Elk Grove Village, IL – August 22, 2002 -- Bigston Corporation USA (www.bigston.com), a leader in refurbishing, repair and manufacturing services for the consumer electronics industry, celebrates its 30th anniversary this month. "Rising out of the economic challenges of 1972, today we are proud to have a thriving company and count among our customers many of the largest consumer electronics manufacturers in the world," said Bigston Chairman Kimitaka Sekiguchi.

In 1972, Sekiguchi, Bigston Corporation USA's founder, faced a difficult decision. A native of Japan, Sekiguchi had relocated to the United States just two years earlier to serve as a representative for a Japan-based electronics manufacturer. By 1972, the economics of the recently floating Japanese yen, rising oil prices and newly re-opened U. S. relations with The People's Republic of China had put tremendous pressure on Japan-based manufacturing companies like Sekiguchi's employer. When his employer declared bankruptcy and closed its doors permanently, Sekiguchi had to decide whether to stay in the United States or return to Japan.

"Sears, Roebuck and Company was my largest customer at that time. We provided them with the Sears brand tape recorders," said Sekiguchi. "Mr. Dan Danhauer, Sears National Merchandise Manager then, asked me what I wanted to do. When I told him I'd like to stay here, he gave me the work to provide them with those products and to do repairs on the products."

"I had great respect for Kim Sekiguchi as a merchant with a good product. He was an honest man and I knew if he headed Bigston, I could continue to count on him," said Danhauer, now retired from Sears.

Sears' national buyer at the time, Richard Schultz, also helped the new Bigston Corporation USA get parts sourcing and build their business with referrals. "I was the national buyer of audio products and tape recorders were one of the products I was responsible for," said Schultz. "We sold about 200,000 of his recorders each year." Schultz went on to say, "Kim Sekiguchi was a very nice person and a very honest person. I was happy to help him secure parts and refer him to other potential clients as he had always treated us with integrity."

"Without this support, we could not have succeeded," said Sekiguchi. "This experience taught me the real touch of kindness of the human heart. I was a long way from home, but the kindness and humanity I found here touched me deeply."

With Sears' support, Sekiguchi was able to found Bigston Corporation USA and build a nationwide repair business, adding other large electronics manufacturers to Bigston's customer base. Today, Bigston Corporation USA provides electronic repair services to some of the world's leading electronics manufacturing companies.

Always an innovator, Bigston Corporation USA was one of the first servicing companies to incorporate computerized tracking and in-process barcode tracking for all products. As a result, Bigston provides its customers with extensive analysis of returned and repaired products, allowing Bigston customers to pinpoint production problems and improve product design.

The product-tracking technology developed for Bigston Corporation USA is now offered through Bigston's subsidiary, Bigston Information Technologies (www.bigston-it.com), to companies with complex manufacturing processes. Recently, the Bigston Information Technologies system was implemented in Komatsu America International's state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Newberry, South Carolina.

Starting out with ten employees in 1972, Bigston Corporation USA today employs 500 people at four locations in the United States and Mexico. Celebrations of Bigston Corporation's 30 year anniversary include events at each Bigston location and a thank you reception for Bigston customers and vendors at the Itasca Country Club in Itasca, Ill.

Bigston Corporation USA is a leader in refurbishing, repair and manufacturing services for the consumer electronics industry. Bigston offers state-of-the-art logistics support services, facilities management services, pre-packaged computer systems and human resources management to many of the world's largest consumer electronics manufacturers. Its subsidiary, Bigston Information Technology, develops and licenses various software systems for complex manufacturing processes. Bigston Corporation USA is an ISO 9002 certified company.