McGraw-Hill Construction Partners with China Building Standard Design & Research Institute

Program to Significantly Increase Access to Fourth Largest Construction Market for U.S. Building Product Manufacturers

Chicago, IL (April 9, 2003) -McGraw-Hill Construction, part of The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE:MHP), today announced a strategic alliance with China Building Standard Design & Research Institute ("CBS"). This alliance will help US building product manufacturers sell their products in China - the fourth largest construction market in the world. The announcement took place at the 47th Annual CSI Show in Chicago, IL, from April 9 - 11, 2003.

McGraw-Hill Construction connects people, projects and products across the design and construction industry with leading information and intelligence thereby enabling architects, engineers, contractors, owners and other industry players to make informed decisions. Under this new agreement, US manufacturers will be able to present their product information in China's "Building Product Handbook", which is co-published by CBS and the Ministry of Construction, People's Republic of China, and distributed to virtually all Class A design institutes in China.

The CBS Building Product Handbook, which focuses on technical measures of building products and product information from selected manufacturers, is the first of its kind in China. Its 2003 edition includes product listings from over 400 manufacturers. The Handbook is used in the Ministry of Construction's regular training program and continuing education program for registered architects and structural engineers in China. With the strong endorsement of the Ministry, this Handbook is becoming an important reference tool for China's architectural, design and other construction-related firms.

Under the agreement, US manufacturers' product information will be presented according to Chinese standards, and translated into Chinese. McGraw-Hill Construction will work with CBS to enhance the Handbook's effectiveness, by leveraging Sweets' 100+ years of experience in connecting manufacturers with the right product decision makers in the industry.

"This is truly a groundbreaking partnership," said McGraw-Hill Construction president, Norbert W. Young, Jr, FAIA. "China is the fourth largest construction market in the world and, at the moment, the fastest growing market among the top 10 countries. Moreover, the selection of China to host the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai will further drive the construction industry in coming years. We chose to make this announcement now, because The CSI Show is the industry event that targets all members of the commercial construction team. With over 600 vendors and manufacturers serving the construction industry present, we will be able to give this exciting program a powerful launch."

Howard Mager, senior vice president of McGraw-Hill Construction and general manager of Sweets further observed, "Sweets is dedicated to helping manufacturers to understand markets better and penetrate them more effectively and efficiently. Since the Handbook will be distributed widely to China's design and architectural communities, US manufacturers will be reaching the key players in the construction market. In fact, Thursday evening we will be hosting the fourth annual McGraw-Hill Construction Sweets Marketplace Awards which recognizes building product manufacturers whose marketing programs have exceptional marketplace presence in terms of organized technical content, aesthetic appeal, and concise and usable data."

McGraw-Hill Construction connects the leading information and intelligence of the construction industry under one name, and is exhibiting at the CSI Show's booth #1801. It is displaying the Sweets Marketplace, Dodge's project offerings, Engineering News-Record (ENR), Architectural Record, Regional Publications, and the industry's largest, most trafficked online portal, construction.com.

About China Building Standard Design & Research Institute (CBS)

Formed in 1956, under the (now) Ministry of Construction, CBS became an independent corporate enterprise in 2001 to better serve a construction industry which includes over 350,000 players. Its 200 staff of mostly trained architects and engineers engage such activities as offering a Qualified Class A building design institutes and a Class B urban planning institute. The Ministry of Construction (MoC) commissions CBS to design, publish and administer the National Building Standard Design Drawings, whose 36 million copies in China have been widely adopted. The MoC also authorizes CBS to develop and manage the State Architectural Code, the National Building Product Code, the National Classification and Coding System for Building Products, and the National Technical Measures for Design of Building Construction.

About McGraw-Hill Construction

McGraw-Hill Construction connects people, projects and products across the design and construction industry. From project and product information to industry news, trends and forecasts, the Company provides industry players the tools, resources and applications that help them save time, money, and energy. Backed by the power of Dodge, Sweets, Architectural Record, Engineering News-Record (ENR) and our Regional Publications, McGraw-Hill Construction serves more than one million customers within the $3.4 trillion global construction community. For more information, visit www.construction.com.

About ASA

Founded in 1966, ASA serves 5,500 member companies and is dedicated to improving general business conditions for all subcontractors through unified and cooperative actions. ASA's vision is to be the united voice dedicated to improving the business environment in the construction industry. The association emphasizes industry and legislative reforms on such issues as prompt payment, pay-if-paid clauses, retainage, lien rights, bid shopping, and unfair risk transfer through indemnity, additional insured requirements and waivers of subrogation. ASA provides its members with advocacy, leadership, education and networking.
For more information, visit www.asaonline.com.

About The McGraw-Hill Companies

Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies is a global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the financial services, education and business information markets through leading brands such as Standard & Poor's, BusinessWeek and McGraw-Hill Education. The Corporation has over 350 offices in 33 countries. Sales in 2002 were $4.8 billion. Additional information is available at www.mcgraw-hill.com.

COMPANY CONTACT:
Kathy Malangone
212-904-4376
kathy_malangone@mcgraw-hill.com

PORTFOLIO PR CONTACT:
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212-736-9224
jcahn@portfoliopr.com

SOURCE: The McGraw-Hill Companies