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Textron Fastening Systems Consolidates Groups

27 July 2000

Barker Named Group Leader

    TROY, Mich. - Textron Fastening Systems announced today the consolidation of 
their Commercial and Supply Chain Groups.  They have also named a new group 
president to direct the unit.

    William Barker, 50, will head up Textron Fastening Systems - Commercial
Solutions, one of the company's three market-focused business groups.  With
major operations in five continents, the group's revenues exceed $900 million.

    "This combination of capabilities will help bring future value to our
customers by extending our capabilities in vendor managed inventory.  Merging
the competencies of these two groups under Bill's leadership will ensure the
best use of our resources as a full service provider to the commercial
industry," said Textron Fastening Systems chairman, president, and chief
executive officer Jack Sights.

    Barker comes to Textron from OEA, a world leader in propellant-actuated
devices for automotive and aerospace where he most recently served as the
president of the Automotive Safety Products Division.  Prior to OEA, he worked
for Bosal International, a privately held European Manufacturer of automotive
exhaust systems as president of North American Operations.

    The Commercial Solutions group, supplying customers in more than 25
countries, is a one-stop source for a diverse line of fastener products and
services including threaded and non-threaded fasteners, cold-formed
components, installation tools, and assembly systems.  With the addition of
Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) capabilities, Textron Fastening Systems -
Commercial Solutions can provide full-service inventory management of fastener
requirements to its customers.  The combination of manufacturing capability
and inventory and distribution expertise coming from one organization is a
major step in Textron Fastening Systems' quest to assure continued leadership
in providing ever higher value of its customers.  Combining the two groups
into one consolidated unit also helps leverage customer relationships through
logistics management and on-time deliveries.

    Textron Fastening Systems, a $2.2 billion organization, is the leading
provider of engineered fasteners, state of the art engineered assemblies, and
inventory management services.  With over 16,000 employees around the world,
Textron Fastening Systems supplies products and services to customers in more
than 70 countries.

    Textron Inc. is an $11.6 billion, global, multi-industry
company with market-leading businesses in Aircraft, Automotive, Industrial and
Finance.  Textron has a workforce of over 68,000 employees and major
manufacturing facilities in 30 countries.  Textron is among Fortune magazine's
"Global Most Admired Companies."