OF

PETER KEARNS

AS NATIONAL SALES MANAGER

SANTA FE SPRINGS, Calif. — (January 5, 2000) —

YCI Supermax, a leading manufacturer of CNC and conventional machine tools, announced today that Peter Kearns has joined as national sales manager. Based out of the company’s Santa Fe Springs headquarters, he will be responsible for spearheading new business development, creating sales strategies, maintaining the dealer network, and supervising all five sales territories in the U.S. and Canada.

Kearns brings a 25-year background in the machine tool industry to YCI, having served in managerial positions for companies such as Haas Automation, Ellison Machine Tools and Robotics, and Yamazen, Inc. Prior to joining YCI, Kearns served as a business manager for Haas Automation, Inc., where he successfully managed 25 distributor offices in the Midwest and Northeastern U.S. During his tenure at Haas, Kearns also optimized operations and sales and service efforts while working with the company’s Fortune 500 clientele. As a regional sales manager for Ellison Machine Tools and Robotics and Yamazen Inc., Kearns developed marketing and business plans that aggressively developed the sales territory in the eastern U.S.

"Peter has a proven track record of successfully bringing innovative machine tool products to market," said Bryan Chen, executive vice president, YCI. "His thorough knowledge of the machining industry and focus on customer-defined solutions make him an invaluable asset to YCI. I know he will make a major contribution to the future of this company as we expand into new markets."