BLU-JET Wins No-Till Farmer’s 2007 Strip Till Product of the Year Award Cincinnati, Ohio, January 11, 2008 – Thurston Manufacturing Company announced today that has received No-Till Farmer’s Strip Till Product of the Year Award for its BLU-JET StripTill Systems product line. The recognition was bestowed upon BLU-JET by the readers of No-Till farmer, who vote for winners in several product categories. Readers are instructed to base their votes on the products that have been most successful in their no-till cropping operations that year.

Summary Date: Jan. 11, 2008 Product: BLU-JET StripTill Systems Event: 2007 StripTill Product of the Year Place: Cincinnati, OH Summary: Thurston Manufacturing Company announces BLU-JET has won the 2007 No-Till Farmer Strip Till Product of the Year Award.

The awards luncheon was held on January 11th during the 16th Annual National No-Tillage Conference in Cincinnati, OH. The BLU-JET StripTill Systems product line was described as having won the award for providing the marketplace with highly adjustable, extremely versatile components to match a multitude of soil types and residue situations. The wide variety of mainframes able to accept the BLU-JET StripTill components was also mentioned as ideal for matching numerous production strategies; as well as the implements’ ability to deliver anhydrous ammonia, liquid, dry, or dual placement fertilizer solutions in a one pass application.

Accepting the award for Thurston Manufacturing Company was Vice President of Marketing Nick Jensen. “This is a great honor…” said Jensen, “…knowing that our BLU-JET StripTill Systems product line was ranked first among numerous competitors by a nation-wide readership of no-tillers”. Jensen went on to say that one of the secrets to the success of the BLU-JET line was “…consistent communications with farmers and dealers in an effort to continually improve and develop the products they require”.

The product line contains the AT6010, one of the few Strip Till mainframes that can extend to 60’ widths, allowing farmers to match their 24 row planters on 30” spacing. BLU-JET also offers one of the most economical pull-type Strip Till applicators on the market, the LandRunner II, which can be configured for 12 rows or 16 rows on 30” spacing. 3-point mounted StripTill Systems mainframes can be configured in 6, 8, 12, and 16 rows on 30” spacing and can be operated independently or be combined with the LandTracker 9400 pull-type caddy. The LandTracker 9400 System gives producers the option of carrying dry or liquid fertilizer on the applicator instead of pulling it behind. Every new BLU-JET StripTill Systems applicator has a five year frame warranty, one of the longest in the industry.

In addition to fitting BLU-JET AT6010, LandRunner II, and StripTill Systems mainframes, the BLU-JET StripTill Row units can be ordered to fit existing 4”x6”, 6”x4”, 6”x6”, and 7”x7” toolbars, allowing some producers to retro-fit units they currently own. Many existing toolbars currently configured for odd row application can be set on even rows and operated in a Strip Till environment with the BLU-JET components. Whereas not all existing mainframes on the market will allow even row configurations, this option has permitted many farmers to reconfigure existing toolbars and save the expense of a new mainframe.

BLU-JET row unit components operate independently from one another, maximizing the ability of each to manage soil, residue, and terrain. They have fewer routine maintenance areas then many competitors, boasting as little as five grease points per row and as little as one spring per row. A majority of the grease points need attention only weekly or seasonally. Innovative design that uses greaseless bushings on some moving parts, spring steel or rubber torsion mounts on areas normally needing springs, and a highly adaptable disc hiller that can be operated with or without spring down pressure results in less maintenance needing to be performed at the end of the day.

Thurston Manufacturing Company currently retails its BLU-JET StripTill Product line through a nation-wide network of marketing groups and dealers. To find your local retailer, or for more information on BLU-JET StripTill and other products manufactured by Thurston Manufacturing Company, call 800.658.3127 or visit www.blu-jet.com.

Located in Thurston, Nebraska, Thurston Manufacturing Company has produced Fertilizer Application and Conservation Tillage Equipment for over 33 years. During this time, BLU-JET has been proud to be an industry leader in design innovation for both product categories. Other products produced at Thurston Manufacturing Company include Circle R Side Dump Trailers for the Construction Industry and OEM components for Agricultural, Construction, and Military applications. BLU-JET and Circle R are registered trademarks of Thurston Manufacturing Company, 1708 H Avenue, Thurston, Nebraska 68062. - END -