Knox & Co. Announces National Pipe & Plastics, Inc. Transaction

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Knox & Co. represents National Pipe & Plastics, Inc. in its acquisition by its management.

Westport, CT, December 17, 2004 – Knox & Co., and its affiliates, including Knox Securities Corp. (jointly herein after “Knox & Co.”), a leading investment banking firm on middle-market and cross-border mergers and acquisitions, today announced that it advised National Pipe & Plastics, Inc. (“NPP”) in its acquisition by its President. The President closed on the purchase of all of the stock of NPP on December 17, 2004. NPP is one of the largest suppliers of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe in North America with annual revenues in excess of $120 million. The Company manufactures and distributes PVC pipe, predominantly on the eastern seaboard of the United States, from its two locations in Vestal, New York and Colfax, North Carolina. Mitsubishi Securities (USA), Inc. and Knox & Co., jointly acted as exclusive financial advisor to NPP. The team of bankers on the transaction included Jeffrey Gaynor, Managing Director at Knox, Tomo Watanabe and Mark Campbell, Vice Presidents with Knox, Yasushi Itagaki, Vice President and Manager at Mitsubishi Securities and Shunsuke Yatani, Vice President with Mitsubishi Securities. Transaction value was not disclosed.

Knox & Co. is an investment banking, consultancy and advisory firm specializing in two complementary advisory disciplines: Investment Banking and Corporate Reorganization. With its office in Westport, Connecticut, the firm undertakes assignments throughout North America and, when necessary, abroad. The firm enjoys a strategic alliance with Mitsubishi Securities Co., Ltd. (“MSC”), the core securities company in Mitsubishi Tokyo Financial Group (“MTFG”). Together, Knox and MSC have more than 80 M&A professionals capable of handling transactions around the globe and, together are the leading investment bank for middle-market, cross-border assignments involving a Japanese principal.

Knox & Co. (www.knoxandco.com) has advised on more than 100 middle-market merger and acquisition and advisory assignments since its inception, with in excess of $2 billion in transaction value. The firm’s principals have worked on cumulative transactions in excess of $15 billion.