ELBECO RECEIVES WISCONSIN’S 2009 STATE USE PROGRAM PARTNERSHIP AWARD FOR WORK WITH DISABLED

READING, PA, July 16, 2009 — Elbeco Incorporated announced today that it received the 2009 State Use Program Partnership Award for its work with Headwaters, Inc., a not-for-profit work/rehabilitation center that helps people with developmental and physical disabilities find gainful employment. Elbeco and Headwaters partnered on a contract to provide the State of Wisconsin with correctional officer uniforms. The State Use Board, appointed by Governor Jim Doyle, presented the award in a ceremony at the state capitol July 9, 2009.

In a letter to Elbeco, Wisconsin State Use Board Chairperson David Dumke wrote, "The Board believes this type of contractual partnering creates a basis for economic growth and good works by improving standards of living and advancing causes important to the well-being of Wisconsinites."

"We're honored to receive this award," said Elbeco President David Lurio. "It's a pleasure and a privilege for us to work with Headwaters to give people with disabilities the opportunity to meet their own potential. This partnership—along with our domestic production facilities, our hundreds of union-represented employees, and our membership in the SweatFree Coalition—illustrates our appreciation for and commitment to America's rich manufacturing heritage as well as the communities that we serve."

Elbeco is committed to design and manufacturing excellence. In the past year, the company has revolutionized women’s uniforms through its Ladies Choice design, created the industry’s best fitting trouser through innovative fabric and waistband combinations in its DutyMaxx and Prestige lines, and introduced the first FR line certified to NFPA®’s 1975-2009 standard.

Elbeco Incorporated has been manufacturing uniforms for Police, Fire, EMS, Postal, Tactical, and Transportation personnel for over 100 years. With more than 400 union-represented associates, the company is America's premier and largest manufacturer of union-made uniforms for public safety, supplying over 17,000 agencies across the U.S. Elbeco services the uniform needs of this professional community through its network of over 500 authorized dealers in the U.S. and Canada. In 2005, Elbeco acquired Transcon Manufacturing to service its customers' growing needs for FR, tactical, and protective uniforms. The majority of Elbeco uniforms are manufactured in the U.S. at facilities in Reading and Frackville, Pennsylvania, Warsaw, Missouri, and Los Angeles, California. Additional information about Elbeco Incorporated and its products can be found at www.elbeco.com.

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