Itron Wins Prestigious South African Quality Company Award

CAPE TOWN, South Africa—August 4, 2011—Itron, Inc. (NASDAQ: ITRI) announced today that it has received the Best Quality Company Award from the South African Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). The award provides recognition of Itron's dedication to quality assurance and responsible management practices while conducting its business activities in South Africa.

By recognizing Itron's contribution to quality advancement in its country, the South African government, through the DTI, aims to promote and encourage the use and the adoption of effective quality management methodologies.

At Itron, implementing and improving quality principles are at the heart of all of the company's processes. The company has committed itself to ensure that product quality is built in to the product from the design phase through product development. This guarantees involvement of all key functions throughout the development process, from marketing to R&D, as well as manufacturing.

In South Africa, Itron operates a manufacturing plant in Atlantis near Cape Town, specialized in the production of smart payment meters. Its production process is controlled by a production system that includes various tests at different stages. Here, the company also maintains a metrology laboratory, with engineers and metrologists working closely with standard organizations such as the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS), the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KBS) and National Measurement Institute (NMI), to ensure adherence to the latest local, regional and international standards. The factory is thus listed as an ISO9001:2008 plant, satisfying the requirements of the ISO900 family standards related to quality management systems.

While handing over a certificate and trophy in recognition of Itron's excellent implementation of quality principles, Dr. Rob Davies, Minister of Trade and Industry, stated, "We appreciate enterprises such as Itron which have improved the overall quality of South African goods and services, thus supporting national as well as regional development and growth."

"We are honored to receive this award in the category Best Quality Company for Large Enterprises. It is significant for us because quality is what allows us to take our products to the global market," said Damian Padachi, managing director of Itron Southern and Eastern Africa.