FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Applied Control Engineering, Inc.
Acquires TransAmerican Automation

(FOR RELEASE: March 21, 2005)

Acquisition Adds Additional Locations and Industry-Specific Expertise to Leading-Edge Process Control and Manufacturing Information Systems Provider

NEWARK, DE, March 21, 2005 - Applied Control Engineering, Inc. (ACE), a leading provider of manufacturing automation and manufacturing information systems solutions, today announced it has completed the purchase of the assets of TransAmerican Automation, Inc, (TAI) an engineering control systems integration company with offices in Pittsburgh, PA, and Houston, TX.

Prior to this purchase, TAI was a division of Panelmatic, Inc., a leading supplier of custom manufactured Control Panels, RIE's, Operator Pulpits and Analyzer Shelters since 1957. Panelmatic and ACE have had a long-standing business and professional relationship. The sale of TAI will allow Panelmatic to concentrate on its core business. Both ACE and Panelmatic expect to utilize the strengths of each company where mutual business opportunities arise in the future.

Through this acquisition, ACE will expand its regional engineering, marketing, and local customer service capabilities. As a result, customers will have access to an enhanced network of engineering support, process knowledge and additional local service organizations with fast response to high priority manufacturing issues.

"Today, companies are focused on reducing the cost of capital improvements and ongoing operational costs," said Timothy L. Cole, President of Applied Control Engineering. "We feel that the additional capabilities and local support resources that the combination of ACE and TAI offers will be of significant value to our existing customer base and to new clients as well."

This acquisition also adds industry-specific knowledge to ACE's already strong staff of process control engineering and manufacturing IT experts. "Like ACE, TAI has a significant pharmaceutical, biotech, food, specialty chemical, and air separation customer base", said Thomas G. Bubenheim, Operations Manager for TAI-Pittsburgh. "We also bring a wealth of expertise to address the needs of the metals and oil & gas industries."

ACE's and TAI's engineering forces and offices will be merged into a single company but, at least for the near future, the former TAI offices will continue to use the TransAmerican Automation name. "The TAI name has great value to their existing customer base," said Mr. Cole. "While we will operate as a single company, we want to do everything that we can to reassure existing TAI customers that they will continue to receive the same excellent customer service and value from the engineering organization that they have learned to trust."

The merged company, with about 90 employees and over $12M in sales, will have offices in:

• Danbury, Connecticut (project engineering, sales, and service)
• Newark, Delaware (project engineering, sales, and service)
• Baltimore/Washington Metro (sales and service)
• Boston Metro (sales and service)
• Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (project engineering, sales, and service)
• Houston, Texas (project engineering, sales, and service)

"While many of our projects are sold locally, they often require installation support and occasional on-site service in other areas of the United States and around the world," said Mr. Cole. "These additional offices will allow us to more cost-effectively serve customers in a much larger area of the Mid-Western, Southern, and South-Central United States.

About Applied Control Engineering, Inc.
Applied Control Engineering, Inc. is a leading supplier of process control engineering and manufacturing management information integration services. Solutions are implemented by configuring commercially available control and IT hardware and software to meet customer's manufacturing requirements and provide secure product tracking, genealogy, quality data, and reporting as well as robust ties to enterprise-level systems. Major control system/IT platforms include ABB, Allen-Bradley/Rockwell, Emerson/ Fisher-Rosemount (DeltaV), GE, Honeywell, Microsoft, OSI Software, Schneider/Square D (Modicon), Siemens and Wonderware. For more information about Applied Control Engineering, telephone 302.738.8800 or visit www.ace-net.com.

About TransAmerican Automation, Inc.
TransAmerican Automation supplies integrated engineering and IT services to manufacturers throughout the Midwest and Southern United States. Projects are implemented with a focus towards reducing manufacturing costs, while providing the flexibility required to meet today's rapidly changing customer demands. For more information about TransAmerican Automation, call 412.257.2330 or visit www.tai-pit.com in Pittsburgh, or call 281.821.0201 or visit www.tai-hou.com in Houston.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may contain "forward-looking statements" relating to Applied Control Engineering, Inc. Applied Control Engineering undertakes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events or changes in future operating results.

Copyright © 2005 TransAmerican Automation, Inc.