Canton, MA, August 27, 2002 -- Shuster Laboratories, Inc., a leading independent consumer products R&D firm and testing laboratory based in Canton, Massachusetts, announced today that it has been acquired by Specialized Technology Resources, Inc. (STR) of Enfield, Connecticut. STR is a global technical services company that provides a wide range of quality assurance, compliance consulting, and ISO registration services to manufacturers, retailers, and suppliers of consumer hard and soft goods. Shuster was previously owned by Hauser, Inc., based in Long Beach, California and Longmont, Colorado.

Shuster Laboratories will continue to operate under its own name as an independent subsidiary of STR. Philip Katz, president and CEO of Shuster, will continue to lead the company under the direction of Dennis Jilot, president and CEO of STR. All of Shuster's top executives and staff will continue in their current positions as well.

"We are excited about the acquisition of Shuster Laboratories," said Dennis Jilot, president and CEO of STR. "Their business credentials are as impressive as their reputation for technical innovation. Shuster's broad technical expertise in consumer packaged goods is a perfect complement to our vast experience in consumer hard and soft goods. Together, we will be able to offer our clients a complete portfolio of quality assurance, consulting, and ISO registration services for the entire spectrum of consumer products in every industry category."

The purchase of Shuster is STR's fourth major expansion effort in the past four years. In 1999, STR acquired Cal Safety Compliance Corporation (CSCC), the premier provider of social compliance monitoring services around the world. In 2000, STR established a consumer products testing laboratory in Istanbul, Turkey. In 2001, STR opened STR-Registrar, LLC to provide accredited ISO 9000 services to companies in the U.S. and abroad.

"We look forward to our future as part of STR's internationally renowned team," said Philip Katz, president and CEO of Shuster Laboratories. "STR's extensive worldwide operations will enable us to offer our clients a depth and breadth of services and capabilities that we've never had before. Both Shuster and STR are considered market leaders in the respective consumer product segments that we each serve. Bringing together our two companies' resources will create an unbeatable combination in the marketplace."

Founded in 1955, Shuster is one of the leading independent consumer products research, development, and testing firms in the world. It has a professional staff of over 100 who work with "Fortune 500" manufacturers, marketers, and retailers of food, pharmaceuticals, dietary supplements, personal care products, and household products to provide innovative support for product development, laboratory testing, sensory testing, consumer studies, claims validation, and quality assurance.

Started in 1944, Specialized Technology Resources, Inc. (STR) has grown into the largest full service, privately-owned consumer product compliance monitoring and testing company in the world with laboratories and inspection offices in 39 countries over six continents. STR offers a wide range of quality assurance, compliance consulting, and ISO registration services to retailers, manufacturers, and suppliers of consumer hard and soft goods. STR also provides materials development services, industrial products services, and manufacturing services to its diverse client base. STR is the first consumer products testing company in the U.S. to earn the ISO-9002 accreditation.