ADESA IMPACT Opens Long Island Salvage Auction

    INDIANAPOLIS--March 28, 2003--ADESA Impact, a subsidiary of Indianapolis, Ind.-based ADESA Corp., an ALLETE company , announced today that it has opened Impact Long Island, its 27th North American salvage auction facility located in Medford, NY. The new facility represents the fourth total loss recovery auction in the state of New York and the 11th in the Northeastern United States.
    "Adequate geographic coverage is paramount in supporting the increasing needs of our insurance customers and offsetting rising fuel and operating costs," said Warren Byrd, president of ADESA Impact. "With the addition of Impact Long Island, ADESA Impact now has the strongest Northeast coverage in the industry."
    Located at 156 Peconic Avenue in Medford, New York, Impact Long Island is a short 20 minute drive from the MacArthur/Islip Regional Airport (ISP), just over an hour from New York's LaGuardia Airport and minutes away from the new ADESA Long Island slated to open this spring in Yaphank, New York. In addition, the expansion into Long Island represents a commitment to hiring experienced local auction management.
    "Led by regional vice president, Donald J. Comis, ADESA Impact's New York management team boasts an average of 16 years salvage auction and total loss claims experience, a level of expertise unparalleled in the industry," Byrd said.
    ADESA Impact U.S. and Canada processed over 200,000 vehicles in 2002 and is a part of ALLETE Automotive Services, which includes ADESA Corp., a network of 53 wholesale auctions throughout North America, Automotive Finance Company, the country's largest independent dealer finance company and ComSearch, a leading national claims audit and recycled parts locating company.

    Headquartered in Indianapolis, Ind., ADESA Corp. is a wholly owned subsidiary of ALLETE, Inc. . Through its network of subsidiaries, ADESA operates 53 wholesale vehicle auctions and six heavy-duty commercial vehicle auctions strategically located across the United States, Canada and Mexico. The ADESA network of services includes several other related businesses in the vehicle remarketing industry including ADESA Impact total loss management (with 26 auction locations), Micro 21 dealer software, AutoVIN inspection services, PAR North America remarketing services, Automotive Finance Corp. (AFC) and ADESA Importation Services (AIS). For further information on ADESA Corp., call 1-800-923-3725 or go to www.adesa.com.

    The statements contained in this release and statements that ALLETE may make orally in connection with this release that are not historical facts, are forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and investors are directed to the risks discussed in documents filed by ALLETE with the Securities and Exchange Commission.