New Products Corporation Raises Awareness During Senior PGA in Benton Harbor

BENTON HARBOR, MI--(Marketwire - May 29, 2012) - Lawn signs and large 50 ft. banners displayed on delivery trucks across from a VIP entrance to the Senior PGA, along with offers of free cold water and informational flyers, attracted the attention of visitors to this past week's tournament at Harbor Shores in Benton Harbor.

All were part of the effort by Benton Harbor's largest manufacturer, New Products Corporation, to tell its story about the company's property that was illegally taken for the 18^th fairway of the Harbor Shores Golf Course.

New Products also posted signage around its property at North Shore Drive and Klock Road to publicize the company's 90^th anniversary of continuous die cast operations and to raise awareness about WhatIsTheBigSqueeze.com, a website that details issues impacting NPC's operations.

NPC volunteers distributed free bottles of water and informational flyers to tournament visitors, answered questions and encouraged people to help spread the word.

"It was helpful to hear people's comments," said Cheryl Miller, NPC's president and CEO, who also distributed water and talked with visitors. "The majority of people expressed surprise and disbelief that our property could be taken this way."

Before the course was constructed, New Products made numerous attempts to notify Harbor Shores through correspondence and "no trespassing" signs that a portion of the 18^th fairway was on the company's property. After receiving no response, NPC filed a lawsuit in September 2011 against Harbor Shores, the city of Benton Harbor and others.

"There's a misperception that our property was taken by eminent domain," added Miller. "This was not the case."

Eminent domain is defined as the right of a government or its agent to expropriate private property for public use, with payment of compensation. In the case of NPC's land, it was taken by private developers without compensation.

According to Miller, it is clear from ongoing property encroachments, spiking water rates in Benton Harbor and other issues squeezing the company's operations, Harbor Shores does not want a manufacturing facility in the middle of its development.

"We have a 90 year history of being good neighbors and contributors to the local community," said Miller. "There's no reason we can't find a way to co-exist and continue our operations for another 90 years. We are a world class U.S. manufacturer and one of the few remaining in this area. It's not right for anyone, no matter who they are or what they do, to take property that doesn't belong to them."

Unsure of how the Senior PGA would impact NPC's manufacturing operations during the tournament, Miller credited PGA officials with running a well organized event.

About New Products Corporation
New Products Corporation (NPC) was founded in 1922 in Benton Harbor, Mich., by Walter Miller, an electrical engineer and prolific inventor. Over the past 90 years, NPC has become a global supplier of custom, precision die cast aluminum and zinc parts for thousands of applications in a variety of industries, including automotive, military, industrial machinery, medical instruments, household appliances, transportation equipment, furniture and fixtures, and more. Today, NPC is a TS 16949 certified, woman-owned small business, recognized for its "world class" quality. For more information, visit www.newproductscorp.com.