Zep Inc. Helps Employ People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled Through Federal Government Program

Zep Inc. Helps Employ People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled Through Federal Government Program

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Zep Inc. (NYS: ZEP) , a leading consumable chemical packaged goods company that manufactures a wide variety of high-performance maintenance and cleaning chemicals, today announced an expansion of its relationship with the AbilityOne Program, National Industries for the Blind ("NIB") and Susquehanna Association for the Blind and Vision Impaired ("SABVI"), an AbilityOne^® authorized provider.

AbilityOne is a federal program, with assistance from NIB, created to help people who are blind or severely disabled find employment through nonprofit agencies that sell products and services to the U.S. government. The AbilityOne Program is the largest source of employment for people who are blind or have severe disabilities in the United States. More than 600 nonprofit organizations employ these individuals and provide quality products and services to the federal government at a fair market price.

"Zep Inc. has entered into a unique co-branding agreement with SABVI, to offer a comprehensive line of vehicle wash products in conjunction with NIB's SKILCRAFT^® brand," said Craig Hallman, National Account Executive - Federal Government for Zep Inc. "We look forward to working with SABVI and other associated agencies to create more opportunities for individuals who are blind or severely disabled."

"This is great news for SABVI. It will enable us to continue to fulfill our mission of creating job opportunities for people who are blind and further strengthen the organization's presence in the federal marketplace," said Dennis Steiner, SABVI President and CEO. "We are especially pleased to partner with Zep Inc., a global leader in providing quality, environmentally friendly maintenance and cleaning products."

Zep Inc. will provide bulk quantities of vehicle wash products to SABVI, which will repackage them for resale to government agencies under the Zep^®/SKILCRAFT^® brands.

"This new relationship with SABVI, NIB and the AbilityOne Program is an extension of our culture of service to customers and the community," said John K. Morgan, Chairman, President and CEO of Zep Inc. "We began our relationship with AbilityOne and NIB in 2011, working with two nonprofit agencies − Envision Inc. and The Lighthouse for the Blind - St. Louis − to offer our Meter Mist^® and GreenLink^® product brands in conjunction with NIB's SKILCRAFT^® brand, which is widely recognized by federal government purchasers."

The following Zep Inc. products will be available through AbilityOne sales channels and on the AbilityOne and SABVI websites.

About Zep Inc.

Zep Inc., with fiscal year 2012 net sales of $654 million, is a leading consumable chemical packaged goods company selling a wide variety of high-performance chemicals that help professionals and consumers clean, maintain and protect their assets. We are focused on the attractive industry dynamics of the transportation market and the industrial maintenance and repair operation ("MRO") market, which together now comprise approximately 61% of our revenue with the balance derived from sales into the facilities maintenance vertical. We market these products and services under well-recognized and established brand names, such as Zep®, Zep Commercial®, Zep Professional®, Enforcer®, National Chemical™, Selig™, Misty®, Next Dimension™, Petro®, i-Chem®, TimeMist®, TimeWick™, MicrobeMax®, Country Vet®, Konk®, Zep^®/SKILCRAFT^® ,Original Bike Spirits®, Armor All®, Blue Coral®, Black Magic®, Rain-X®, Niagara National™, FC Forward Chemicals®, Rexodan®, Mykal™, and a number of private label brands. Founded in 1937, some of Zep Inc.'s brands have been in existence since 1896. Zep Inc. is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Visit our website at www.zepinc.com.

About the AbilityOne Program

The AbilityOne^® Programis the largest source of employment for people who are blind or have other significant disabilities in the United States, providing nearly 50,000 job opportunities at 600 nonprofit agencies nationwide in FY 2012. The AbilityOne Program is administered by the Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled, an independent federal agency that operates as the U.S. AbilityOne Commission, with assistance from NIB and SourceAmerica^TM (formerly NISH). The Commission is comprised of 15 Presidential appointees, with 11 representing federal agencies, and four serving as private citizens who are knowledgeable about the obstacles to employment of people who are blind or have significant disabilities. For more information about AbilityOne, visit www.abilityone.gov.

About National Industries for the Blind

For 75 years, National Industries for the Blind (NIB) has focused on enhancing the opportunities for economic and personal independence of people who are blind, primarily through creating, sustaining and improving employment. NIB and its network of 91 associated nonprofit agencies nationwide serve as the largest employer for people who are blind by the sale of SKILCRAFT^® and other products and services through the AbilityOne^® Program, established by the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act. For more information about NIB, visit www.NIB.org.

About Susquehanna Association for the Blind and Vision Impaired

Susquehanna Association for the Blind and Vision Impaired (SABVI) serves more than 2,000 individuals who are blind or vision impaired in Lancaster, Lebanon, Somerset, Berks, Chester and Philadelphia counties through a variety of programs including early childhood education, rehabilitation services, employment training, and industrial/manufacturing services. SABVI also houses the Steinman Eye Clinic, providing diagnostic eye care services at a need-based minimal charge. For more information about SABVI, visit www.sabvi.com.

Investor Contact:
Zep Inc.
Don De Laria, 404-350-6266
VP, Investor Relations and Communications
don.delaria@zep.com

KEYWORDS: United States North America Georgia

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS:

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