MINNEAPOLIS — Oct. 20, 2006 — Inc. magazine has, for the second consecutive year, named
The Protomold Company to the Inc. 500, a listing of America’s fastest-growing private
companies. Protomold’s rapid growth was also recognized in the Deloitte’s 2006 Technology
Fast 500 as the 129th fastest-growing technology company in North America, and in The
Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal’s 2006 Fast 50 announcements on Oct. 19 as the 11th
fastest-growing private company in the Twin Cities. Protomold previously ranked first and fourth
on the Business Journal’s list in 2004 and 2005, respectively.

Protomold’s three-year growth rate of approximately 500 percent was driven by the ability to
deliver injection-molded plastic parts in as few as three days, and required the doubling of its
U.S. manufacturing capacity over the past 18 months.

The company’s expansion also included the opening of a European subsidiary in Telford,
England to serve customers in the European Union. That operation surpassed first-year
projections and recently won the prestigious 2006 Manufacturing Excellence award for
Integrated e-business presented by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. This award is
described by organizers as “the toughest industry award in which to succeed.” Protomold also
has recently incorporated a subsidiary in Japan to serve clients in that country and plans to start
operations there in mid-2007.

Protomold CEO Brad Cleveland attributes the company’s extraordinary growth, in large part, to
increased market awareness of the company’s capabilities. “In today’s competitive markets,
successful companies are bringing fully tested products to market faster than ever before,” said
Cleveland. “Traditional production methods can’t deliver functional prototypes in a timely, costeffective
way. By automating the process, we’ve eliminated much of the delay and cost of
producing true injection molded parts, and the market has responded.”

Over the last year, Protomold also has increased the size and complexity of the parts its
process can produce. Designers can submit 3D CAD models to Protomold’s online quoting
engine and get back interactive quotes the next day. The automated system, ProtoQuote®, also
analyzes submitted designs and offers suggestions for improved performance and moldability.
ProtoQuote now incorporates ProtoView 3D, a feature that displays a three-dimensional view of
the customer’s part with the suggested changes highlighted. A demonstration of ProtoQuote
with ProtoView 3D is available on the Protomold Web site.

About The Protomold Company Inc.
The Protomold Company Inc. has radically changed the economics and lead times associated
with prototype and low-volume production of injection molded parts. Its defined market
segment, rapid injection molding, is positioned between rapid prototyping and conventional high
volume injection molding. Protomold is privately held and headquartered in Maple Plain, Minn.
Further information can be found online at www.protomold.com.

Protomold is a registered trademark of The Protomold Company Inc.