The Innovative Trade Network Announces Arrival of First Operation Safe Commerce Intermodal Shipping Containers

SEATTLE--April 15, 2004--The Innovative Trade Network (ITN), a BV Solutions Group (BVSG)-led team of specialists from 10 companies, today announced the arrival of the first three Operation Safe Commerce (OSC) intermodal shipping containers at warehouse facilities in Seattle.

"The first three shipping containers left Germany on March 3, 2004, and have traveled a total of 11,500 miles by truck, ocean carrier and rail in their journey to the United States," said Lowell Thurman, BVSG senior project manager and vice president. "These three shipping containers are the first of more than 100 containers that will be tracked from Europe and Asia by the ITN team."

The goal of the OSC program is to demonstrate the use of new and updated technologies, policies and procedures to allow for the development of more accurate risk profiles for intermodal shipping containers. The containers will be fitted with various sealing, tracking and information gathering technologies, and exposed to actual shipping conditions on two supply chains. Additionally, they will be monitored for logistics and security anomalies.

The shipping containers that were tracked contained food products or automobile parts. The ITN team performed detailed vulnerability assessments of existing supply chains and deployed technologies to mitigate potential shortfalls in security. The technologies deployed included electronic sealing devices, centralized data consolidation software, off-gas analyses, independent container inspection, radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, automated external container integrity checks, global positioning system (GPS) tracking, credentialing of personnel, anti-counterfeit sealing devices, automated hazardous material documentation and information profiling.

About the Innovative Trade Network

The BVSG-led team is comprised of Authentix; Calspan UB Research Center, Inc.; Cotecna, Inc.; Dangerous Goods Council; FreightDesk Technologies, Inc.; Fuji Heavy Industries, Ltd.; General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems; Honeywell; Imaging Automation; John Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory; and TransCore. Together, the companies of ITN will work internationally with governments, agencies and industry partners to create global supply chain systems -- from manufacturer to ports of entry to consumers -- that focus on sound business models, which facilitate trade and serve as catalysts for improved security measures.

About BVSG

BV Solutions Group, Inc. (BVSG) is an IT Service Provider that delivers rapid, fully-integrated, front-end and technology intensive back-end business solutions. BVSG excels in developing disciplined processes for executing highly technical projects within scope, on time and within budget. BVSG is wholly owned by Black & Veatch Corporation. Visit BVSG online at http://www.bvsg.com.

About Black & Veatch

Black & Veatch Corporation is a leading global engineering, consulting and construction company specializing in infrastructure development in the fields of energy, water and information. Founded in 1915, Black & Veatch serves its clients with conceptual and preliminary engineering services, engineering design, procurement, construction, financial management, asset management, information technology, environmental, security design and consulting, and management consulting services. The employee-owned company has more than 90 offices worldwide. Black & Veatch was ranked on the Forbes "500 Largest Private Companies in the U.S." listing for 2003. The company's Web site address is http://www.bv.com.