Please direct your media and public relations inquiries to: mediarelations@cdw.com 800-800-4CDW Tech Veteran CDW Among Fastest Climbers in FORTUNE 1000 VERNON HILLS, Ill. - April 22, 1999 - Tech veterans made the most strides in this year's FORTUNE 1000 ranking, with CDW Computer Centers, Inc. (NASDAQ: CDWC) climbing fast among them. The country's leading direct solutions provider of brand name computer products, CDW, skyrocketed 122 slots to No. 746, up from last year's debut at 868. CDW's climb is one of the largest increases among high-tech players returning to the FORTUNE 1000. Other fast technology climbers include America Online and 3COM, also jumping more than 100 slots. "At CDW, we have found that sticking to what we do best has given us the opportunity to realize many successes. For CDW, success is a marathon, not a 50-yard-dash, and takes consistent performance over time," said CEO Michael Krasny. "This ranking shows that in the midst of our 15-year marathon, CDW is clearly outdistancing the competition." CDW's surge in the rankings mirrors its recent, as well as, consistent financial success, with $1.9 billion in net sales for the trailing twelve months ended March 31, 1999, an increase of 38 percent from the same period last year. CDW's strong double-digit growth is a departure from the norm, with the average revenue growth of this year's FORTUNE 500 companies up just 4 percent over last year. But it was business as usual for CDW, a company who has consistently outperformed benchmarks during its 15-year history and recently reported its 23rd consecutive quarter of sequential sales growth. Driving this success is CDW's family of coworkers, which has grown to more than 1,500 from its humble beginnings, when one man--founder Krasny--sold a PC from his kitchen table. The annual FORTUNE 1000 list, featured in the April 26 issue of FORTUNE magazine, ranks publicly traded U.S. companies based on revenue, profits, market value, number of employees and return to investors. Advancing 122 slots in the FORTUNE rankings is one of CDW's many recent successes. Last month, the direct solutions provider became one of only six large-company finalists for the national Better Business Bureau Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics. And proving that profits depend on people, CDW was named No. 36 among the "100 Best Companies to Work for in America," based on a national survey for FORTUNE magazine published earlier this year. CDW has also been named one of "America's 100 Fastest-Growing Companies" for the past two years by FORTUNE magazine. About CDW CDW® (NASDAQ: CDWC) is the country's leading direct solutions provider, offering complete, customized computing solutions for business and consumers nationwide. With competitive prices on a selection of thousands of brand name computer products, CDW is the No. 1 authorized direct source of Compaq, Computer Associates, IBM, Microsoft, Toshiba and other top name brands. Founded in 1984 as a one-man, home-based business, CDW today employs more than 1,500 coworkers whose efforts generated net sales of $1.9 billion for the trailing twelve months ended March 31, 1999. CDW's pioneering direct model offers personalized expertise through one-on-one relationships with highly-trained, knowledgeable account managers; telephone and online purchasing; custom configured solutions; next day shipping; and lifetime phone and online technical support, with close to 60 factory-trained and A+ certified technicians on staff. 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. For media inquiries or general company information, please call CDW's media relations at 888-CDW-7040.