Digital Audio Disc Corporation/Sony Disc Manufacturing Celebrates 20 Years of Optical Disc Production in Terre Haute, Indiana

Business Wire, May 2, 2003

Entertainment Editors/Business Editors/Consumer Tech Writers

TERRE HAUTE, Ind.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 2, 2003

Digital Audio Disc Corporation (DADC)/Sony Disc Manufacturing (SDM), the world's leading producer of prerecorded optical discs, today marked its 20th anniversary of duplicating optical media including CD, DVD and PlayStation(TM) discs.

Joining executives from SDM were Indiana Governor Frank O'Bannon, Terre Haute Mayor Judy Anderson and many state and local dignitaries. Sony Disc Manufacturing Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, James M. Frische, hosted the event which was attended by Sony executives from around the world. A second day of celebration on Saturday, May 3, will be devoted entirely to the company's 1,100 employees and their families.

Since its opening in April 1983, Digital Audio Disc Corporation/Sony Disc Manufacturing has consistently expanded its production of CDs. In March 1994, the facility was expanded to meet manufacturing needs. In the mid and late nineties, production began on PlayStation(TM) and DVDs. At the celebration, SDM highlighted the installation of a new line to manufacture the hybrid Super Audio CD.

Currently, SDM produces approximately 850,000 CDs and 1.1 million DVDs every day.

"I am enormously proud of the accomplishments we've achieved in Terre Haute and am gratified at the support we've received over the past twenty years from Sony management both in Japan and the United States," stated Mr. Frische. "We produce more CDs, DVDs and PlayStation(TM) media than any other facility in the world."

When CBS/Sony, a joint venture of the record company and hardware manufacturer decided to create the country's first disc manufacturing facility, Mr. Frische joined to head the operation. The first CD to roll off the production line was Bruce Springsteen's Born in the USA. Subsequently, the Terre Haute facility produced numerous best-selling releases from top artists like Barbra Streisand, The Dixie Chicks, Bob Dylan, Michael Jackson, Celine Dion, John Mellencamp, Mariah Carey and many others. Recently, SDM manufactured the Spider-Man film on DVD, which has become the largest selling optical disc release.

Ceremony to be held at 1800 N. Fruitridge Avenue, Terre Haute, IN at 11:00 am.