MILWAUKEE, April 4 -- Mark D. Smith was elected today to the Board of Directors of A.O. Smith Corporation (NYSE: AOS, Amex: SMCA). The election announcement was made following the company's annual meeting.

Smith, 39, is a business manager for Strattec Security Corporation of Milwaukee, a manufacturer of mechanical locks, electro-mechanical locks, and related security products for automotive applications.

Prior to joining Strattec in 1997, Smith spent 14 years with A.O. Smith Automotive Products Company, a former division of the corporation. He held a number of quality assurance and operations management positions during that period.

Smith is a 1983 graduate of Carroll College, Waukesha, Wis., where he earned a bachelor's degree in business administration. He also holds an MBA from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He is a fifth-generation member of the founding family of A.O. Smith Corporation.

A.O. Smith Corporation, with headquarters in Milwaukee, Wis., is a manufacturer of fractional horsepower, hermetic, and integral horsepower electric motors, residential and commercial water heaters, and high-efficiency boilers.

SOURCE A.O. Smith Corporation CONTACT: Media, Edward O'Connor, 414-359-4100, or Analysts-Investors, Craig Watson, 414-359-4009, both for A.O. Smith Corporation/