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GTCR Announces Partnership with Tony Aquila to Form Solera

CHICAGO--Feb. 2, 20053, 2005--GTCR Golder Rauner, LLC (GTCR), one of the nation's leading private equity firms, today announced that it has entered into a partnership with Tony Aquila and other management to form Solera, Inc. The new company, headquartered in San Diego, California, will focus on the auto physical damage (APD) claims settlement process providing consulting, outsourced services, and strategic technology solutions. GTCR plans to invest up to $100 million of equity capital to support management's strategy to build a leading claims processing company through both organic growth and acquisition. Aquila will serve as chief executive officer of Solera.

Tony Aquila has over 20 years experience in the insurance and automotive repair industries. Aquila is the former president and chief operating officer of Mitchell International, a San Diego-based company that provides claims estimating and communications software to insurance carriers and their trading partners. He joined Mitchell in 2001 when the company acquired Ensera, the claims workflow software company where he was founder and CEO. Prior to Ensera, Aquila was founder and CEO of MaxMeyer America, Inc., (a subsidiary of MaxMeyer Duco, SPA, Italy) an importer and distributor of European automotive refinishing products. In 1997, PPG Industries acquired MaxMeyer Duco, SPA.

"We are thrilled to be partnering with Tony and his exceptional management team," said GTCR Principal Philip A. Canfield. "This is another example of GTCR's strategy of identifying a highly attractive industry and then forging a partnership with an exceptional executive to build an industry leading company."

"The claims handling process is wrought with inefficiencies and is not well served by a fragmented collection of third-party service providers. A company with scale, focused on improving the entire claims process through the rigorous use of data will generate tremendous benefits for all participants - carriers, collision repair shops, and their vendors. We look forward to working closely with Solera to identify and leverage the most attractive opportunities in this space," added Craig A. Bondy, principal at GTCR.

"Having spent my entire career in APD-related industries," stated Aquila, "I am very excited to be partnering with GTCR to build a significant new player in the claims processing space that will provide attractive services to insurance companies that seek to lower their costs and to improve their operations. GTCR is the perfect partner with whom to start Solera," Aquila added. "The firm has a long history of backing experienced managers and their teams and giving them the time and resources required to build an industry leading company. The time is right to launch Solera, a company that will meet the needs of insurance carriers and their business partners for consulting, outsourced services, and strategic technology."

About Solera, Inc.

Based in San Diego, California, Solera is a consulting, outsourced services, and technology solutions company focused on the auto physical damage insurance claims processing industry. For more information visit www.solerainc.com.

About GTCR Golder Rauner, LLC

Founded in 1980, GTCR Golder Rauner, LLC is a leading private equity investment firm and long-term strategic partner for outstanding management teams. The Chicago-based firm pioneered the investment strategy of identifying and partnering with exceptional executives to build leading companies through a combination of acquisitions and internal growth. GTCR currently manages more than $6 billion of equity capital invested in a wide range of companies and industries. For more information visit www.gtcr.com.