Investor Relations

WILMINGTON, Mass., Sep 9, 2002 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (NYSE:CRL), today announced the appointments of two senior executives in the areas of Drug Discovery and Development and Investor Relations.

Dr. Nancy Gillett Appointed Corporate Vice President, Drug Discovery and Development, and President of Charles River's Sierra Biomedical Division

Dr. Nancy Gillett has been named Corporate Vice President, Drug Discovery and Development, and President of Charles River's Sierra Biomedical Division. She also has been elected a corporate officer by Charles River's Board of Directors.

Since 1999 Dr. Gillett has served as Senior Vice President & General Manager of Charles River's Sierra Biomedical Division. In her new role, Dr. Gillett will have responsibility for three divisions within Charles River's growing Drug Discovery and Development organization: the Sierra Biomedical Division, the Pathology Associates Division, and Redfield Laboratories.

Dr. Gillett served as a Senior Scientist at Genentech before joining Sierra Biomedical in 1994. A Board-certified veterinary pathologist, she holds a D.V.M. degree from Washington State University, and a Ph.D. from the University of California at Davis.

Susan E. Hardy Appointed Director, Investor Relations

The Company also announced the appointment of Susan E. Hardy as Director, Investor Relations. Prior to joining Charles River Laboratories, Ms. Hardy served for nine years as Vice President, Investor Relations at Houghton Mifflin Company, an educational publisher in Boston, Massachusetts.

Ms. Hardy will be the Company's principal contact with the investment community and will be responsible for developing and directing Charles River's investor relations program. Ms. Hardy will strive to broaden the investment community's understanding of the strategy, business plans and the outlook for Charles River in order to optimize the company's value for its shareholders. In her new position, Ms. Hardy will report to Thomas Ackerman, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.

Ms. Hardy holds an A.B. degree from Wellesley College, an M.S.A. from Bentley College, and is a certified public accountant. Over the past 20 years she has held various financial roles first at Deloitte & Touche before joining Houghton Mifflin Company in 1990.

Commenting on the appointments, James C. Foster, CEO and Chairman, said, "Dr. Gillett's scientific expertise, proven management abilities, and her reputation throughout the industry make her an outstanding choice to lead these key divisions within Charles River's growing Drug Discovery and Development organization. Nancy's appointment also speaks powerfully about the exceptional level of scientific and managerial talent we have within our own ranks. Susan Hardy's appointment adds a seasoned investor relations veteran to our corporate staff, whose expertise will help us broaden our investor base in the U.S. and abroad. Our continued earnings growth and our recent addition to the S&P MidCap 400 Index increase our visibility within the investment community. Susan will be instrumental in building on this visibility and expanding our investor base. We are delighted to have her with us."

Charles River Laboratories, based in Wilmington, Massachusetts, is a leading provider of critical research tools and integrated support services that enable innovative and efficient drug discovery and development. The Company is the global leader in providing the animal research models required in research and development for new drugs, devices and therapies. The Company also offers a broad and growing portfolio of biomedical products and services that enable customers to reduce cost, increase speed, and enhance productivity and effectiveness in drug discovery and development. Charles River's customer base spans over 50 countries, and includes all of the major pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, as well as many leading hospitals and academic institutions. The Company operates 78 facilities in 16 countries worldwide. For more information, visit the Company's web site as http://www.criver.com.

Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements: This document includes certain "forward looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on management's current expectations, and involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those stated or implied by the forward looking statements, including acquisition integration risks, special interest groups, contaminations, industry trends, new displacement technologies, outsourcing trends, USDA and FDA regulation, changes in law, continued availability of products and supplies, personnel and control, and others that are described in more detail in the Risk Factors contained in the Company's most recent SEC filings. The Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update forward looking statements, and otherwise claims the safe harbor protections for forward looking statements afforded under The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

CONTACT: Charles River Laboratories (Investor Relations) Susan E. Hardy, 978/658-6000 ext.1616 Director, Investor Relations or Charles River Laboratories (Media Relations) Christopher DiFrancesco, 978/658-6000 ext.1508 Director, Corporate Communications