Wheeling, Ill. – BÖWE BELL + HOWELL (BBH) and China Post/Shanghai Research Institute (SRI) today held a signing ceremony finalizing a cooperative agreement that enables distribution of BBH's High-Speed Flats Feeder technology into mainland China, and integration of SRI cross-belt technology into BBH systems for the global market. China Post is a state-owned large enterprise that regulates the national postal industry in the People's Republic of China, and SRI is a leading research and development organization that consults and provides solutions and recommendations to China Post.

The integration of cross-belt technology with BBH systems creates a highly automated, efficient system for sorting parcels, packages or flats in a production environment, providing the speed and accuracy required for the processing of millions of items per day.

"We are honored and very pleased to enter into this mutually beneficial agreement with China Post/SRI. This relationship is consistent with our philosophy of providing customer-focused innovation, in long-term partnerships with recognized industry experts," said George Marton, BBH chief executive officer.

"Our cooperative agreement with industry leader BÖWE BELL + HOWELL enables us to achieve our objectives – to help meet the increasing demand for fast, efficient mail delivery, while giving us the opportunity to enter new global markets through BBH and Bell + Howell International," said Mr. Jin Wei Ping, chief business development officer and chief economist for SRI. "Businesses have to look beyond their borders for solutions to industry challenges, and expand the scope of their own internal capabilities through partnerships. In this, we share a similar view with BÖWE BELL + HOWELL and are looking forward to a long and profitable relationship with them."

China is one of the few countries in the world that is experiencing growth in paper mail volumes. The modernization of the mail-handling infrastructure in China, including the postal system, provides for a unique opportunity for partnership with China Post/SRI. "We look forward to working with China Post/SRI, learning about the market needs in China and leveraging our U.S. mailing infrastructure knowledge," added Mike Swift, president, BBH postal and sorting software.

The delegation's extended visit included tours of production facilities in Wheeling and in Durham, North Carolina.