ADESA Charlotte Receives Top Auction Award

INDIANAPOLIS--Aug. 1, 20034, 2003--ADESA Charlotte won the 2002 "World Class Auction of the Year" award, presented by World Omni Financial Corp./CenterOne Financial Services. The award is based on several factors including volume sold, guide book performance, volume of certified cars per sale, volume of Internet cars, daily operational success, and the efficiency and accuracy of transportation and condition reports.

"Receiving this award truly shows that ADESA Charlotte continues to provide outstanding customer service to World Omni," said Don Harris, Chief Operating Officer for ADESA Corp. "I am extremely proud of the staff of ADESA Charlotte and I applaud their customer service efforts."

The award was presented to ADESA Charlotte General Manager Jane Morgan by Jay Hinchman, Director of Remarketing for World Omni/CenterOne on August 14. ADESA Charlotte is one of 54 wholesale vehicle auctions owned by Indianapolis, Indiana-based ADESA Corp., an ALLETE company . In 2002, ADESA Charlotte was one of the top-three volume sellers for World Omni/CenterOne, using Internet-based technology and live physical sales.

"The awards ADESA has received from World Omni/CenterOne strongly reflect the highest quality of detail and attention given to our account and the work ethic behind it," said Hinchman, noting that ADESA Charlotte has also received World Omni's 2000 and 2001 "World Class Cyberlot Auction of the Year" award.

World Omni Financial Corp. (www.worldomni.com), serving automotive retail outlets and financial services providers throughout the U.S., offers a complete range of automotive products and services designed to increase dealer sales and profits. It manages receivables including automotive lease and retail contracts and commercial loans.

With roots grounded in the automotive industry, CenterOne Financial Services (www.centeronefinancial.com), a division of World Omni, brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise in third-party servicing to its clients. Its servicing solutions include originations, retail sales finance and lease servicing, collections, pro-active remarketing, vehicle remarketing, and customer relationship management. From start to finish, its services are designed to provide value-added solutions. World Omni is a subsidiary of JM Family Enterprises, Inc., a $7.6 billion diversified automotive company with headquarters in Deerfield Beach, Fla. JMFE is ranked by Forbes as the 13th largest privately held company in the United States.

Headquartered in Indianapolis, Ind., ADESA Corp. is a wholly owned subsidiary of ALLETE, Inc. . Through its network of subsidiaries, ADESA operates 54 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 29 auction locations), Micro 21 dealer software, AutoVIN inspection services, PAR North America remarketing services, and Automotive Finance Corp. (AFC). 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 ADESA 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. The forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and investors are directed to the risks in documents filed by ALLETE, Inc., ADESA Corporation's parent company, with the Securities and Exchange Commission.