C. H. Heist Corp.: Acquisiton


NEWS FROM                            For more information call:
                                     John Rowley
C. H. Heist Corporation              (813)461-5656
                                     C. H. Heist Corporation
                                     810 N. Belcher Road
                                     Clearwater, FL 34635 

For immediate release
June 25, 1997


                Ablest Service Corp. Acquires IT Staffing Company


       Clearwater, Florida -- C.H. Heist Corp. (Amex: HST) today announced that
its temporary staffing subsidiary, Ablest Service Corp., enhanced its
information technology (IT) professional services capabilities by acquiring The
Kelton Group, Inc.

       Raleigh-based Kelton Group provides IT and documentation staffing
services with 1996 annualized sales of approximately $1.5 million. It will
continue to operate as The Kelton Group, reporting under Ablest's IT division,
Tech Resource Group, which was formed after the September 1996 acquisition of
Atlanta-based Tech Resource, Inc.

       "Raleigh was a market area we had planned to open leveraging our
existing traditional staffing operation," Ablest President and Chief Executive
Officer W. David Foster said. "This gives us immediate revenues and
profitability compared to an organic start-up".

       C.H. Heist Corp. has two major lines of business: temporary staffing
and industrial maintenance. The Ablest Service Corp. staffing subsidiary owns
and operates 35 offices throughout the eastern half of the United States. It
serves the business, professional, industrial and information technology (IT)
sectors

       Heist also provides industrial cleaning and maintenance services to a
wide range of industries, such as chemical, petrochemical, power generation,
pulp and paper, mining, nuclear and metallurgical plants and mills. With
locations throughout the eastern United States and Canada, its industrial
services include high pressure water cleaning, painting, sandblasting,
vacuuming of wet and dry industrial wastes, turnaround services and insulation
sales and application.

       Statements made in this news release, other than those concerning
historical information, should be considered forward-looking and subject to
certain risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ
materially from those projected. Readers should carefully review and consider
disclosures, including periodic reports on Forms 1O-K and 10-Q filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, which attempt to advise interested parties
of the factors which affect the Company's business.


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