FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 3, 2003

Gerber Introduces Breakthrough LED Technology - Company Partners with Teledyne to Develop Product with High Efficiency, Exceptionally Long Life

LAS VEGAS ­ As befits an industry leader renowned for its ability to revolutionize the global sign making and specialty graphics marketplace, Gerber Scientific Products, in strategic relationship with Teledyne Lighting and Display Products, a division of Teledyne Technologies Incorporated (NYSE: TDY), Los Angeles, today unveiled a major new product designed to provide sign shops and their customers with a reliable, rugged, energy-efficient, and safe indoor/outdoor alternative to neon.

The product, called the Gerber NorthStar™ High Efficiency Lighting System, represents Gerber’s flagship entry into electrical signage, and was launched at International Sign Expo, April 3-5, 2003, The Mandalay Bay Hotel and Convention Center, Las Vegas. It is described by Suzanne Aberg, program manager, Gerber Scientific Products, as “an innovative and flexible high-efficiency channel letter illumination system utilizing revolutionary light emitting diode (LED) technology.”

Developed in conjunction with Teledyne, NorthStar “exceeds current industry performance standards,” stated Aberg, explaining, “Teledyne’s proprietary design prevents overdriving of the LEDs, which provides optimum letter brightness and longevity.”

The Gerber NorthStar High Efficiency Lighting System consists of six, three, or two LED segments with a low-voltage power supply and pre-wired electrical connectors. The segments’ unique configuration allows them to be combined and adjusted to fit virtually any size channel letter and brightness requirement.

“These factors, combined with peel-and-place installation and the ability to conform to any letter shape including tight stroke designs, allow sign shops to significantly reduce labor,” Aberg said.

Of equal importance is the fact that Gerber NorthStar combines powerful solid-state lighting with the company’s Matched Technology approach to sign generation, thereby offering “all the advantages of LED illuminated graphics with the added benefit of user-friendly sign production techniques already in place in Gerber equipped shops,” advised Aberg.

“Any shop outfitted with GRAPHIX ADVANTAGE® or OMEGA™ design and production software and various Gerber output devices can utilize our Matched Technology System™ (MTS™) to further reduce labor time and costs,” she said. “And, letter faces can be decorated with GERBER EDGE® and GERBER MAXX™ thermal transfer color graphics.”

In addition to its outstanding user-specific attributes, Gerber NorthStar offers important advantages to sign shop customers, as well. For example, a significant reduction ­ up to 80 percent ­ in operating costs; lower maintenance costs; a wider operating temperature range; high reliability; improved safety; reduced electric shock potential; and elimination of neon glass breakage.

As a result, the Gerber NorthStar High Efficiency Lighting System features critical, differentiating characteristics that enable sign professionals to bring progressive technology to customers interested in saving considerable energy in the short term and money in the long term, Aberg indicated.

She concluded, “Through NorthStar, we’re very pleased and excited to once again make a significant contribution to the evolution of sign technology, and look forward to working with our customers and the industry at large to bring illuminated signage to the next level.” Gerber NorthStar will be available in May 2003 in red, amber, blue and green.

Gerber Scientific Products Inc. is the world leader in the development and manufacture of computerized sign making and specialty graphics systems, software, materials, and accessories ­ among them the revolutionary GERBER EDGE thermal transfer color imaging system. The company’s start-to-finish digital design, printing and production products are carefully integrated via its unique Matched Technology System to provide customers with comprehensive engineered solutions for every color printing and dimensional signage need.

Based in South Windsor, Conn., Gerber Scientific Products is a wholly owned subsidiary of Gerber Scientific Inc., the world’s leading supplier of sophisticated automated manufacturing systems for sign making and specialty graphics, apparel and flexible goods, and optical lens processing. Also headquartered in South Windsor, the company operates through four wholly owned subsidiaries: Gerber Scientific Products, Spandex PLC, Gerber Technology, and Gerber Coburn.

GRAPHIX ADVANTAGE, GERBER EDGE and EDGE are registered trademarks of Gerber Scientific Products Inc.
Gerber NorthStar, OMEGA, GERBER MAXX, Matched Technology System, and MTS are trademarks of Gerber Scientific Products Inc.

Gerber Scientific Products, Inc.
April Peghiny
83 Gerber Road
South Windsor, CT 06074
Phone: 860-643-1515
Fax: 860-648-8595
Website URL: www.gspinc.com