RICHMOND, Va., March 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Universal Leaf North America U.S., Inc. ("ULNA"), a subsidiary of Universal Corporation (NYSE: UVV), today announced that its U.S. facilities have been awarded ISO 14001:2004 certification in acknowledgment of the company's Environmental Management System. The ISO 14000 series of international environmental management standards, first introduced in 1996, provides a common framework for managing environmental issues including compliance with environmental regulations and continual improvement in the areas of environmental performance. This environmental certification, which is integrated into the ULNA U.S. Quality Management System that was certified to ISO 9001 in February 2002, exemplifies ULNA's ongoing commitment to the highest standards of quality, environmental stewardship, and dedication to exceed the expectations of its customers and the community at large. Clay Frazier, President of ULNA, said that today's announcement strengthens the integrated approach to ULNA's business processes. "Our continued certifications for ISO 9001 awarded to ULNA in 2002 coupled with today's announcement for ISO 14001:2004 is due to the ongoing commitment of our entire organization to further the position of our U.S. operations as the foremost in this country," Frazier said. ULNA began installing an environmental management system that would meet the requirements of ISO 14001:2004 more than two years ago. Earlier this year, registrars from Det Norske Veritas (DNV), one of the world's leading ISO certification firms, visited ULNA's U.S. operations and recommended them for certification. Headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, Universal Corporation is one of the world's leading tobacco merchants and processors and conducts business in more than 35 countries. Its revenues from continuing operations for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2008, were $2.1 billion. For more information on Universal Corporation, visit its web site at http://www.universalcorp.com/. DATASOURCE: Universal Leaf North America U.S., Inc. CONTACT: Karen M.L. Whelan of Universal Leaf North America U.S., Inc., +1-804-359-9311, Fax: +1-804-254-3594, Web Site: http://www.universalcorp.com/

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