Please direct your media and public relations inquiries to: mediarelations@cdw.com 800-800-4CDW CDW Distinguished as One of the "100 Best Companies to Work for in America" for Second Consecutive Year VERNON HILLS, Ill. - December 21, 1999 - - Stock options for all coworkers, holiday turkeys, free trips and work/life benefits like an on-site fitness facility and child care center are some of the reasons for CDW's high-ranking position on FORTUNE magazine's "100 Best Places to Work for in America" list. CDW Computer Centers, Inc. (Nasdaq: CDWC), the country's leading direct solutions provider of brand name computer products, No. 11 on this year's list, credits its success to a unique culture where coworkers have always come first. "We're honored to be recognized for making a positive impact on the lives of our coworkers," said Michael Krasny, founder and CEO of CDW. "Our culture is based on putting coworkers first. We believe that if we create a positive work environment, then our customers will receive the highest level of service." Sales have grown steadily over the past 15 years at the FORTUNE 1000 company, and the number of coworkers has increased from one to more than 1,900. But CDW still maintains a family atmosphere with all coworkers doing their part to contribute to the company's ongoing success. "We are committed to providing our coworkers with a challenging and rewarding work environment that offers unique benefits and incentives along with opportunities for learning and personal growth. No matter how big we get, we strive to focus on what really matters - our people," said Arthur Friedson, director of coworker services of CDW. To help coworkers strike a healthy balance between professional and personal time, CDW goes beyond compensation to the very essence of work and family lives. In October of this year, CDW opened a new 33,000-square foot childcare and fitness center at its VERNON HILLS, Ill., headquarters. The center, dubbed CDW@Play, provides a stimulating learning environment for up to 144 children and offers complete fitness facilities, including weight rooms and basketball, racquetball and volleyball courts. "At CDW, you are part of the family. I give a lot to CDW, but in return I feel very rewarded - both with benefits and challenging work," said Lisa Tegtmeyer, a long-time CDW coworker. Tegtmeyer started at the switchboard in 1990; today she manages the company's 200,000 square-foot warehouse and distribution center. High coworker satisfaction contributed to CDW's position on FORTUNE's 100 Best list, with more than two-thirds of the scoring based on coworker survey responses. Companies were ranked based on a survey completed by more than 33,000 employees at 236 companies nationwide. The magazine compiled the list with the help of Robert Levering and Milton Moskowitz, best-selling authors of The 100 Best Companies to Work for in America. Eligible companies had to be at least 10 years old and have at least 500 full-time employees. CDW® (Nasdaq: CDWC - news), ranked No. 435 on the FORTUNE 500, offers complete, customized technology solutions for businesses, government agencies and educational institutions nationwide. CDW is a leading source of technology products and services from companies such as Cisco, Compaq, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Sony, Toshiba and other top name brands. CDW was founded in 1984 as a home-based business and today employs more than 2,700 coworkers whose efforts generated net sales of $3.8 billion in 2000. CDW's direct model offers one-on-one relationships with highly trained account managers; purchasing via telephone, the award-winning www.cdw.com Web site, and customized CDW@work(TM) extranets; custom configured solutions and same day shipping; flexible financing solutions; and, telephone and online technical support with its factory-trained and A+ certified technicians. Additional information can be found by visiting http://www.cdw.com.