For Immediate Release

SM&P Partners with Excavating Firm to Meet Needs of Common Customer

(Indianapolis, IN, July 30, 2006) SM&P Utility Resources, Inc., an underground locating and marking service, and Trench-It, a large Illinois excavation contractor have formed a unique collaborative relationship with the goal of maximizing One-Call safety and economy. These companies are Contractors of Choice (COC) for Commonwealth Edison (ComEd), the regional electrical utility.

Matthew Turk, Trench-It vice president of operations, explains, “As businesses with a common customer, SM&P and Trench-It find it helpful to discuss locating issues and work together proactively to solve challenges. We’re both in high-pressure and time-sensitive businesses, and the ComEd COC connection offers an incentive for us to stay in touch and avoid adversarial situations that could impact safety as well as profitability.”

Tony Sincere, SM&P (title) explains that Trench-It and SM&P representatives meet regularly to refine locating and marking best practices and find ways to help make their respective jobs easier and more efficient. “Twice a year we hold safety meetings and review plans and objectives for coming work,” said Sincere. “These regular listening sessions help both companies understand the needs of the other, keep the lines of communication open, and promote safety.”

Turk explains that this partnership alliance has resulted in useful changes in working relationships. Trench-It crews now white-line excavation areas at jobsites so that locators can limit their work to pertinent areas. SM&P provides supervisor level call-back numbers and responds quickly to questions or jobsite problems so that work can proceed on schedule.

“We’ve found that a spirit of partnership and mutual benefit has moved from top management to the front-line supervisor level at both companies,” said Turk, “and we function much more proactively now as partners in damage prevention. As an excavator we need the best combination of locate timeliness and accuracy, and this communication between companies is resulting in safer jobsites and improved infrastructure protection.”

For more information on the SM&P/Trench-It utility locating partnership contact Gaya Boyers (SM&P) at 317-575-7866, Tony Sincere (SM&P) at 414-807-3830, or Matthew Turk (Trench-it) at 815-923-2300. Ext. 13.

About SM&P

SM&P Utility Resources, Inc., Carmel, Indiana, is a subsidiary of The Laclede Group, Inc., which trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol LG. With more than 2,500 employees, SM&P is one of the nations largest underground locating and marking service businesses, performing more than 15 million locates annually in southwestern and central U.S. for telecommunication, cable, water, gas and power companies. SM&P operates in Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas and Wisconsin.

About Trench-It

Trench-It, Inc., Union, Illinois, provides safe, high quality and professional planning, design, construction and maintenance services for utilities, municipalities, developers, electrical contractors, communication companies, home owners and many others in the Midwest.