Kontek Industries Provides Homeland Security for the U.S. Air Force

State-of-the-Art vehicle barriers and guardhouse selected
to protect Whiteman Air Force Base

New Madrid , Mo., October 25, 2004 — Kontek Industries announced today that it has been a awarded a contract by the U.S. Air Force's Whiteman Air Force Base to design and construct a new Spirit Guardhouse, which controls the entering and leaving of the base. The project includes a new bullet resistant, steel framed guardhouse and ID checkpoints, removable bollards, and smart gate vehicle barriers.

"We are very proud to be selected once again by the Air Force to play a vital role in the defense of our homeland. In 2003, we successfully provided over 1,500 modular blast barriers to the Air Force Electronic Systems Center's Force Protection Command and Control Program Office. The blast barriers were installed to protect critical weapons bunker doors at Air Combat Command Long Range Bomber Bases from massive blasts and shoulder fired linear threats," said Kontek Chairman and CEO Charlie Merrill. Merrill went on to say, " Our selection serves to underscore not only our unmatched technological capabilities, but our ability to deliver a high quality product on time and on budget."

The awarding of the contract is part of the Multiple Award Task Order Contract (MATOC) which had been issued by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Kansas City District Office to Kontek in July of this year.

Kontek is one of only three companies in the HUBZone (Historically Underutilized Business Zone) category to receive this designation. The New Madrid, Mo., based company, as well as other awardees, will now be given first consideration for contracts in Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa. Much of the work done by the Corps of Engineers has to allow for quick response bidding for emergency situations. The MATOC designation makes Kontek one of the few companies in the Midwest that has been pre-screened and met certain criteria set forth by the federal government for these contracts.

The MATOC allows for individual task orders to be awarded as they arise and could total as much as $20 million over 3 years.

About Whiteman Air Force Base

Located sixty miles southeast of Kansas City, Whiteman Air Force Base is the home of the 509th Bomb Wing, which operates and maintains the Air Force's premier weapon system, the B-2 bomber.

About Kontek Industries

Kontek Industries, headquartered in New Madrid, Mo., manufactures the world's most technologically advanced vehicle and delay access barriers, blast resistant barriers, L-8 and NIJ-4 guardhouse shelters, and telecommunication shelters in its 150,000 square-foot facility. To date Kontek has provided over 1,500 modular blast barriers to USAF Force Protection and state-of-the-art critical infrastructure protection products to two of the nation's most important national security facilities, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories, and to 12 nuclear facilities. Kontek is an SBA-certified HUBZone (Historically Underutilized Business Zone) company. This designation provides Federal contracting preferences to small businesses operating and employing workers in these designated areas of the country.