn., and Dearborn, Mich., and also operates international engineering and production facilities in the United Kingdom and Germany. The company, which provides precision models for companies including Ford and Polaris, presently has approximately 200 employees.

“ The Port Authority will invest up to $50,000 for infrastructure improvements on the facility,” said Andy McDonough, Port Authority business development director.

“ The Authority is pleased to be part of the Duluth development team welcoming General Pattern’s expansion in our region. The addition of this business at Airpark will bring the total number of companies operating on Port Authority properties to 56 with more than 1,000 employees,” said Andy McDonough.

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CONTACT: Andy McDonough, Duluth Seaway Port Authority, phone 218-727-8525

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