For Immediate Release

SM&P Implements Leadership Initiative to Support Quality Service

(Indianapolis, IN, March 5, 2006) SM&P Utility Resources, Inc. has adopted a leadership initiative for Supervisors and Managers as part of a strong emphasis on performance improvement at every level. SM&P is one of the nations largest underground locating and marking service providers, performing more than 15 million locates annually in the southwest and central U.S. for municipalities and telecommunication, cable, water, gas and power companies. SM&P also serves private home owners and private facility owners such as hospitals, campuses, airports and business centers.

“Underground locating and marking protects contractors and the general public from safety hazards and protects buried infrastructure from accidental damage,” said John Walls, SM&P Human Resources Director. “A consistent high level of performance in our critical business demands individual dedication to quality at every level in our operation, which depends, in turn, on effective leadership.”

Walls explains that the new SM&P leadership initiative starts with detailed and objective evaluations of every Supervisor and Manager by management, peers and subordinates. As the participants understand how others view their own job performance, they gain important insights for personal development and improvement.

“After the assessment phase, participants have access to training modules that support professional development in areas where there is opportunity for improvement, such as goal setting, communication, coaching and feedback,” he said.

“Effective leadership is critical to the quality of service that SM&P Utility Resources, Inc. delivers to customers, to the safety of contractors and the public, and to the long-term stability and success of our company,” Walls concludes. “This new leadership initiative takes into account the critical importance of our work and represents our commitment to continuous improvement in all that we do.”

About SM&P - SM&P Utility Resources, Inc. is a subsidiary of The Laclede Group, Inc., which trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol LG. SM&P employs approximately 2,500 employees and operates in Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas and Wisconsin.