Exhibit 99.1


FOR:  PW Eagle, Inc.                                   FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
      222 South Ninth Street, Suite 2880               ---------------------
      Minneapolis, MN 55402
      (Nasdaq-NMS: "PWEI")

      CONTACT: William H. Spell
      Chief Executive Officer, PW Eagle, Inc.
      612/305-0339


           PW EAGLE ANNOUNCES COMMENCEMENT OF "MODIFIED DUTCH AUCTION"

MINNEAPOLIS - APRIL 3, 2001 -- PW Eagle, Inc. (Nasdaq-NMS: "PWEI", formerly
"EPII") announced today that it has commenced a "Modified Dutch Auction" tender
offer for up to 1,111,111 shares, or approximately 13.7% of its outstanding
common stock. The Company reserves the option to purchase up to an additional
162,190 shares. The Company currently has approximately 8,109,675 shares
outstanding.

Under terms of the offer, PW Eagle has invited shareholders to tender their
shares to the Company at prices specified by the tendering shareholders not in
excess of $9.00 nor less than $7.50 per share, in twenty-five cent ($0.25)
increments.

PW Eagle will select the lowest single per share purchase price that will allow
it to buy 1,111,111 shares or up to an additional 162,190 shares at the
Company's option. If a lesser number of shares is properly tendered, the Company
will purchase all shares that are properly tendered and not withdrawn at the
lowest single per share price. If the offer is over-subscribed, PW Eagle will
purchase first from shareholders owning fewer than 100 shares and tendering all
of such shares at or below the purchase price determined by PW Eagle, and then
from all other shareholders tendering at or below such purchase price on a pro
rata basis. The tender offer will not be conditioned on any minimum number of
shares being tendered.

The tender offer is being commenced today, April 3, 2001 and will expire at 5:00
p.m., Eastern Time, on May 4, 2001, unless extended by PW Eagle. Any
shareholders who require tender offer materials may contact the Information
Agent for the offer at the address and telephone number below.

Neither PW Eagle nor its Board of Directors is making any recommendation to
shareholders as to whether to tender or refrain from tendering their shares or
as to the purchase price on any tender. Each shareholder must make his or her
own decision whether to tender shares and, if so, how many shares and at what
price or prices shares should be tendered. PW Eagle has been advised that none
of its directors or executive officers intends to tender any shares pursuant to
the offer. Georgeson Shareholder Communications, Inc. will act as Information
Agent.

THIS PRESS RELEASE IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT AN OFFER TO BUY
OR THE SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO SELL ANY SHARES OF PW EAGLE, INC. COMMON
STOCK. COMMENCEMENT OF THE PROPOSED TENDER OFFER IS SUBJECT TO, AMONG OTHER
THINGS,


COMPLETION OF ALL REGULATORY FILINGS. ANY SOLICITATION OF OFFERS TO BUY PW
EAGLE, INC. COMMON STOCK WILL ONLY BE MADE PURSUANT TO AN OFFER TO PURCHASE AND
RELATED MATERIALS TO BE SENT BY PW EAGLE, INC. TO ITS SHAREHOLDERS ON THE
COMMENCEMENT OF THE PROPOSED OFFER. SHAREHOLDERS SHOULD CAREFULLY READ THOSE
MATERIALS WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT
INFORMATION, INCLUDING THE VARIOUS TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE OFFER.
SHAREHOLDERS WILL BE ABLE TO OBTAIN COPIES OF THE OFFER TO PURCHASE, RELATED
MATERIALS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
THROUGH THE COMMISSION'S WEB SITE AT HTTP://WWW.SEC.GOV: WITHOUT CHARGE WHEN
THESE DOCUMENTS BECOME AVAILABLE. SHAREHOLDERS WILL ALSO BE ABLE TO OBTAIN
COPIES OF THE OFFER TO PURCHASE AND RELATED MATERIALS, WITHOUT CHARGE, WHEN
AVAILABLE, FROM PW EAGLE, INC. BY ORAL OR WRITTEN REQUEST TO PW EAGLE, INC.
ATTENTION: INVESTOR RELATIONS, 222 SOUTH 9TH STREET, SUITE 2880, MINNEAPOLIS, MN
55402 OR BY CALLING (612) 305-0339 OR FROM THE COMPANY'S INFORMATION AGENT,
GEORGESON SHAREHOLDER COMMUNICATIONS, INC. AT 17 STATE STREET, 10TH FLOOR, NEW
YORK, NEW YORK 10004, TELEPHONE (800) 223-2064.

PW Eagle, Inc. is a leading extruder of PVC pipe and polyethylene tubing
products. PW Eagle operates ten manufacturing facilities in the midwestern and
western United States. PW Eagle's common stock is traded on the Nasdaq National
Market under the symbol "PWEI."

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