Featherlite Says Third Quarter Results Will Be Below Expectations

17 October 2000
Featherlite Says Third Quarter Results Will Be Below Expectations
    CRESCO, Iowa, Oct. 17 Featherlite, Inc. , a
leading manufacturer and marketer of specialty aluminum trailers and luxury
motorcoaches, said today it expects to report a net loss of 10 cents per
diluted share for its third quarter ended Sept. 30, which is below previous
expectations.  The company reported net income of 16 cents per diluted share
in the third quarter of last year.  Featherlite said net sales for the third
quarter declined approximately 3 percent from net sales of $53.9 million in
last year's third quarter.
    Conrad Clement, chairman and chief executive officer, said, "Sales in our
luxury motorcoach division were well below our expectations in the third
quarter, even with our cautious outlook for sales in that segment of our
business.  As we reported previously, we entered the quarter with an order
backlog for motorcoaches that was below last year; and slow sales of
motorcoaches continued in the third quarter, declining significantly from last
year's third quarter. Although we have implemented extensive expense reduction
measures, including unit volume and staff reductions in our motorcoach
division, the loss in the motorcoach segment more than offset the income of
the historically profitable specialty trailer segment."
    The company expects to report details for the third quarter on Oct. 31.

    About Featherlite
    Featherlite, Inc., is an innovative leader in designing, manufacturing and
marketing high quality aluminum specialty trailers, transporters and luxury
motorcoaches.  With more than 75 percent of its business in the leisure,
recreation and entertainment categories, Featherlite has highly diversified
product lines offering hundreds of standard model and custom-designed aluminum
specialty trailers, specialized transporters and luxury motorcoaches available
through an extensive dealer network in the U.S. and Canada.  Featherlite is
the "Official Trailer" of NASCAR, Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART), Indy
Race League (IRL), SPORTSCAR, Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA),
American Speed Association (ASA), World of Outlaws (W.O.O.) and the National
Hot Rod Association (NHRA).  Through its Featherlite Vantare and Featherlite
Vogue product lines, Featherlite is the "Official Luxury Motorcoach" of
NASCAR, IRL, SPORTSCAR, CART and NHRA.  For more information about the
company, please visit Featherlite's website at http://www.featherliteinc.com .
    Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act:
Statements in this release looking forward in time involve risks and
uncertainties discussed here and in the company filings with the Securities
and Exchange Commission, including product acceptance and demand in each
segment of the Company's markets, the price of aluminum, competition, and
facilities utilization.

    For more information, contact Doug Ewing of BlueFire Partners,
612-344-1036, for Featherlite, Inc., or Jeffery A. Mason, CFO of Featherlite,
Inc., 319-547-6000.