Ballard Inc Wins
PRO Magazine's 2006 Innovation Award

-- News Release --

PRO Magazine’s 2006 INNOVATION Award Winners Announced
Ballard, Inc. Winner
in Shop & Service Equipment Category

            Fort Atkinson, WI – (November 6, 2006) - PRO magazine, the business success authority for landscape professionals, has announced the 2006 INNOVATION Award winners. The prestigious program recognizes outstanding companies whose products or services have best responded to landscape professionals’ challenges by offering creative and innovative ideas.

            Ballard Inc.'s Super Jack H.D. was selected by a panel of landscape professionals as the top product in the shop and service equipment category.

            The list of winners for this year’s event reads like a Who’s Who of companies serving the multi-billion-dollar landscape market. Divided into 14 product categories, the 2006 INNOVATION Awards were judged by a distinguished panel of professional landscape contractors who evaluated each of the dozens of product finalists on six criteria:

• Innovation
• Ease of use
• Cost effectiveness
• Quality contribution
• Maintainability
• Productivity improvements

            The 2006 INNOVATION Award winners were presented their awards at a special ceremony and reception held at the Greater Columbus Convention Center on Friday, November 3rd during the Green Industry Expo show.

            “The landscape professionals judging this year’s competition certainly had their work cut out for them,” said Robert Warde, Editor of PRO Magazine. “The quality of the entries was extraordinary. Most every product category was hotly contested”.

            PRO is published by Cygnus Business Media, a leader in business-to-business media.  The magazine reaches more than 60,000 landscape contractors nine times per year, focusing exclusively on business management information for landscape professionals. For more information, visit www.promagazine.com or contact Robert Warde at 920-563-6388, robert.warde@cygnusb2b.com

            Cygnus Business Media reaches nearly 15 million business owners, executives and professionals annually through its portfolio of over 200 media products. Its four distinct divisions - Cygnus Publishing, Cygnus Expositions, Cygnus Interactive and Cygnus Custom Marketing - provide comprehensive, integrated advertising and marketing programs for Cygnus’ valued customers and clients. The company's leading business publications, tradeshows, conferences, websites, online products and custom marketing capabilities enhance brand identity, generate sales leads, and build product awareness as they strengthen customer/client relationships. For more information on how Cygnus Business Media can help you achieve your advertising and marketing objectives, visit www.cygnusb2b.com.