MICROCHEM CORP. Ranked Number 465 Fastest Growing Technology Company in North America on Deloitte & Touche Technology Fast 500!

Newton, MA. November 16, 2000. MicroChem Corp. today announced that it ranked 465 on the Deloitte & Touche Technology Fast 500, a ranking of the 500 fastest growing technology companies in North America. Rankings are based on five- year percentage revenue growth from 1995-1999. MicroChem Corp. grew 657% during this period.

"With it's ranking on the prestigious Deloitte & Touche Technology Fast 500, MicroChem's leaders have proven that they have the vision and the fortitude to excel in the highly competitive technology industry," said Mark A. Evans, managing director of Deloitte & Touche's Technology & Communication Group. "We congratulate them on becoming one of the 500 fastest growing companies in the U.S. and Canada.

In addition to ranking on the Deloitte & Touche Technology Fast 500, MicroChem Corp. ranked 41 on the New England Fast 50, which is a ranking of the 50 fastest growing technology firms in New England.

Overall, companies that ranked on the 2000 Technology Fast 500 had five-year growth rates ranging from 71,257 to 593 percent, with an average growth rate of 3,960 percent. The majority of Fast 500 winners, or 46 percent, are in the software industry. Seventeen percent are Internet related, and 9 percent are in the biotechnology industry. The remaining companies are in the medical, technical and scientific manufacturing at nine percent, communications at five percent and semiconductors, components and electronics at two percent, with the remaining three percent in other types of technology.

For the last eight years MicroChem Corp. has built up a unique business in the photo-resist sector, developing new products and improving on existing products to meet specific needs of customers that are not being met by the larger photo-resist manufacturers. The company started by formulating a new e-beam resist product, which provided improved environmental qualities to users in the e-beam sector. Since it has brought to market lift-off resist products that are used in the fabrication of thin film heads for magnetic hard drives. In 1997 it introduced a family of thick film negative resists for use in the rapidly growing microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) market. In all cases, MicroChem has stuck to a strategy of catering to special photo-resist applications and customer groups which the large producers do not focus on but where there is strong growth potential for improved products. The overall aim is to develop value added new products targeted at emerging and growing market segments aligned with MicroChem's core business and technology expertise.

Scott Heidemann
Sales & Marketing Manager

MicroChem Corp.
1243 Chestnut Street
Newton, MA 02464
617-965-5511 x311
sheidemann
@microchem.com