Agbar Technologies Selects Chicago for Corporate Headquarters

    CHICAGO--July 23, 2001--Agbar Technologies, a leading provider of vehicle testing, maintenance and safety inspection services, has chosen Chicago for its corporate headquarters.
    "Chicago is an ideal major business center, with its central location, excellent business and transportation infrastructure and attractive quality of life," noted Christopher Stock, director of marketing for Agbar Technologies.
    The company is a subsidiary of Agbar Automotive, a global leader in vehicle design, testing and certification services. Agbar Automotive companies manage more than 10.6 million vehicle inspections in 20 programs in seven countries on three continents. The parent company is the Agbar Group, a $2 billion global enterprise based in Barcelona, Spain, with a diversified portfolio of companies, including automotive services, utilities, health insurance and water systems.
    Agbar Technologies was established in 1996, as Keating Technologies, based in Tucson, Ariz. and Bala Cynwyd, Penn. The company was acquired by Agbar Automotive last year and the name changed to reflect the affiliation with the global parent.
    Not only state and local governments, but also vehicle owners benefit from the state-of-the-art technology and management programs Agbar brings to the industry. Agbar is an innovator in the development, implementation and management of a wide range of vehicle testing programs that control air pollution and maintain vehicle safety.
    "Agbar Technologies has developed computer diagnostics and other advanced technology and management systems, making vehicle emissions testing more sophisticated, effective, faster and less expensive," said Stock.
    "Agbar's strength is our expert management, advanced technology and ability to design and implement programs that meet individual government needs," said Stock.
    "Vehicle emissions contribute an estimated 40 to 50 percent of the air pollution in U.S. cities," he said. "There is a strong need to find the most effective solutions to the problem."
    One of the latest innovations from Agbar Technologies is on-board diagnostic (OBD) vehicle emissions testing that taps into the built-in computer systems on all cars manufactured since 1996. Agbar Technologies is implementing one of the first wireless OBD pilot programs in the United States, in conjunction with the Salt Lake City-County Health Department.
    Utilizing a hand-held PC, inspectors connect wirelessly to a secure Web-based Vehicle Information Database and download vehicle and test information. Inspectors then connect to the vehicle's on-board computer system and conduct an OBD test in just a few minutes, less than half the time of traditional tailpipe tests.
    "By 2006, on-board diagnostic testing will be the primary vehicle emissions test nationwide," Stock said. "It pinpoints problems and provides more in-depth information."
    Agbar is experienced in all types of emissions testing programs, including decentralized, centralized and hybrid. As the largest provider of decentralized programs, Agbar is set to meet the trend to this type of program in which testing is done by independent, licensed facilities, such as garages. In centralized programs, governments set up special testing centers.
    "The technology and management needed to meet EPA Clean Air standards is complex," explained Stock. "When Agbar manages a program, states don't have to expend their resources and tax dollars -- the programs are paid for by income from inspection stations and motorist fees."
    "What's more, Agbar brings expert management to decentralized and centralized programs that provides maximum results cost-effectively," he said.