ROCKVILLE CENTRE, NY, (September 21, 1999) - Yellow Book USA, the oldest and largest competitive yellow pages publisher in the U.S., announced its plan to enter the Carroll County, Maryland market with its "One-Book" solution yellow pages directory. The new Carroll County "One Book" will cover the Carroll County/Westminster area and extend into the southern portion of Adams County, Pennsylvania.
Coming early in 2000, Yellow Book's Carroll County "One Book" will offer unique features including coupons, a fold-out map and a restaurant menu section, in addition to a distinct 8" x 10" size with an easy-to-read 3-column format. The coverage area of the directory was specifically designed to take into account consumer shopping/travel patterns, and not be limited by telephone coverage area only.
Businesses in the Carroll County market will also have the opportunity to advertise on Yellow Book USA's companion online product - www.theonebook.com to broaden their reach even further.
Victoria Sharrar, Vice President, Mid-Atlantic Region for Yellow Book USA, commented, "Responding to numerous requests from our current advertisers in the Baltimore, MD and York, PA markets, we are entering the Carroll County market with what we believe is a truly distinct, consumer friendly product. Beyond value-added features like our coupon offerings and fold-out maps, we believe our focus on tracking consumer shopping/travel patterns will result in a unique, well received directory --offering an invaluable, differentiated resource to both advertisers and consumers."
Yellow Book's entry into Carroll County strategically bolsters the Company's position in the Maryland/Southern PA area -- adding Carroll County to contiguous Yellow Book markets in Baltimore, where Yellow Book has published a successful directory for over 10 years, and York County, PA.
Joe Walsh, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Yellow Book USA, stated, "The tremendous acceptance of The One Book by consumers and businesses in Metropolitan Baltimore and Washington for more than 10 years has provided us with an excellent platform to enter the Carroll County/Westminster market. We are confident that The One Book will soon become Carroll County's dominant directory."
The Carroll County "One Book" will be supported by a multi-media advertising campaign.
The launch of this directory is the latest in a series of corporate developments for Yellow Book USA.
Established in 1930, Yellow Book USA is the oldest and largest competitive yellow pages publisher in the United States. In August 1999, Yellow Book USA was acquired by British Telecommunications plc, forming a nearly $1 Billion multi-continent yellow pages publishing organization. In July 1999, Yellow Book USA acquired Yellow Page One, Inc., publishers of 9 directories in the Chicago Suburbs. In April 1999, Yellow Book USA acquired Directory Publishers, Inc. in Georgia. In July 1998, Yellow Book USA acquired Southern Directory Company, Inc. publishing 29 directories in five southeastern states, and in December 1997, it acquired R.H. Donnelley's proprietary operations publishing 43 yellow pages directories in five Mid-Atlantic states and Washington D.C.
As a result, Yellow Book USA has a circulation of over 19 million with more than 1500 employees in 32 offices. Approximately one in three Americans east of the Mississippi use Yellow Book directories. Yellow Book USA publishes community directories, wide-area directories, county directories, city directories, a Business-to-Business directory, and college and university directories.
###