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Engineering firm opens R&D center at BTR Park

July 19, 2004

KALAMAZOO--A technology development center for a major multinational corporation will become the newest private corporate partner at Western Michigan University's Business Technology and Research Park this summer.

SPX CONTECH, a unit of SPX Corporation, will open its Technology Development Center in the Pro Line Tech Building later this summer, after 3,000 square feet of space is configured to the company's specifications. The center will focus on product-related research and prototype testing. SPX CONTECH's existing global headquarters office in Portage, Mich., will remain at its current location off Angling Road.

With its new center in the Pro Line building, SPX CONTECH will join four other engineering and information technology firms, filling all available space in that building.

"We're tremendously excited at the prospect of becoming part of the BTR Park, and our staff is looking forward to being able to tap into the synergy that is such a big part of that development," says James Peters, president of SPX's Product Solutions Group. "WMU alumni play a significant role on our leadership team, so we're already familiar with the University and its programs, but we're looking forward to forging even stronger ties with faculty and students. This move has the potential to benefit our company and its customers for years to come."

SPX CONTECH is a leading producer of complex, high-quality, die-cast components and metal forgings for the automotive industry. The company's products include rack and pinion steering housings, suspension links, pump housings and front axle housings. Its products can be found in vehicles produced by such firms as DaimlerChrysler, Ford, and General Motors.

SPX CONTECH has additional Michigan facilities in Alma, Dowagiac, and Walled Lake. Six other company sites are located in northern Indiana, Tennessee, North Carolina and the United Kingdom.

SPX Corp. is a global provider of technical products and systems, industrial products and services, flow technology, cooling technologies and services, and service solutions. The Internet address for SPX Corp.'s home page is <www.spx.com>.

The addition of SPX CONTECH to the BTR Park brings to 25 the number of companies located there. All are in the targeted disciplines of advanced engineering, information technology and the life sciences. WMU's BTR Park is a Michigan SmartZone, one of 11 designated economic development zones around the state.

Media advisory: WMU's spokesperson for BTR Park development is Robert Miller, associate vice president for community outreach. He can be reached at (269) 387-2073.

Media contact: Cheryl Roland, 269 387-8400, cheryl.roland@wmich.edu

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