FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CAPS Research to Present 2005 Chief Executive of the Year Award to U.S. Postmaster General John E. Potter

TEMPE, Ariz., February 16, 2005 — CAPS Research, a global organization that conducts leading-edge research on purchasing, sourcing, and supply chain management, has named U.S. Postmaster General and Chief Executive Officer John E. Potter recipient of its 2005 Chief Executive of the Year Award.

Potter will receive the award after his keynote address at the 16th Annual CAPS Research Executive Roundtable to be held March 13-15, 2005, in Scottsdale, Arizona. The yearly face-to-face forum allows senior purchasing and supply executives from CAPS' major corporate sponsors the opportunity to share best practices, network, informally benchmark procurement programs, and prioritize research agendas.

As U.S. Postmaster General, Potter heads one of the largest and most complex logistics networks in the world. He has guided the adoption of transformational strategies that include fostering growth, increasing operational efficiency and moving toward a performance-based culture. In 2004, the U.S. Postal Service recorded its second straight year of positive earnings and its fifth straight year of productivity gains.

CAPS Research Executive Roundtable participants hail from Fortune 500 and international firms committed to furthering best practices in purchasing and supply chain management and maintaining their competitive edge. Outputs from Executive Roundtables are available only to CAPS Research corporate sponsors.

CAPS Research is a nonprofit research organization sponsored by the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University and Institute for Supply Management™ (ISM). CAPS Research conducts leading-edge research on purchasing, sourcing, and supply management. Visit the CAPS Research Web site at www.capsresearch.org.