FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Bellingham, Wash., April 21, 2003 - Power system manufacturer Alpha Technologies, announces a distribution agreement with Midtronics. The agreement appoints Alpha Technologies as the exclusive distributor of Midtronics’ patented battery testing equipment for the Cable Television/Cable Broadband market throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central America and South America.

“Alpha is a leading provider of powering products to the broadband industry and continually strives to provide exceptional products to our customers,” commented Rob Anderson, Alpha’s Director of Product Management. “Entering into this partnership with Midtronics, the premier source of industrial battery testing technology, will enable Alpha to offer a complete line of safe, reliable, high quality battery testing equipment for our customers.”



Midtronics meters provide technicians with an affordable, safe, noninvasive and practical method of performing battery evaluations in minutes without the need to remove them from service. When conductance testing is combined with a short duration utility load test removing the surface charge on the batteries plates, test results are suitable for identifying failing batteries and trending the approach of the end of the batteries service life. Since this test method does not require removing the batteries from service and can be performed in minutes, many system operators are more apt to evaluate their batteries at scheduled maintenance.

Midtronics is focused on the development and marketing of innovative technologies for battery management. With a history of advanced battery-related research, Midtronics’ patented technologies have been tailored for a variety of applications, including transportation (automotive, heavy-duty trucking, off-road), stationary and motive power, and military use. The development of progressive products has positioned the company as a leader in the industries it serves. Headquartered in Willowbrook, Illinois, USA, Midtronics has offices in IJsselstein, The Netherlands, Ontario, Canada, São Paulo, Brazil and Shenzhen, China and a global network of distributors.

For more information, contact Todd Stukenberg, Midtronics, Inc., 7000 Monroe Street, Willowbrook, IL USA 60527. Telephone: (630) 323-2800. Fax: (630) 323-2844. E-mail: tstukenberg@midtronics.com or visit the company’s website at www.midtronics.com.

Alpha Technologies Inc. develops power conversion, protection and standby products for telecommunications and cable television industries, including custom, application-specific power solutions. In addition to product development, Alpha Technologies provides a comprehensive range of installation and maintenance services to support its global customer base. Alpha Technologies is a member of The Alpha Group of companies.

The Alpha Group represents a global alliance of independent companies that share a common philosophy - create world-class powering solutions for communication, commercial, industrial and renewable energy markets.
For this and/or additional information in electronic form, go to http://www.alpha.com/.

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