Four Businesses Receive Prestigious International Award for Marketplace Ethics
September 19, 2005, Arlington, VA

The Council of Better Business Bureaus today announced the winners of the 2005 Better Business Bureaus' International Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics.

BBB International Torch Award

The 2005 BBB International Torch winners were selected by an independent panel of judges. This year's winners are:

• Owens & Minor, Inc. (Glen Allen, VA);
• Air Tractor, Inc. (Olney, TX);
• Integrated Project Management Company, Inc. (Burr Ridge, IL); and,
• Regency Wallcraft, Inc. (Newark, OH).

Advanced Technology Services (Peoria, IL); American Career Executives (Phoenix, AZ); Gentle Giant Moving Company, Inc. (Somerville, MA); and, Marrokal Construction Company (Lakeside, CA) received honorable mention distinction.

"The BBB International Torch Award celebrated today 10 years of honoring ethical businesses that adhere to high standards of behavior in good times and bad, do well by doing right, and serve their customers, employees, investors, competitors and the communities in which they do business, with distinction. These winners have set an example for businesses of all sizes to follow, and we applaud their unique contributions to upholding a fair and honest marketplace," said Ken Hunter, president and CEO of the Council of Better Business Bureaus.

The panel of judges for the 2005 International Torch Award were:

• Dr. Conrad Kasperson, professor, Franklin and Marshall College;
• Joan Koebernick, owner, Dakota-K Auto Repair & Tire Center in Arlington Heights, IL [2000 National Torch Award winner]; and,
• Ron Miller, senior consultant, BBB of Central Ohio Foundation.

Companies were evaluated against criteria that included commitment to and demonstration of ethical practices in the marketplace; high standards of behavior toward customers, employees, suppliers, shareholders and communities in which they do business; long-term value of ethics policies to shareholders, customers and employees; and training and communications programs to assist employees in carrying out established ethics policies.

For a complete list of winners dating to 1996, the year the BBBs' Torch Award was established, visit the BBB central Web site at www.bbb.org/BizEthics/winners.asp.

About ATS
ATS makes factories run better. Advanced Technology Services, Inc. (ATS) improves productivity and profitability for many of the world's most respected manufacturers through the managed services of production equipment maintenance, information technology and spare parts repair. Founded in 1985, ATS employs over 1,500 people across the US and is a member of the National Association of Manufacturers. ATS is headquartered in Peoria, IL with offices and services centers located in Greenville, SC, and Detroit, MI. For more information, visit the ATS Web site at www.AdvancedTech.com.

About the Better Business Bureau
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) system (www.bbb.org) is dedicated to fostering fair and honest relationships between businesses and consumers, instilling consumer confidence and contributing to an ethical business environment, in both the traditional and online marketplaces. The first BBB was founded in 1912, and the network of BBBs and the Council of Better Business Bureaus have grown to become the most recognized advocate for promoting ethical business and advertising practices, providing more than 56 million instances of service to consumers and businesses in 2003. The BBB's Internet self-regulation program, BBBOnLine (www.bbbonline.org), helps consumers identify online merchants that meet BBB standards through its Reliability and Privacy "trustmark" programs and the BBB Code of Online Business Practices. BBBs in the U.S. and Canada are supported by 300,000 business members throughout North America.