Charles Industries' CMPH OSP Multipurpose Housings Granted RDUP Listing

ROLLING MEADOWS, IL--(Marketwire - April 23, 2008) - Charles Industries, Ltd., a leading provider of network edge innovations for telecommunications providers, today announced that its family of Charles Multi-Purpose Housings (CMPH) for fiber optic and copper applications has been granted product acceptance by the Rural Development Utilities Program (RDUP), a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. RDUP listing allows rural telecommunications service providers to purchase and install this equipment using RDUP loans and grants.

CMPH are versatile outside plant enclosures designed for both new provisioning installations (greenfield applications) as well as rehabilitation of existing access points housed in metallic enclosures (brownfield applications). The CMPH's superior structural strength, outstanding environmental protection and ease of installation combine to create a long-life, non-metallic housing that reduces operational expenses. CMPH are available in copper and fiber optic configurations. The copper version has internal ladder bars and grounding hardware designed for large pair count copper splices. The fiber optic version has offset mounting brackets designed for mounting sealed fiber optic closures and slack cable.

"RDUP listing of our CMPH housings is a tremendous asset for our customers," said Minesh Patel, vice president of Charles' Outside Plant Business Unit. "Rural service providers want to provide their customers with the most reliable service possible, and are embarking on DSL and FTTx initiatives to do so. The CMPH provides them with an RDUP-listed splicing and slack storage solution that will aid them in their high-speed Internet and triple play deployments."

The Rural Development Utilities Program (formerly the Rural Utilities Service) has promoted universal service throughout America for more than 50 years and continues to provide many programs for financing rural America's telecommunications infrastructure. Rural providers that receive RDUP funds are encouraged to use RDUP equipment, and contractors use the list as a reference for reliable, field-proven technologies. The full list of RDUP accepted materials can be found on the USDA's website at www.usda.gov/rus/telecom/index.htm.

"We developed our CMPH series after listening to the concerns of rural service providers. Many of their ideas for a convenient rehabilitation solution for metal cabinets were incorporated into our design," said Al McGovern, director of engineering for Charles' Outside Plant Business Unit. "We're pleased that RDUP has recognized the standards-based protection our multi-purpose housings provide and has chosen to include them in their accepted materials list, making them available to our rural provider customers that utilize RDUP programs."

About Charles Industries, Ltd.

2008 marks Charles Industries' 40th year as a privately held, diversified manufacturing and technology company serving telecommunications, marine and industrial markets. Founded in 1968, the company is ISO 9001:2000 and TL 9000 certified and employs more than 500 professionals in its Rolling Meadows, Illinois, corporate headquarters and four U.S.-based manufacturing plants. For further information, please visit www.charlesindustries.com or call (847) 806-6300.

Contact Information: For more information: Brad Wackerlin Charles Industries, Ltd. (847) 258-8458