Unicep Packaging Inc. Press Release

Unicep announces new management team

Sandpoint manufacturer prepares for accelerated growth

Sandpoint, Idaho—September 14, 2007 — Sandpoint-based manufacturer Unicep Packaging, Inc., announced that two new employees have joined the executive management team, General Manager Marcus Anderson and Vice President of Business Development Clint Marshall, who also fills the role of chief financial officer. The third member of the team is John Snedden, president and CEO of Unicep, who formed the privately held company in 1991. The new executive management team is strategizing to grow the business – and the thriving contract packager is looking to add 13 employees in the immediate future.

Unicep occupies a modern, FDA-registered 65,000-square-foot plant in Sandpoint that is ISO 9001:2000 registered and uses pharmaceutical-grade mixing equipment. The company started as American Dental Hygienics, specializing in manufacturing tooth-whitening gels – still a specialty today. However, in 1998, the company changed its name to reflect an expansion in contract packaging, specializing in unit-dose delivery systems for dentistry, medicine and consumer products. Today it packages customer-supplied products into MicroDose® and Twist-Tip® unit-dose vials and VersaPak™ thermoform-fill-seal dispensers. Employing 110 people, Unicep is one of Bonner County's largest employers.

"My goal is to have a world-class contract packaging business in Sandpoint, Idaho, and the only way to do that is with world-class management. That's why I'm excited to have Marcus and Clint with Unicep," Snedden said. "They bring to Unicep Packaging experience in working in a very competitive environment with extremely demanding customers."

Anderson and Marshall formerly worked at Telect, Inc., a manufacturer of telecommunications equipment in Liberty Lake, Wash. Having experience in the contract manufacturing industry benefits both of them in their new roles at Unicep. Anderson, who was the director of global operations at Telect and previously director of program management at KeyTronicEMS, says that most of his career has been spent moving jobs overseas. "The great thing about Unicep is that we have an opportunity to retain and grow jobs in Sandpoint, while also partnering with global suppliers and customers to grow our footprint in the contract mixing and packaging market," Anderson said. "Our recent investments in equipment and human capital will lead to exciting new technologies and market opportunities while substantially growing top line revenue."

In their first few months on the job, the pair focused on identifying key relationships and accounts to grow the business, visiting strategic customers. Their goal is to implement a program management structure to develop Unicep into a world-class manufacturing facility operating in a lean manufacturing environment. Anderson likens it to rebuilding an engine, by stripping it down and building it from the ground up.

After holding a series of strategic planning sessions, Unicep's management team is projecting 30 percent to 40 percent year-over-year growth. They also decided to expand the company's FDA compliance to become prescription drug compliant by the end of the year. "This was a retrenchment year. We'll come out of ’07 a lot leaner. Then we expect growth to accelerate," Anderson said.

Unicep has also added some other key staff to help accomplish that goal and improve operational efficiency: Director of Program Management Greg Taylor came on board in July; Purchasing Manager Mike Stratton in May; and Marketing Manager Lynda Patalano in August. The company currently has three more professional job openings and 10 direct labor positions to fill. Anderson said they expect to add 30 employees, a mix of production and professional/technical positions, in the next two to three years.

With a background as a certified public accountant, Marshall says besides growing the company's top line substantially, another goal is to add the"“rigor and discipline of a larger company in a smaller-company environment. If we marry those two, I think a lot of success can be achieved," he said. In his role as VP of business development, Marshall is attending trade shows, enhancing the company’s Web presence and managing the sales representative network. The first trade show he attended since joining Unicep was Interphex, a pharmaceutical manufacturing show in New York City.

A key strategy is tied to human capital – hiring top-notch talent – and upgrading program management. "At the same time, we want to maintain the entrepreneurial spirit that John has exhibited over the years," Marshall said.

Snedden is a former dentist who practiced for 10 years before founding American Dental Hygienics. He holds 12 patents and patents pending, and has lectured on tooth whitening in the United States, Canada, South America and Europe. He lives in Sandpoint, his hometown, and enjoys skiing, coaching basketball and flying his Beechcraft Baron.

Anderson attended Eastern Washington University where he studied business administration and mechanical engineering technology. He lives in Newport, Wash. Marshall, formerly the director of original equipment manufacturer development and systems integration at Telect, graduated from the University of Idaho in 1997 with a bachelor's degree in business; he lives in Rathdrum, Idaho.

Patalano formerly worked for DKNY in San Francisco as the Northwest regional merchandise manager – men's, women's and accessories; she lives in Sandpoint. Taylor, who lives in Chattaroy, Wash., studied business administration and operations management at Eastern Washington University and was the global program manager at Key Tronic Corporation. Stratton, who lives in Newport, Wash., returned to the Northwest last year after spending 10 years at Brass Eagle/Daisy Manufacturing in Neosho, Mo., where he was the director of materials, DC plant manager and master scheduler.

To learn more about Unicep Packaging, Inc., look up www.unicep.com or call (208) 265-9696.