Chicago, Illinois First Industrial Realty Trust logo. (PRNewsFoto) CHICAGO, IL USA

    CHICAGO, Oct. 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- First Industrial Realty Trust,
Inc. (NYSE: FR), the nation's largest provider of diversified industrial real
estate, today announced the signing of a build-to-suit agreement with the
Ridge Tool Company. Ridge Tool manufactures professional-grade, RIDGID brand
hand and power tools. Ridge Tool is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Emerson
Electric.
    (Logo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040106/FRLOGO )
    First Industrial will develop a 129,000 square-foot distribution facility
in Cambridge, OH, which Ridge will use to distribute tools to its customers
throughout North America. The facility is scheduled to be completed in summer
2005.
    "Delivering solutions that meet customer needs is the foundation upon
which First Industrial was built, and we are pleased to serve Ridge Tool's
expansion needs through the development of their new North American
Distribution Center," said Chris McGrath, senior development officer for First
Industrial Realty Trust, Inc.  "The decision to locate this state-of-the-art
facility in Cambridge further strengthens Ridge Tool's heritage, and continued
commitment to the state of Ohio."
    "We are pleased with our association with First Industrial," said Fred
Pond, president of Ridge Tool. "This facility and related investments
demonstrate Ridge Tool's commitment to customer satisfaction and operational
excellence."
    First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc., the Ridge Tool Company, and general
contractor Lauth Property Group, will hold a ground breaking ceremony on
Friday, October 15, 2004.  For more information, please contact Chris McGrath
at 847-233-0128.
    First Industrial is developing this facility through its corporate real
estate program, Integrated Industrial Solutions(TM) (IIS(TM)), an integrated
portfolio of services organized to provide Corporate America complete
solutions to its industrial real estate needs, including: build-to-suit
development, single tenant/user sales, sale-leasebacks, surplus property
acquisition/redevelopment and industrial facility leasing.

    First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc., the nation's largest provider of
diversified industrial real estate, serves every aspect of Corporate America's
industrial real estate needs, including customized supply chain solutions,
through its unique I-N-D-L operating platform, which utilizes a pure
Industrial focus and National scope to provide Diverse facility types, while
offering Local, full-service management and expertise. Building, buying,
selling, leasing and managing industrial property in major markets nationwide,
First Industrial develops long-term relationships with corporate real estate
directors, tenants and brokers to better serve customers with creative,
flexible industrial real estate solutions.

    This press release contains forward-looking information about the Company.
A number of factors could cause the Company's actual results to differ
materially from those anticipated, including changes in: economic conditions
generally and the real estate market specifically, legislative/regulatory
changes (including changes to laws governing the taxation of real estate
investment trusts), availability of financing, interest rate levels,
competition, supply and demand for industrial properties in the Company's
current and proposed market areas, potential environmental liabilities,
slippage in development or lease-up schedules, tenant credit risks, higher-
than-expected costs and changes in general accounting principles, policies and
guidelines applicable to real estate investment trusts. For further
information on these and other factors that could impact the Company and the
statements contained herein, reference should be made to the Company's filings
with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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