Rockwell Automation's DODGE Roller Bearing Plant Selected One of IndustryWeek's Top 10 Best Plants for 2004

GREENVILLE, S.C.--Sept. 20, 2004--Rockwell Automation proudly announces that its DODGE(R) roller bearing plant in Marion, N.C., has been selected as one of the Top 10 Best Plants in North America for 2004 by IndustryWeek (IW) magazine.

In announcing the honor, IW stressed the Marion's plant "can-do culture," describing the facility as: "...a place where employees put a whole box of tools to work without worrying what a production improvement technique is formally called or accepting the limits of a piece of software."

Each year, plants throughout North America compete for this prestigious honor, which was established by IW in 1990 as a salute to manufacturing facilities whose exceptional quality, lean practices, innovative technologies, quick delivery, and improvement strategies helped increase competitiveness and enhance customer satisfaction.

As an IW Top 10 Plant, Rockwell Automation's Marion facility, along with the other nine Top 10 winners, is profiled in the magazine's October 2004 Best Plants issue. In addition, the plant's "best practices", as noted by IndustryWeek, have been posted on the magazine's website at www.industryweek.com.

"It's gratifying to receive this kind of recognition from such a highly respected and leading industry publication," says Joseph D. Swann, president, Rockwell Automation Power Systems. "We've known that our plant performs well and that our employees are extremely competent. But getting an outside endorsement--getting IW's seal of approval--is both empowering and a tremendous pat on the back for our employees."

Scott Fullbright, Marion plant manager, attributes the plant's success and its subsequent honor to the company's culture of continuous rapid improvement and an unwavering commitment to excellence. "We benchmark ourselves against the best companies in the world," states Fullbright, "and we always come out right there with them. We start with really good people; give them the tools, the processes, and the training they need; and they accomplish great things."

"The Marion bearings plant is world-class in all aspects of manufacturing," judges John S. McClenahen, senior editor of IndustryWeek. "It is truly a 174,000 square-foot tool box full of world-class manufacturing practices and a collection of talented people whose intellectual and emotional commitment to their work is world-class as well."

ABOUT ROCKWELL AUTOMATION

Rockwell Automation is a world-leading provider of industrial automation power, control and information solutions that help customers meet their manufacturing productivity objectives. The company brings together leading brands in industrial automation for Complete Automation solutions, including ALLEN-BRADLEY(R) controls and engineered services and Rockwell Software(R) factory management software, DODGE(R) mechanical power transmission products, and Reliance Electric(TM) motors and drives. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis., USA, the company employs approximately 20,000 people serving customers in more than 80 countries.

ABOUT DODGE PLANT (MARION, N.C.)

Rockwell Automation's DODGE plant in Marion, N.C. has been in operation since November 1996. The facility manufactures a full line of DODGE tapered and spherical roller bearings, including the IMPERIAL(R), IMPERIAL-E, S-2000, S-2000-E, Type E, TAF, and Type K. These bearings are used in industries such as mining, aggregates and cement, pulp and paper, water and wastewater industries, and others.

ABOUT INDUSTRYWEEK

INDUSTRYWEEK (IW) and its interactive Web site at www.industryweek.com leads senior manufacturing executives through the business issues, strategies, trends and technologies that will help them succeed in today's "better, faster, cheaper" global economy. It is published by Penton Media (OTCBB:PTON, www.penton.com), a diversified business-to-business media company that produces market-focused magazines, trade shows and conferences, and online media serving 12 industry sectors, including manufacturing.