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Advantage Performance Group Runs Exciting 'Cash Flow Boot Camp' for Major U.S. Manufacturer

Important Training Inspires Attendees, Forms Cornerstone of Company's Management Development Framework

PORTLAND, Ore. (Jan. 10, 2006) — Advantage Performance Group (APG), one of the world’s largest human performance consulting networks, has helped Northwest Pipe Company, (NASDAQ:NWPX), to charge up its managers by getting them to focus on cash. Using an exciting financial simulation called Decision Base, Northwest Pipe and APG immersed top managers of the $300 million company in its cash flow process and finances – emphasizing how their actions affect both areas. The company turned to APG to engage employees in business success, and expects the training to serve as a cornerstone for their management development framework moving forward.

The training has heightened awareness of Northwest Pipe’s cash flow and the interdependency of various functions across business units. One of the company’s business groups deals with long cash cycles, making cash management and conservation measures critical to the company’s success. Managers, who competed in small, cross-functional teams were asked to play nontraditional roles throughout the simulation.  As a consequence, they were able to develop greater teamwork and financial skills from the simulation, along with a newfound respect for the challenges their financial team faces daily.

"Giving our employees training that engages them in the business is key to making the investment in training pay off," said Winsor Jenkins, corporate director of human resources, Northwest Pipe Company. "It’s critical that our top managers understand how to work effectively to maximize our cash and business opportunities. Rather than 'tell' our managers that our business success relies on our ability to control inventories, for example, this simulation allows them to 'live the experience' under simulated conditions and have some fun along the way.  APG’s training also helped us reinforce the concept of a 'line-of-sight' from both an operational and strategic standpoint - meaning each manager could see the impact of their actions or decisions to the bottom line."

Initially 40 senior level managers encompassing operations, sales and marketing, finance and accounting attended the training.  All gave the simulation an enthusiastic "thumbs-up". Northwest plans to roll out the program to another 150 managers across the company.

"Northwest Pipe’s simulation illustrates the power that deliberate, effective training can have on an entire organization," said Dan Terry, APG partner. "In particular, the managers who role-played as financial managers have an incredible increase in understanding of the financial manager’s position. With the Advantage Way, we’ll be able to see exactly what impact has been made in this and additional management development courses."

The Advantage Way system is a unique training effectiveness methodology that enhances the results of any training program and ensures that training creates measurable business impact. The Advantage Way system guarantees that customers' training programs will achieve documented business results. The methodology is based on more than 30 years of research and practice by training effectiveness experts Dr. Robert Brinkerhoff and Dressler Dressler of APG.  

About Northwest Pipe Company
Northwest Pipe Company manufactures welded steel pipe in two business segments. Its Water Transmission Group is the leading supplier of large diameter, high-pressure steel pipe products that are used primarily for water transmission in the United States and Canada. Its Tubular Products Group manufactures smaller diameter steel pipe for a wide range of construction, agricultural, energy, industrial and mechanical applications. The Company is headquartered in Portland, Oregon and operates nine manufacturing facilities across the United States and Mexico.

About Advantage Performance Group
Advantage Performance Group (APG) is one of the world's largest and fastest growing human performance consulting networks. APG partners with world-class developers of training solutions and then applies a unique methodology to help organizations maximize their training ROI. By "doing training right" rather than focusing on "writing the training," APG has helped dozens of industry leaders maximize their training investments, including: Toyota, DaimlerChrysler, Edward Jones, General Electric, Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft and Bristol-Meyers Squibb. APG can be reached at www.advantageperformance.com.