Engineering News-Record and Architectural Record Each Win 2002 Jesse H. Neal Awards

McGraw-Hill Construction Information Group Publications Recognized for Editorial Excellence in Business Journalism

McGraw-Hill Construction Information Group (CIG) and Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc. (ABC) Form Strategic Alliance

NEW YORK, N.Y., January 31, 2002 - The McGraw-Hill Companies' (NYSE: MHP) Construction Information Group (CIG) and the Associated Builders & Contractors, Inc. (ABC) today announced a strategic alliance designed to better provide builders and contractors with the critical data they need to their jobs faster, better and cheaper while providing ABC members with attractive discounts on CIG product offerings.

The agreement will enable the two organizations to share marketing opportunities and strategies, while providing ABC members with ease of access to CIG content, services and applications, along with attractive discounts on CIG product offerings such as annual subscriptions to Dodge Plans, Dodge News products, Sweet's 2002 AEC Catalog Files and on subscriptions to Architectural Record magazine. In addition, ABC members will receive discounts on professional books and a free weekly electronic newsletter, Constructionmail.

ABC is the only national association devoted exclusively to the merit shop philosophy, which aims to provide the best management techniques, the finest craftsmanship, and the most competitive bidding and pricing strategies in the industry, regardless of labor affiliation.

"Approximately 80 percent of all construction workers are employed by merit shop companies. ABC affiliated construction professionals are an important audience to McGraw-Hill's Construction Information Group. We are happy to align ourselves with ABC and look forward to a great relationship," said Norbert Young, president, McGraw-Hill Construction Information Group.

"We are pleased that the new ABC-McGraw Hill Construction Information Group partnering agreement will provide ABC members with even greater benefits while fostering an even stronger alliance between our two organizations," said Kirk Pickerel, ABC president and chief executive officer. "This partnering agreement will provide unique discounts and benefits to ABC members while strengthening the long-term teamwork between our two complementary organizations."

In addition, the agreement calls for Web collaboration between the two organizations. ABC will feature CIG's construction.com on its site and www.abc.org will be listed in the Resource Center of construction.com. Co-branded industry/legislative material will also be shared.

About ABC
Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) is a national construction association representing more than 23,000 merit shop construction and construction-related firms in 82 chapters across the United States.

About McGraw-Hill Construction Information Group
The Construction Information Group is the world's premier information provider to the commercial construction industry. With its leading brands F.W. Dodge, Sweet's, Engineering News-Record, Architectural Record, and Design-Build, and the industry's most popular Internet portal, construction.com, CIG provides the latest industry intelligence and interactive solutions that enable construction professionals to do their job faster, better and cheaper. CIG employs more than 1,700 professionals around the world.

About The McGraw-Hill Companies
Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies is a global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in financial services, education and business-to-business information through leading brands such as Standard & Poor's, BusinessWeek and McGraw-Hill Education. The Corporation has more than 300 offices in 33 countries. Sales in 2000 were $4.3 billion. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com.

McGraw-Hill CIG contact:
John Puccio
RF Binder Partners
(212) 593-6389
john.puccio@rfbinder.com

ABC contact:
Scott Brown
Associated Builders & Contractors
(703) 812-2062
brown@abc.org

© 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies - All Rights Reserved