BOURNS, Inc. has acquired POWER INNOVATIONS to further enhance circuit protection product portfolio

Riverside, CALIFORNIA, - May 26, 2000 -- Bourns, Inc. today announced that it has acquired /www.powinv.com/ Power Innovations Ltd. a telecom protection product specialist based in Bedford, UK. As the market for telecommunication and portable electronic products intensifies, the acquisition of Power Innovations strengthens Bourns' position in the circuit protection arena.

"The combination of Power Innovations, Ltd. and Bourns, Inc. is an excellent match of technology, product, and culture," said Gordon Bourns, Chairman and CEO of Bourns, Inc."We believe that our shared strengths will provide the optimal solutions for our customers." Commenting on the agreement, Ken Sanders, Managing Director of Power Innovations, Ltd. said, "The financial strength and global reputation of Bourns will provide the additional momentum needed for our continued growth in the Telecom protection business."

The Power Innovations silicon plant in Bedford will become the center for Bourns' worldwide telecom protection products.They will coordinate Power Innovations' TISP thyristor-based overvoltage protectors, Bourns' Multifuse PPTC overcurrent protectors and Bourns' line-feed surge resistor networks to provide a broad range of circuit protection products for the Telecom industry.

The production of Power Innovations, Ltd. TISP protectors will continue at the Bedford Manton Lane site, where capacity expansion is anticipated. The Power Innovations' name will be retained in the short term, and a detailed product portfolio will be announced later in the year.

About Power Innovations

Power Innovations, Ltd., was formed by a management buyout from the Power Group of Texas Instruments. The Power Group has been based in Bedford for 25 years. The experienced team, specialized bipolar silicon foundry and associated intellectual property all transferred to Power Innovations, Ltd., in August 1997. Power nnovations, Ltd. manufactures a broad line of silicon-based protection devices for the Telecom market. They also produce general-purpose discrete Transistors, Darlingtons, Thyristors and TRIACs.

About Bourns, Inc.

Bourns, Inc., is the leading manufacturer of Trimming Potentiometers, Precision Potentiometers, Panel Controls, Encoders, Modular Contacts, Switches, and Resistor/ Capacitor Networks. Bourns also sells Chip Resistors, Chip Arrays and Inductive Components. Bourns produces an extensive line of PPTC Resettable Fuses and Line-feed Surge Resistor Networks which are part of Bourns Circuit Protection product offering. Headquartered in Riverside, California, Bourns serves a broad range of markets, including telecommunications, computer, industrial, instrumentation, automotive, consumer, medical, audio and various other market segments. Bourns’ products are manufactured according to ISO 9000 and QS-9000 standards under six sigma quality programs.