BDP International acquiert Elite Group

( BW)(PA-BDP-INTERNATIONAL) BDP International Acquires Elite Group

Business Editors

PHILADELPHIA and HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 2, 2005--BDP International(R) (BDP), a leading privately held global logistics and transportation services company, has acquired Elite Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries (Elite), it was announced today by Richard J. Bolte, Jr., president of BDP, and Mark J. Kaifesh, president of Elite. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed

Elite, also a privately owned international logistics service provider, will continue to operate under its present leadership as an independent subsidiary of BDP. The two companies will benefit from one another's resources, notably logistics information technology tools and a global network of subsidiaries, joint ventures and strategic partnerships in 140 countries

"Elite is an agile, well managed organization that shares BDP's customer-intimate approach to doing business," said Bolte.

"Together, our vertical sector experience in multiple industries and proficiencies in logistics process improvement and information management, will position us to better help our customers grow." "Elite is pleased to be joining forces with BDP, one of the most respected names in the logistics community," noted Kaifesh.

"Given the dynamic nature of the logistics business and after extensive study, our companies decided we could deliver a more progressive brand of service intimacy together. Our business philosophies and operations are not only compatible, but also synergistic." Established in 1985, Elite is a leading logistics provider offering a complete range of services to the chemical, petrochemical and food industries, including freight forwarding, customs brokerage, warehousing and distribution, and non-vessel operating common carrier (NVOCC) services.

The company was among the first freight forwarders to offer track and trace, electronic documents and data mining via the Internet. Elite is also at the forefront of national cargo security requirements as a member of the U.S. Customs-Trade Partnership against Terrorism (C-TPAT) and the American Chemistry Council's Responsible Care Partners Program

In the past two years, BDP has acquired logistics firms in Germany, France, Belgium and Italy, formed a strategic partnership with a Japanese firm, a joint venture in Qatar; and opened offices in China and Dubai

For further information, contact Arnie Bornstein, director- marketing & corporate communications, BDP International, Inc., 510 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106; phone: 215-629-8493; fax: 215-629-8995; e-mail: [email protected]; or Henry Raab, vice president of public relations, swb&r, 3865 Adler Place, Bethlehem, PA 18017; phone: 610-866-0611; fax: 610-866-8650; e-mail: [email protected].

CONTACT:

BDP International

Arnie Bornstein, 215-629-8493 email: [email protected]

or

For BDP International

Henry Raab, 610-866-0611 email: [email protected]

KEYWORD: TEXAS PENNSYLVANIA Energy Energy

INDUSTRY KEYWORD: ENERGY TRANSPORTATION MERGERS/ACQ

SOURCE: BDP International