Ohio manufacturer celebrates opening of first NJ plant

• ADS marks occasion with announcement of plans for regional athletic facility for special needs children and $100,000 contribution

LOGAN TOWNSHIP, NJ, Sept. 18, 2007 -- Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. (ADS), producer of high-density polyethylene pipe (HDPE), will celebrate the Grand Opening of its new $12 million NJ manufacturing facility here today.

The Hilliard, OH-based firm will mark the occasion with the announcement of a public-private partnership to create a new $600,000 athletic facility for special needs children in Southern New Jersey.

ADS is the lead private sector contributor to the project, slated to be part of the nation wide "Miracle League" network of facilities for special needs children.

The company will contribute a total of $100,000 in cash.

"We're happy to help bring the "Miracle League" concept to South Jersey," says ADS President Joseph Chlapaty. "Our company has been involved with the program in our home state of Ohio and we think it's a truly wonderful concept.

"This new facility will ultimately serve thousands of children...and not just those who are part of the Miracle League baseball program," Chlapaty adds.

The Miracle Field will be open to Special Olympians from across the region, to autistic children and to all of the children who are enrolled in Gloucester County's special education programs.

"ADS is especially pleased to be the lead private sector contributor in making this new facility a reality. We work hard to be a good neighbor in all of the communities in which ADS operates and we expect our relationship with the County and all of our neighbors here in Logan Township to be a shining example of our corporate commitment to that concept," says Chlapaty.

Joining Chlapaty at the Grand Opening will be:
• State Senator and Gloucester County Freeholder Director Stephen M. Sweeney
• State Senator Paul Sarlo
• Logan Township Mayor Frank W. Minor
• New Jersey Commerce Commission Executive Director Kevin Drennan.

Senator Sweeney will also join Chlapaty for the Miracle Field Announcement and parents of children who participate in the organizations that will use the facility will also be on hand.

ADS has 37 domestic facilities and 3,600 employees nationwide.

Located on 32 acres at the intersection of Center Square and Pedricktown Roads in Logan Township, Gloucester County, the new 68,000 square foot, $12 million plant expands ADS ability to serve the Eastern United States storm water drainage market. It is the first ADS facility in the Garden State.

"This plant is part of our national expansion program to better serve the drainage needs of the NJ, NY, PA, DE, MD and DC infrastructure markets" Chlapaty explains.

When fully staffed, the new plant will have 100 fulltime employees.

ADS's creation of new manufacturing jobs in New Jersey is in contrast with the state's loss of more than 100,000 such jobs over the last five years.

The Miracle League concept was created in 1998 and by April 2000, the first Miracle League Field opened with over 100 registered players. Today, more than 150 Miracle League organizations exist across the country. This number includes 41 completed fields, 61 under construction, and over 30 groundbreakings scheduled through year-end.

Advanced Drainage Systems, a privately owned company, was founded in 1966 and is headquartered in Hilliard, Ohio.

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