CDW Computer Centers, Inc. (Nasdaq: CDWC) has been named a finalist for the 2000 Better Business Bureau National Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics in the large-company category.

Judged by an independent panel of business and ethics experts, the BBB Torch Award recognizes companies that adhere to honest sales and business practices, uphold fair competition in the marketplace, pursue total customer satisfaction and achieve top quality in product or service.

"Each finalist is proof that an outstanding reputation in the marketplace leads to long-term success," said Calvin J.Collier, chair of the Council of Better Business Bureaus and senior vice president and general counsel/corporate affairs, Kraft Foods, Inc. "Businesses that do the right thing have a competitive advantage. They elicit the steadfast loyalty of their customers, employees, suppliers and vendors and surrounding communities, which in turn boosts sales of their service or product."

Over the past 16 years, CDW has moved swiftly up the ranks of America's most successful companies. The company is No. 560 on the FORTUNE 1000 for 2000; No. 6 on the Business Week InfoTech 100

ranking; and for the last two years has been named on the list of "100 Best Companies to Work For" in FORTUNE magazine.

"We believe that pursuing honest and ethical relationships - with our customers, our vendors, our coworkers and the community - is the only way to create a win/win situation for everybody," explained Michael Krasny, CDW founder and CEO. "We are proud to be recognized as a company that maintains the highest standard of ethical conduct and believe that this is an important ingredient of our successful business model."

More than 2,000 businesses compete in local BBB Torch Award competitions annually. CDW was named as the Northern Illinois regional winner in 1998 and a finalist in the 1999 national competition won by IBM. CDW once again entered the national contest for 2000, where it joins four other finalists in the large-company category of firms with 1,000 or more coworkers. CDW is the only high tech company to make the short list. The winner of the BBB Torch Award will be announced on September 25, 2000 at the Council of Better Business Bureau's national convention in Puerto Rico.

The Torch Award recognizes ethical business interactions with customers and business partners and acknowledges substantial corporate citizen efforts. CDW has provided significant volunteer and financial support for many charitable organizations, including the Make-a-Wish Foundation, the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, the Greater Chicago Food Depository, Children's Memorial Hospital and more.

About CDW
CDW® (Nasdaq: CDWC), ranked No. 560 on the Fortune 1000, is the country's direct solutions provider, offering complete, customized computing solutions for businesses and government and educational institutions nationwide. CDW is a leading source of technology products and services from companies such as Cisco, Compaq, Computer Associates, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Microsoft, Toshiba and other top name brands. CDW was founded in 1984 as a home-based business and today employs more than 2,400 coworkers whose efforts generated net sales of $3.2 billion for the trailing twelve months ended June 30, 2000. CDW's direct model offers one-on-one relationships with highly trained account managers; telephone and online purchasing; custom configured solutions and same day shipping; flexible financing solutions; and lifetime 24x7 phone and online technical support, with more than 75 factory-trained and A+ certified technicians on staff. As a result of CDW's full integration of its e-business strategy with its existing business model and internal systems, CDW.com receives more than 76,000 unique users daily. The company also interacts with more than 55,000 business customers with customized CDW@work extranets. For more information about CDW's products and services, call 800-797-4239 or visit the award-winning e-commerce Web site at www.cdw.com.

CDW

CDW

More from CDW