Asia PR News

ATLANTA, Ga., Aug. 31 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ –

Retailer Also Recognizes 12 Companies With Supplier of the Year Awards

The Home Depot(R), the world’s largest home improvement retailer, today
announced that Techtronic Industries Co. Ltd. (TTI) has won the retailer’s
annual innovation award. TTI received the honor for its ONE+ System(TM) and
AIRgrip(TM) laser level, both under the Ryobi(R) brand. Faus Group Inc.
received first runner-up honors for DuPont(TM) Real Touch(TM) Elite laminate
flooring.

( Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030502/HOMEDEPOTLOGO )

"Innovation continues to be a key driver in the success of our business. We
must be innovative in everything we do, and we count on our suppliers to
develop products that will respond to changes in the marketplace, advances in
technology and the changing needs of our customers," said Tom Taylor, executive
vice president, Merchandising and Marketing for The Home Depot. "Each year our
innovation awards honor our top suppliers for their forward thinking,
responsiveness and product development that best serve our customers."

To win this year’s award, TTI worked with The Home Depot to develop both
the ONE+ System(TM) of cordless tools and the AIRgrip(TM) laser level. The ONE+
cordless tools were designed to give tool users the freedom to create their own
tool combinations and purchase tools without duplication. ONE+ places an
affordable 18-volt battery at the heart of the system and provides a complete
line of cordless tools and accessories that use the same power source
compatible with every past, current and future Ryobi 18-volt tool. The
innovative AIRgrip(TM) laser level features an exclusive non-marking vacuum
base that secures to almost any surface and a head that rotates 360 degrees;
the laser line it generates even wraps around inside corners.

As first runner-up, Faus Group Inc. introduced DuPont Real Touch Elite
laminate flooring that has the look, feel and sound of real wood or tile.

With Supplier of the Year awards, The Home Depot also recognized 12
companies across major categories that exceeded expectations in sales, service
and execution of their programs. The winners of product category suppliers of
the year are as follows:

Stimson Lumber (Lumber)
Tricam Industries (Building Materials)
QEP (Flooring)
ICI Paints (Paint)
Techtronic Industries (Hardware)
Brass Craft (Plumbing)
Southwire (Electrical)
Minka (Lighting)
Weber (Lawn/Garden)
Schrock Cabinet Company (Kitchen/Bath)
Feather River Door Company (Millwork)
Springs Window Fashions (Decor)

For more information about products available at The Home Depot, visit
http://www.homedepot.com/mediazone.

About The Home Depot
Founded in 1978, The Home Depot(R) is the world’s largest home improvement
specialty retailer and the second largest retailer in the United States, with
fiscal 2004 sales of $73.1 billion. The company employs approximately 325,000
associates and has 1,943 stores in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto
Rico, 10 Canadian provinces and Mexico. The company has announced plans for
retail expansion into China. The Home Depot has been recognized by Fortune as
the No. 1 Most Admired Specialty Retailer for 2005. Its stock is traded on the
New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: HD) and is included in the Dow Jones industrial
average and Standard & Poor’s 500 index. HDG

SOURCE: The Home Depot

CONTACT: Connie Bryant of The Home Depot,
+1-770-384-2156, or
connie_bryant@homedepot.com

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030502/HOMEDEPOTLOGO

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Web site: http://www.homedepot.com
http://www.homedepot.com/mediazone

(HD)