DATELINE: ISSUED SEPTEMBER 6, 1999...Together®, the nation's largest personal introduction service, has reached a company milestone with this month's celebration of its 25th anniversary.

When the company opened the doors to its first office in Rochester, NY in September of 1974, naysayers doubted that matchmaking -- at that time still very much the domain of family and friends -- could be the basis for a successful business. But Together's concept proved immediately successful with the burgeoning Baby Boomer population. Within just three years, the company had sold its first franchise and embarked on a period of rapid growth that continues unabated.

On April 1 of this year, the company continued unprecedented growth. Seventeen offices of The Right One® merged with 70 national franchises of Together®, creating the world's largest introduction service. The alliance is a marriage of convenience for customers -- offering a more consistent product, a greater number of potentially compatible mates and more flexibility in transferring memberships to another geographic region. Ongoing franchise offerings ensure continued growth for the companies and a greater pool of matchable mates for clients.

Growing into the next millenium

The Right One® has 17 offices throughout the nation, including California (Walnut Creek, Mountain View); Massachusetts (Hingham, Chestnut Hill, Worcester and Woburn); New Hampshire (Bedford); Rhode Island (Warwick); Nebraska (Omaha and Lincoln); Iowa (Des Moines, Cedar Rapids and Bettendorf); Illinois (Springfield and Bloomington); Wisconsin (Madison) and Georgia (Atlanta). The Right One's corporate headquarters are located in Hingham, Massachusetts.

The new merger with Together ®, with 70 existing locations, will add the following locations to the company's North American presence: Arizona (Tucson); California (Encino, Los Angeles, Sacramento); Colorado (Colorado Springs, Denver); Connecticut (Farmington, Norwich, South Norwalk); Florida (Boca Raton, Clearwater, Ft. Myers, Jacksonville); Indiana (Ft. Wayne, Indianapolis, Mishawaka); Kansas (Wichita); Kentucky (Louisville, Lexington); Louisiana (Metarie); Maryland (Columbia, Frederick); Michigan (Livonia, Okemos); Missouri (Kansas City), Minnesota (Edina); Nevada (Reno), New Hampshire (Hooksett, Nashua, Portsmouth, Salem), New Jersey (Bridgewater, Clark, Colts Neck, North Brunswick, Cherry Hill, Lawrenceville, Linwood, Rochelle Park, Toms River); New York (Bayside, Brooklyn, Hauppauge, Levittown, Mineola, New York, N. Massapequa); North Carolina (Charlotte, Greensboro, Raleigh); Ohio (Cincinnati); Oklahoma (Oklahoma City, Tulsa); Pennsylvania (Mechanicsburg, King of Prussia); South Carolina (Columbia, Greenville); South Dakota (Sioux Falls); Texas (Austin, Dallas, San Antonio, Beaumont, Houston); Virginia (Falls Church).

Offices in Canada include Calgary, Kelowna, Red Deer, Vancouver, Victoria and Edmonton.

REELING IN THE YEARS
A kiss was still a kiss. A sigh was still a sigh. And meeting someone special was still a challenging quest for singles.

The year Together® opened its doors, Watergate and the resignation of President Nixon dominated headlines. A national gas shortage meant long lines and high prices at service stations. Baseball legend Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth's home run record with 715. Patty Hearst went from being famous as the daughter of a publishing mogul to being infamous after her association with the Symbionese Liberation Army.

Fast forward 25 years. President Clinton faced Monicagate and the impeachment Nixon managed to escape. Self-serve stations pump out a steady flow of fuel with prices that even dipped below the $1 mark. Sammy Sosa and Mark McGuire, hot on the heels of breaking Roger Marris single season homer record, are well on their way to challenging Aaron's milestone. A former member of the group that "kidnapped" Hearst was arrested after many decades underground and in disguise.

In the '70s, herpes was the feared consequence of the sexual revolution. The '90s has its own cause for concern with AIDS and the HIV virus.

In the '70s, the average Together member was in their 20s. Today, most customers are in their 30s to 50 something. The older demographic, is due in equal part to time-consuming careers and an increasing divorce rate -- factors that have made Together's services all the more in demand in recent years.

LOOKING BACK AT THE PAST, LOOKING FORWARD TO THE FUTURE
Throughout the decades, Together® has continually focused its efforts on offering the best introduction service available and developing new ways to best meet the needs of its membership. While the building blocks of what makes a successful relationship and how to bring potential lovers together may always remain the same, Together® and The Right One® have taken advantage of modern technology and new methods to ensure success.

Together® and The Right One®'s team of relationship experts work one-on-one with members using compatibility profiles that have been in use and under constant refinement since its very first day in business.

Through professional interviewing techniques and member feedback, the system produces compatibility profiles that reflect certain individual personality traits, preferences and tendencies. It is a self-reporting questionnaire, with no right or wrong answers, and successful predictions are made based on analysis in three key dimensions and 13 specific areas. Intellectual profiles include sociability, character strength, trust, work motivation, religious attitude and conformity. Physical compatibility characteristics gauges are dominance, competitiveness, self-image and sexual attitudes. Emotional characteristics measured are temperament, maturity and spontaneity.

A customized computer hardware and software system, adds a high tech twist to cupids arrow. Using the sophisticated profiling system, counselors work with personality, value and lifestyle profiles to list a series of compatible matches with other members, taking the guesswork out of matchmaking.

"It is interesting to note that compatibility is not necessarily determined by two persons having the same predetermination in a given area," said Ray Walker, Chief Operating Officer of Together® and The Right One® and an original architect of the system. "We have all heard the old adage that 'opposites attract.' There is also that intangible factor known as chemistry, that is also an important determinant of compatibility. Predicting compatibility is not a science. At best, it is a fascinating art considering that every individual is uniquely and wondrously made."

Brad Megahan, the company's president, began his career with Together in 1982 as a young man in his late 20s. Growing along with the company, he saw Together build itself from just 20 locations to a North American giant.

Paul A. Falzone, a one-time Together® franchisee, left the company three years ago to start his own company, The Right One®. In April, with the merger of the two services, Falzone became CEO of the combined company.

Falzone views Together®'s and The Right One® success on the Internet as another reason for its phenomenal growth.

"The Web allows us to reach out to potential members in a manner that is efficient, cost-effective and gets immediate results," he said. "It has dramatically helped us increase company awareness and, in turn, revenues. People who might feel self-conscious about calling or visiting one of our offices can readily learn all they need to know about us at the Web site."

Future plans call for Together® and The Right One® to step-up its franchise offerings both in the United States and internationally. Building a more formidable Canadian presence will be among the company's priorities as it enters the next century.

"While we will continue to take advantage of the newest advances in technology, we will never abandon the personal touch and service that has made us what we are today," Megahan said. "No matter how large, or how high-tech we may become, this company will always have a human face."

For more information about membership or business opportunities with Together® or The Right One®, call (800) 678-DATE or visit its Web site, www.togetherdating.com. Information about Together's sister company, The Right One, can be found at www.therightone.com.