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Newark Electronics Joins as Corp Sponsor of 'Future Truck 2000'

3 June 2000

    CHICAGO - Chicago-based Newark Electronics, part of global Premier Farnell PLC
and the largest small order, high service distributor of electronic components 
in North America, announces that it has joined "FutureTruck 2000" as an official 
sponsor.  The sponsorship is made possible through "Newark on Campus," a new sales, 
service and support program at Newark Electronics specifically for the education 
market. The lead sponsors of FutureTruck are Yahoo! Inc., the U.S. Department of 
Energy and General Motors Corporation.

    FutureTruck is a four-year competition that challenges student engineers to 
re-engineer full-size sport utility vehicles (SUVs) to meet the needs of the 
future: low-emissions and high efficiency, without sacrificing performance, 
utility or safety.  FutureTruck is also redefining ways in which private industry, 
academia and government can work together to overcome obstacles to innovation.

    Based on formal design proposals, 15 student teams, comprised of more than
200 engineering students, from North America's top engineering schools were
selected to participate. Newark is an organization sponsor as well as the sponsor 
of the team from Cornell University. In the first two years of the competition, 
students will modify year 2000 Chevrolet Suburbans using advanced technologies 
such as fuel cells, advanced propulsion systems, space-age materials and 
alternative fuels.  The 2000 competition will be held June 8-15, 2000 at the 
General Motors Desert Proving Grounds in Mesa, Arizona. 

    This sponsorship is one element of Newark's new education program, Newark
on Campus, which began roll out in March. The main objectives of Newark On
Campus are to support design engineering students and events, to service and
sell to Newark's current and potential education customers better and to make
the capabilities of the company more visible and available to students,
faculty and staff.  Newark on Campus is a unique, dedicated effort to service
and support the education market. Other sponsorships by Newark include the
Rube Goldberg Competition and a scholarship through Theta Tau Fraternity.

    The participating schools in FutureTruck 2000 are: University of California, 
Davis; Concordia University; Cornell University; George Washington University; 
University of Idaho; University of Maryland; Michigan Technological University; 
The Ohio State University; Pennsylvania State University; University of Tennessee; 
Texas Tech University; Virginia Tech and University of Wisconsin.


    About Newark Electronics 

    Newark Electronics(R) is the largest small order, high service distributor
of electronic components in North America, stocking over 150,000 electronic
parts from hundreds of manufacturers.  Newark provides quality components
through its branch offices, catalog, CD-ROM, and web site.  Newark Electronics
is part of Premier Farnell plc, which is quoted on the New York and London
Stock Exchanges and is a global distributor of electronic and industrial
components.