News
Annex Publishing & Printing Inc. acquires AIS magazines

October 29, 2004 – ANNEX Publishing & Printing Inc. is pleased to announce
that it has completed the acquisition of Top
Crop Manager, Canadian Rental Service,
Glass Canada, Ground Water Canada and
Drainage Contractor magazines from Exeter,
Ontario based AIS Communications Limited.

“I am very pleased to add these titles to our
growing group of agriculture, trade and special interest
titles,” said Mike Fredericks, President and
CEO of Annex. “These magazines are well established
in their respective industries. We are also very pleased
that the principals and employees of AIS will be joining
the ANNEX team and continue to operate the publications.”

Top Crop Manager has become known as
Canada's premium crop management advisory magazine,
with seven western issues, four eastern issues and
specialty editions, covering crops such as cereals,
canola, corn, soybeans, potatoes and others. The western
edition is read by 29,000 leading farmers and the
eastern edition by 22,000 leading farmers. Top
Crop Manager was founded in 1973 and originally
known as Agri-book Magazine.

Canadian Rental Service is published nine
times each year and has been part of the AIS stable
since 1984. It is read by 3500 tool and party rental
industry people across Canada. Glass Canada
was established by AIS in 1989 and is published six
times a year. It is read by 5800 glazing and flat
glass industry professionals across the country. Ground
Water Canada is read by 3200 well drillers and
pump installers that serve homeowners, farms and municipalities
across Canada. It was established by AIS in 1979 and
is published four times a year. Drainage Contractor
magazine is an annual specialty edition that is circulated
to 8100 agricultural drainage and land improvement
contractors in more than 20 countries around the world.
It was first published in 1973.

AIS Communications has been owned by partners, Peter
Phillips and Peter Darbishire since 1981 and operates
from its own offices in Exeter, Ontario. Under the
new ownership, the magazines will continue to be published
from this base with the same editorial, advertising
sales, production and circulation staff. Over the
past 23 years, Peter Darbishire, Peter Phillips and
the AIS team have built a stable of agricultural and
trade magazines that are all leaders in their respective
fields.

“We are pleased to be part of the ANNEX group
and that all staff members are continuing their careers
with the magazines they have come to know so well,”
says Phillips, publisher. “The resources of ANNEX
will enable the publications' continued growth and
stability into the future,” adds Darbishire.

As a result of the acquisition, ANNEX now publishes
24 national trade and special interest magazines,
one international trade magazine, operates a printing
plant and a national distribution centre for technical
books and videos.

For further information contact: Mike Fredericks,
President and CEO — ANNEX Publishing & Printing
Inc.
(519) 428-8020
Web site: www.annexweb.com