ServiceMaster and The Home Depot End Pilot Program

Business Wire, July 17, 2002

Business Editors

The ServiceMaster Company (NYSE: SVM) and The Home Depot (NYSE: HD) today concluded their joint home services program. However, the companies will continue to explore ways to expand existing relationships for installation and other services on a local basis.

"We have learned a tremendous amount about our potential and existing customers from exploring this retail channel," said Ernest Mrozek, President and Chief Operating Officer for ServiceMaster. "We believe that select retail channels remain a strategic fit for ServiceMaster and we will continue to explore other in-store marketing opportunities with a variety of partners in the future."

The program, conducted at Home Depot stores in Orlando, Memphis and Sacramento, tested a wide range of co-branded residential maintenance and repair services. These services included lawn care, tree/shrub care and landscaping services; termite and pest control services; residential carpet and upholstery cleaning services; plumbing repair, drain cleaning and fixture installation services; and home warranty contracts. Results were positive, but not up to the expectations of the companies.

"We continue to believe that home services represents a great opportunity," said Frank Blake, Executive Vice President, Business Development and Corporate Operations for Home Depot. "That's why pilot programs are so effective. They allow you to explore new ideas. If a program doesn't meet expectations, the partners still benefit from the experience, which can be applied to the next similar venture. In the area of home services, Home Depot will continue to develop strategic partnership opportunities."

About ServiceMaster

ServiceMaster currently provides outsourcing services for more than 11.5 million residential and commercial customers, with combined customer level revenue of approximately $5.1 billion. The core service capabilities of the Company include lawn care and landscape maintenance, termite and pest control, plumbing, heating and air conditioning services, cleaning, furniture repair and home warranty.

These services are provided through a network of over 5,400 company-owned and franchised service centers and business units operating under leading brands which include Terminix, TruGreen ChemLawn, TruGreen LandCare, American Residential Services, Rescue Rooter, American Mechanical Services, ServiceMaster Clean, American Home Shield, AmeriSpec, Merry Maids, Furniture Medic and The ServiceMaster Home Service Center.

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 2001 sales of $53.6 billion. The company employs approximately 250,000 associates and has 1,426 stores in 49 states, Puerto Rico, seven Canadian provinces, and Mexico. The company for the second year in a row was named sixth Most Admired Company in America by Fortune magazine, which has also ranked it as America's Most Admired Specialty Retailer for nine consecutive years. 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.