CRITTALL WINDOWS LTD. WINS MAJOR JUDGEMENT AGAINST HOPES ARCHITECTURAL PRODUCTS, INC.

Steel Window Manufacturer Reclaims Its Historical Legacy

Orange, CT - October 09, 2002, Crittall Windows Ltd., a U. S. owned British company established in 1849, the worlds oldest and largest steel window manufacturer, has obtained a contempt judgement against Hopes Architectural Products Inc., now known as Hopes Windows, Inc. (Hopes) of Jamestown, New York.

On October 3, 2002, The United States District Court for the Western District of New York found Hopes in willful civil contempt for violating a Court Order that required Hope's stop using and distributing promotional and marketing material that included certain historical references.

The federal court conflict between the two parties began in 1996. In that lawsuit, Crittall requested damages and injunctive relief based upon the advertising slogans of Hopes that it had been in business "Since 1818" or "For over 175 years." Hopes Architectural Products, Inc. was, in fact, founded in 1982 and changed its name to Hopes Windows, Inc. in 1998.

Crittall had demanded that Hopes, its principal U.S. competitor, stop claiming the legacy of Henry Hope & Sons Ltd., a company that began manufacturing metal windows in Birmingham, England circa 1818, and its wholly owned North American subsidiary, the original Hopes Windows Inc. Both companies had been merged into Crittall in 1965. The lawsuit concluded with a Stipulated Judgement that was made an Order of the Court on September 22, 2000.

The two year old Court Order required Hopes to immediately stop using the phrase 'Since 1818 or similar phrases which say or suggest that the company has been in business for nearly 200 years. The Order also required the company to promptly recall any sales material in the possession of employees and independent representatives, which contained language in violation of the Order.

Hopes did not recall the sales material and continued to publish and distribute material, which violated the Order. Finding Hopes in willful contempt, the Court awarded Crittall Windows Ltd. in excess of $125,000.00 in attorneys fees and costs and warned that any further violations of the Order "may be referred to the U.S. Attorneys Office for investigation and possible prosecution for criminal contempt."

Michael Vlock, Chairman of Crittall Windows Ltd. and Crittall North America said, "We are pleased with the Courts ruling and its recognition of the seriousness of this matter. This ruling speaks to the integrity of the architectural and preservation communities and to the consumer who should be able to make decisions based on accurate advertising claims. For years weve been demanding that Hopes stop trading on our legacy. They have claimed responsibility for countless jobs we did years before they went into business, and customers were calling the wrong company. We dont mind competition, but the competition should sell on its own merits, not ours. We finally got a court order 2 years ago and they violated it. I trust that this ruling puts an end to it."

About Crittall Windows Ltd.
Established in 1849 in Braintree Essex, England, Crittall Windows Ltd., became the leading international source of metal windows and doors, with manufacturing facilities on five continents.

In 1907, the company built and operated the Detroit Steel Products Co., the first steel window factory in the United States. Following a merger with Henry Hope & Sons, the company became the largest window business in the world and was briefly known as Crittall-Hope Ltd., before being renamed Crittall Windows Ltd.

The breadth of Crittalls legacy is impressive. Albert Kahns giant Ford River Rouge Plant, Frank Lloyd Wrights Fallingwater, Walter Gropius Bauhaus, L. Cordonniers Peace Palace (The Hague), and Buckingham Palace are just a few of the many great buildings supplied by Crittall and Henry Hope & Sons, Ltd. directly or by one of their many subsidiaries.

For new construction and refurbishment, Crittall manufactures and provides steel windows and doors to the commercial, institutional and residential construction industries worldwide. Recent installations range from replacing thousands of landmark sensitive gothic and ornate windows at Yale and Princeton Universities to supplying high performance windows and doors for very contemporary and environmentally conscious projects like President George W. Bushs Crawford, Texas ranch.

For more information, please contact Linda Wolfe of Crittall North America at
203-799-2356 or visit www.crittallna.com.