20 November 2006

Distinguished Guests Welcome Launch of World Jewelry Center in Las Vegas

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar B. Goodman led an impressive array of distinguished officials and guests at a special event held here on Oct. 25, as plans for the World Jewelry Center (WJC) were announced by Probity International Corporation and the city. The WJC will be a focal point of the Las Vegas master-planned Union Park community, part of a major downtown revitalization effort.

"We were thrilled with the warm and supportive red-carpet treatment extended by everyone, most notably Mayor Goodman, whose visionary leadership is transforming Las Vegas, as well as Nevada Governor-elect Jim Gibbons and his wife, Dawn, and the many city and county officials who attended the event," said Bill Boyajian, WJC managing director and former president of the Gemological Institute of America.

Goodman presented a proclamation to Probity International Corporation President and CEO Robert Zarnegin and Boyajian, designating Oct. 25, 2006 as "World Jewelry Center Day" in Las Vegas. Goodman also gave Zarnegin and Boyajian a key to the city. "Probity International Corporation is one of the key partners who share the same goals and visions for the Downtown Las Vegas transformation," said Goodman.

Proclamations commending the launch of the WJC project were received from Nevada Senators Harry Reid and John Ensign, Nevada Governor Kenny Guinn, Nevada Lt. Governor Lorraine Hunt, and Nevada Congresswoman Shelley Berkley. An assistant to Sen. Ensign also attended the event.

Comprising about one million square feet, the WJC will include state-of-the-art security; secure shipping and receiving; gem grading labs and educational facilities; trade associations; and plans for a dedicated Foreign Trade Zone. Tenants will own their own subdivided space in the tower, which will also include meeting and exhibition facilities, several international restaurants, a private club and a fitness center. The top floors will be dedicated to luxury residential condominiums with panoramic views.

Planned to open in 2010, the WJC is being designed by the award-winning Altoon & Porter Architects. It will be built with many amenities and services to make it the world's foremost fully integrated, service-oriented business hub catering to gem and jewelry retailers, manufacturers, and wholesalers.

In a letter from the city of Las Vegas, Mayor Goodman said the WJC is "a momentous attribute to the development of Las Vegas," and added that the WJC "will become a focal component of the vibrant Downtown Las Vegas community and a source of interest for future growth. The tower itself will change the face of the Las Vegas skyline and become a key landmark for the city."