Houlihan Lokey Announces Inaugural Basic Industrial Conference, 'Achieving Global Competitiveness'

Conference to be Held on March 9, 2006 at the Waldorf-Astoria, New York City


NEW YORK, March 6, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- Houlihan Lokey Howard & Zukin, an international investment bank, today announced that it is hosting its Inaugural Basic Industrial Conference, "Achieving Global Competitiveness," on March 9, 2006 at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City.

The day-long event will focus on global competitiveness for U.S. industrial companies, addressing the challenges and solutions to some of the most important global business issues of the 21st century. The program features five in-depth and interactive panel discussions covering a wide range of topics: "Creating Shareholder Value through M&A," "Financing for Growth," "Asia: Identifying and Unlocking Opportunities," "Legal and Labor Issues: Impacts on Competitiveness," and "Product Pricing in Today's Energy and Commodity Environment."

Confirmed panelists include representatives from the following companies: General Electric; United States Steel Corporation; Gibraltar Industries; The Shaw Group; Apollo Investment Corporation; The Carlyle Group; Cerberus Capital Management; Ares Management; MTD Ventures; Danaher Corporation; CITIC Provident; Crimson Investments; Lincoln Electric Holdings; The Wall Street Journal; PROS Pricing Solutions; Celeste Industries Corporation; Brush Engineered Materials; Wolverine Gasket -- EaglePicher Industries.

Dan R. Dalton, Dean Emeritus of the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University, will serve as the luncheon speaker, with a presentation on "The Leading Edge of Corporate Governance."

The event will open with introductory remarks by William G. Peluchiwski, Managing Director at Houlihan Lokey and Head of the firm's Basic Industrial Group. He said: "Today's global business climate is more challenging than ever for industrial companies of all sizes. Houlihan Lokey's Basic Industrial Conference brings together some of the leading experts in U.S. global competitiveness to debate the key issues facing our economy today and provide insight into successful strategies. I'm excited to hear what they have to say."

Over 300 participants are expected to attend the conference, including senior company executives, public and private investors, senior debt and mezzanine lenders, consultants, attorneys and academics. Admission is by invitation only and complimentary to registered attendees. To register to attend, please visit Houlihan Lokey's Web site at www.hlhz.com, or contact Anita Morell at amorell@hlhz.com or 212-497-4153 for further information.

About Houlihan Lokey Howard & Zukin

Houlihan Lokey Howard & Zukin, an international investment bank, provides a wide range of services, including mergers and acquisitions, financing, financial opinions and advisory services, and financial restructuring. Houlihan Lokey has ranked among the top 10 M&A advisors in the U.S. for the past six years, has been the No. 1 provider of M&A fairness opinions for six consecutive years, and has one of the largest worldwide financial restructuring practices of any investment bank. Established in 1970, the firm has over 700 employees in 11 offices in the United States and Europe. We annually serve more than 1,000 clients ranging from closely held companies to Global 500 corporations. For more information, visit Houlihan Lokey's Web site at www.hlhz.com.

Conference agenda is as follows:



                    Inaugural Basic Industrial Conference
                       Achieving Global Competitiveness

                       WALDORF-ASTORIA HOTEL, NEW YORK

                          Thursday -- March 9, 2006

 8:00 am -- 9:00 am       Registration and Continental Breakfast


 9:00 am -- 9:30 am       Introductory Remarks
                          William G. Peluchiwski, Managing Director
                          Houlihan Lokey Howard & Zukin

 9:30 am -- 10:40 am      Creating Shareholder Value Through M&A

                          Moderator:  
                          J. Francis Lavelle, Managing Director
                          Houlihan Lokey Howard & Zukin

                          Panelists:
                          Chet Akiri, Corporate Business Development
                          General Electric

                          Michael J. Hatcher, General Manager -- 
                          Business Development
                          United States Steel Corporation

                          David W. Kay, Chief Operating Officer
                          Gibraltar Industries, Inc.

                          Michael S. Landry, Vice President
                          The Shaw Group, Inc.

 10:40 am -- 10:50        Break

 10:50 am --  Noon        Financing for Growth

                          Moderator:
                          Ronald Lee, Managing Director
                          Houlihan Lokey Howard & Zukin 

                          Panelists:
                          Arthur Penn, Chief Operating Officer
                          Apollo Investment Corporation

                          Leo A. Helmers, Managing Director
                          The Carlyle Group -- Mezzanine Partners

                          Kevin P. Genda, Senior Managing Director
                          Cerberus Capital Management, LP

                          R. Kipp deVeer, Managing Director
                          Ares Management



 Noon -- 1:30 pm          Lunch/Networking

                          The Leading Edge of Corporate Governance

                          Speaker: Dan R. Dalton
                          Founding Director of the Institute for 
                          Corporate Governance, Dean Emeritus, and 
                          Harold A. Poling Chair of Strategic 
                          Management, Kelley School of Business, 
                          Indiana University

 1:30 pm -- 2:40 pm       Asia:  Identifying and Unlocking 
                          Opportunities

                          Moderator:  
                          William G. Peluchiwski, Managing Director
                          Houlihan Lokey Howard & Zukin

                          Panelists:
                          Timothy F. Driscoll, President
                          MTD Ventures LLC

                          James A. Lico, Executive Vice President
                          Danaher Corporation

                          Gene Nesbeda, Managing Director
                          CITIC Provident

                          Ian Morton, Partner
                          Crimson Investments

 2:40 pm -- 3:50 pm       Legal and Labor Issues:  Impacts on 
                          Competitiveness

                          Moderator:
                          William G. Peluchiwski, Managing Director
                          Houlihan Lokey Howard & Zukin

                          Panelists:
                          Vincent Petrella, Chief Financial Officer
                          Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc.

                          Daniel A. Pryor, Managing Director
                          The Carlyle Group

                          Joseph White, Detroit Bureau Chief
                          Wall Street Journal

 3:50 pm -- 4:00 pm       Break


 4:00 pm -- 5:00 pm       Product and Pricing in Today's Energy and 
                          Commodity Environment

                          Moderator:  
                          J. Francis Lavelle, Managing Director
                          Houlihan Lokey Howard & Zukin

                          Panelists:
                          Steven R. Haskin, Group Vice President
                          PROS Pricing Solutions

                          Dr. Elwood "Woody" M. Miller
                          Celeste Industries Corporation

                          Richard J. Hipple, President and Chief 
                          Operating Officer
                          Brush Engineered Materials, Inc.

                          Jay Pittas, President
                          Wolverine Gasket -- EaglePicher Industries, 
                          Inc.


 5:00 pm                  Networking Cocktail Reception


            

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