SOUTH ATLANTIC

2005 SALES FORECAST +5.9% SOUTH ATLANTIC

From the construction cranes in Washington, D.C., to the dozens if not hundreds of new housing developments breaking ground in the Carolinas, Virginia, Maryland, Georgia and Florida, this region's sunny economic climate once again outshines the economies of most other regions of the United States. The nation's capital currently has the busiest office construction market, and its suburbs continue to thrive because of a diverse economic mix. As in many areas of this region, the infrastructure outside the D.C. beltway is struggling to keep pace with the growth. No one knows this gridlock better than residents of Atlanta. Its northern suburbs continue to thrive, and office construction is starting to increase after a tough bout with 20 percent-plus vacancy rates.

ELECTRICAL WHOLESALERS' SALES
(in millions of dollars)EW Estimates Final Final Final Final Forecast Forecast 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 South Atlantic 11,689.1 11,450.6 11,503.6 11,871.5 12,715.9 13,464.6 Delaware 215.5 211.1 212.1 218.9 234.4 248.2 D.C. 107.3 105.1 105.6 109.0 116.7 123.6 Florida 4,251.6 4,164.9 4,184.1 4,317.9 4,625.1 4,897.4 Georgia 2,279.8 2,233.3 2,243.6 2,315.4 2,480.0 2,626.1 Maryland 937.8 918.7 922.9 952.4 1,020.2 1,080.3 North Carolina 1,985.5 1,945.0 1,954.0 2,016.5 2,159.9 2,287.1 South Carolina 574.9 563.2 565.8 583.9 625.4 662.2 Virginia 1,118.0 1,095.2 1,100.3 1,135.5 1,216.2 1,287.9 West Virginia 218.6 214.2 215.2 222.0 237.8 251.8 EMPLOYMENT STATISTICSActualin thousands EC M C G South Atlantic 177,567 2,227.1 14,603.8 4,138.9 Delaware 2,266 35.0 273.1 55.1 Dover MSA 518 5.0 31.9 16.4 Wilmington PMSA 1,650 22.0 214.6 39.7 District of Columbia 597 2.5 385.4 237.8 Washington, DC MSA 20,518 70.2 1,774.8 618.5 Florida 59,482 382.7 4,775.9 1,081.3 Daytona Beach MSA 1,692 9.9 117.3 25.2 Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood-Pompano Beach PMSA 6,691 30.0 473.9 92.8 Fort Myers-Cape Coral MSA 1,686 6.3 120.7 29.6 Gainesville MSA 646 4.3 68.7 41.1 Jacksonville MSA 5,020 32.1 365.0 72.7 Lakeland-Winter Haven MSA 1,152 17.2 110.4 26.9 Melbourne-Titusville-Palm Bay MSA 1,468 22.5 122.8 28.2 Miami-Hialeah PMSA 6,545 50.1 600.5 137.8 Orlando MSA 10,451 39.7 645.1 104.7 Pensacola MSA 1,235 7.4 101.2 28.8 Sarasota MSA 1,646 18.4 209.3 26.7 Tallahassee MSA 679 3.7 80.7 59.0 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater MSA 8,529 70.1 844.2 148.1 West Palm Beach-Boca Raton-Delray Beach MSA 5,429 20.9 366.6 64.8 Georgia 27,398 448.8 2,099.9 631.1 Albany MSA 888 7.1 29.9 11.5 Athens MSA 367 9.0 37.1 20.9 Atlanta MSA 18,820 169.0 1,256.4 288.0 Augusta MSA 1,083 24.5 115.1 39.2 Columbus MSA 525 14.0 67.1 20.9 Macon-Warner Robins MSA NA 13.2 85.9 35.2 Savannah MSA 899 13.1 84.2 21.3 Maryland 21,298 145.0 1,550.5 425.4 Baltimore MSA 10,789 79.0 786.4 205.9 Baltimore City NA 19.7 246.2 81.3 Suburban Maryland-D.C. NA 35.3 577.4 173.6 North Carolina 28,158 583.0 2,055.4 624.1 Asheville MSA NA 13.9 68.1 15.2 Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill MSA 5,440 101.7 465.6 98.1 Greensboro-Winston-Salem-High Point MSA 3,870 116.0 350.4 67.9 Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill MSA NA 67.6 388.1 137.5 South Carolina 11,215 270.5 970.5 322.9 Charleston MSA 2,046 21.5 149.7 51.0 Columbia MSA 2,083 23.9 167.2 72.7 Greenville-Spartanburg MSA 265 95.3 230.5 63.8 Virginia 24,139 295.7 2,081.0 621.2 Bristol NA 7.5 20.9 5.7 Charlottesville MSA 623 4.0 45.1 25.6 Danville MSA 163 11.2 22.4 6.0 Lynchburg MSA 841 18.3 52.1 12.8 Norfolk-Virginia Beach-Newport News MSA 3,971 60.1 425.9 146.2 Northern Virginia NA 29.7 783.5 198.5 Richmond-Petersburg MSA NA 44.0 330.5 100.9 Roanoke MSA NA 14.6 84.8 16.5 West Virginia 3,014 63.9 412.1 140.0 Charleston MSA 1,342 7.1 77.5 24.8 Huntington-Ashland MSA 959 10.2 73.6 19.1 Parkersburg-Marietta MSA 326 9.5 40.4 9.6 Wheeling MSA 419 5.0 42.7 10.5