15 February, 2002 - Worldwide Business Brokers, Inc., international franchisor of professional service Worldwide Business Brokers offices, announced today that it has formed a subsidiary, The Gaither Group, LLC to acquire The Gaither Group, Inc., a Virginia Beach, Virginia-based business brokerage company. The subsidiary will trade as Worldwide Business Brokers and facilitate the purchase and sale of privately owned businesses in Southeastern Virginia.

"The opportunity to partner with Worldwide Business Brokers was hard to resist", said Norman J. Gaither, president and founder of The Gaither Group, Inc. "With Worldwide's growing network and international expansion, we have significantly increased the number of buyers we can expose our clients' businesses to."

Mr. Gaither, a business broker for more than 18 years, has focused his company's efforts in the Mid-Atlantic geographical area of the United States, concentrating on businesses with selling prices up to $10 million. He will serve as the new company's president.

The Gaither Group, LLC, with an inventory of approximately $15 million in businesses for sale, currently has four full-service brokers on staff and expects to turn between $4-5 million in business sales in 2002.

"Our new office in Virginia Beach expands our corporate reach and provides us immediate and significant market penetration in Southeastern Virginia", said Joseph L. Caffrey, President and CEO of Worldwide Business Brokers, Inc. "We expect Norm Gaither's long experience and his team of brokers, combined with the Worldwide Network and System, to quickly make this office the leading business brokerage in the area."

Virginia-based Worldwide Business Brokers, Inc. is the international franchisor of Worldwide Business Brokers offices and is seeking qualified franchisees, Area Developers and international licensees.

For information about development opportunities in the United States, contact Joseph Caffrey. For information regarding development opportunities outside the United States, contact Alan Guinn (aguinn@WorldwideBusinessBrokers.com).

For more information, contact Joseph Caffrey