Uponor North America Ships on Time and in Full with HighJump Software's Supply Chain Execution Solutions

Leading Supplier of Flexible Plumbing and Radiant Heating Systems Achieves Key Metric While Providing Premium Customer Service

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 12, 2005--HighJump Software, a 3M company, the global leader in providing highly adaptable, best-of-breed supply chain execution solutions, today announced that Uponor North America is effectively supporting rapid growth and improving customer service following the implementation of its comprehensive HighJump system. Uponor North America is the nation's leading supplier of Wirsbo crosslinked polyethylene (PEX) tubing featured in flexible plumbing and radiant heating systems. Uponor North America leverages HighJump's Supply Chain Advantage solutions to improve distribution efficiencies in its Burnsville, Minn., facility. The company plans to deploy the system to two facilities in Canada in the near future.

Uponor North America operates with a customer-first philosophy and continually strives to advance its ability to meet and exceed customer expectations. Supply Chain Advantage has empowered Uponor North America to improve its key metric of shipping orders on time and in full by approximately 50 percent. This is possible through accurate management and tracking of Uponor North America's diverse base of several thousand SKUs that includes items ranging from 1,000-foot tubing coils to small fittings. The HighJump system streamlines the receipt of raw materials and the associated paperwork coming from hundreds of vendors. On the outbound side, Uponor North America uses the strong cartonization functionality of HighJump's Supply Chain Advantage system to reduce packaging costs by optimizing the placement of items during picking.

Prior to implementing solutions from HighJump Software, Uponor North America was using a smaller warehouse management system (WMS) that lacked the directed workflow and level of control needed to ship customer orders in a timely manner. Uponor North America determined that neither this WMS nor the warehouse module of its ERP system was mature enough to support current and future warehousing needs, and thereby provide Uponor North America with ongoing competitive advantage. The company selected HighJump's solutions because of their robust, standard functionality; ease of business process configuration; and advanced features, such as kitting, slotting and cartonization. Another key criterion was performance visibility. Uponor North America now uses the HighJump system to generate real-time labor management reports. These present a big-picture view of all work activity and potential bottlenecks, allowing resources to be reallocated to maximize efficiency and meet customer deadlines.

"With the HighJump solutions in place, we're achieving a new level of sophistication and competitive advantage in our supply chain processes," said Chris Moore, vice president, Information Technology of Uponor North America. "This is key as we continue to achieve substantial annual growth and must ship on time and in full to consistently deliver a high level of customer service."

"Uponor North America's success in improving key customer service metrics is a testament to its commitment to continuous improvement and to the HighJump system's ability to optimize a range of interrelated supply chain operations," said Chris Heim, president of HighJump Software. "We're pleased to provide a strong foundation for the growth of their facilities in the U.S. and abroad."

About Uponor North America

Uponor North America Inc. is a subsidiary of Uponor Corporation, listed on the Helsinki Stock Exchange and headquartered in Vantaa, Finland. Uponor Wirsbo and Uponor Canada are North America's leading manufacturer and provider of radiant floor heating and plastic plumbing systems featuring crosslinked polyethylene (PEX-a) tubing. Uponor North America and Uponor Wirsbo are headquartered in Apple Valley, Minn., a suburb of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Uponor Canada is located in Regina, Saskatchewan. Visit www.wirsbo.com or www.wirsbo.ca for more information.

About Uponor

Uponor is a leading international supplier of plumbing and heating systems for the residential and commercial building markets, and of pipe systems to the utilities sector. Uponor has a strong and growing presence in its key market areas, Europe and North America, as a supplier of radiant underfloor heating systems and plastic-aluminum and all-plastic tap water systems. More than 11 billion feet of Uponor PEX tubing is in service worldwide. Uponor employs approximately 4,500 people in 23 countries.

About HighJump Software, a 3M Company

HighJump Software, a 3M company, is the global leader in providing highly adaptable, best-of-breed supply chain execution solutions that streamline manufacturing and distribution from the point of source through consumption. HighJump's tightly integrated solutions empower operational excellence in the warehouse and optimize the flow of inventory throughout the supply chain by facilitating collaboration with customers, suppliers and trading partners. These comprehensive solutions combine robust, standard functionality; a best practices-based implementation methodology; and a uniquely adaptable architecture that facilitates fast, cost-effective system modifications. The result: the industry's lowest total cost of ownership for more than 700 satisfied customers worldwide. As an independent subsidiary in the 3M family of companies, HighJump leads the SCE software industry in financial strength and delivers on an unmatched commitment to innovation and quality. HighJump leverages these advantages to continually expand its solution footprint and empower operational excellence for domestic and multinational customers. For more information about HighJump, visit www.highjump.com.

About 3M - A Global, Diversified Technology Company

Every day, 3M people find new ways to make amazing things happen. Wherever they are, whatever they do, the company's customers know they can rely on 3M to help make their lives better. 3M's brands include Scotch, Post-it, Scotchgard, Thinsulate, Scotch-Brite, Filtrete, Command and Vikuiti. Serving customers in more than 200 countries around the world, the company's 67,000 people use their expertise, technologies and global strength to lead in major markets including consumer and office; display and graphics; electronics and telecommunications; safety, security and protection services; health care; industrial and transportation. For more information, including the latest product and technology news, visit www.3M.com.

Scotch, Post-it, Scotchgard, Thinsulate, Scotch-Brite, Filtrete, Command, Vikuiti, HighJump Software and Supply Chain Advantage are trademarks of 3M.