United Fire & Casualty Company (UFCS) President and CEO to Ring the NASDAQ Stock Market Opening Bell

Company Celebrates Anniversary


MEDIA ADVISORY, July 14, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) --



 What:
 John A. Rife, President and Chief Executive Officer of United Fire
 & Casualty Company (UFCS) will preside over the opening bell to
 celebrate its 20 year listing anniversary on the NASDAQ.

 Where:
 NASDAQ MarketSite - 4 Times Square - 43rd & Broadway - Broadcast Studio

 When:
 Monday July 17th, 2006 at 9:30 a.m. EDT

 Contacts:
 Dianne Lyons
 Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
 (319) 399-5723
 dlyons@unitedfiregroup.com

 NASDAQ MarketSite:
 Stephanie Lowenthal; (646) 441-5220

Feed Information:

The opening bell is available from 9:20 a.m. to 9:35 a.m. on uplink IA-5 C-band/transponder 14. The downlink frequency is 3980 horizontal; audio: 6.2/6.8. The feed can also be found on Waterfront fiber 1623. If you have any questions, please contact Stephanie Lowenthal at (646) 441-5220.

Photos:

To obtain a hi-resolution photograph of the Market Open, please go to http://www.nasdaq.com/reference/marketsite_events.stm and click on the market open of your choice.

About United Fire & Casualty Company (UFCS):

United Fire & Casualty Company is a regional insurer that, along with its insurance subsidiaries, offers personal and commercial property and casualty insurance and life insurance. Its products are marketed principally through its regional offices in Cedar Rapids, Iowa (company headquarters); Denver, Colorado; and Galveston, Texas. For the thirteenth consecutive year, United Fire & Casualty Company has been named to the Ward's 50, a respected benchmark group of the industry's top-performing insurance companies. For more information about United Fire & Casualty Company and its products and services, visit our website, www.unitedfiregroup.com.