---

Secretary of State Orders Mills Disposal

24 September 1998

Secretary of State Orders Mills Disposal

    LONDON--Sept. 24, 1998--Tomkins PLC , the international manufacturing company, notes the decision of the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, following the report of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission (MMC), ordering the Company to dispose of four of the six Spillers flour mills recently acquired from Kerry Group Plc.
    Tomkins co-operated fully with both the Office of Fair Trading and the MMC and put forward a compelling case that the merger should be allowed to go through. The Company firmly believes that the transaction was in the interests of effective competition in the UK flour milling industry, particularly in view of the buying power of the multiple retailers and Tomkins' plans for investment in the Spillers Mills.
    Tomkins comprises a broad range of low-risk technology manufacturing companies. Tomkins' US interests include The Gates Rubber Company, Denver, CO, the world's leading manufacturer of power transmission belts and a major producer of hose and connector products. Other interests include, Murray, Inc., Brentwood, TN, one of the leading US producers of power lawnmowers, snow blowers and bicycles; Red Wing Corporation, Fredonia, NY, the largest US manufacturer of private label grocery products; Smith & Wesson Corporation, Springfield, MA, manufacturer of handguns, handcuffs and the Identi-Kit system; and Tomkins Industries, Dayton, OH, a leading manufacturer of components for residential, commercial, and industrial buildings, materials handling and the transportation industry.
    Tomkins shares trade in the US in ADR form (each equal to four ordinary shares) on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol TKS; its ordinary shares are listed on the London Stock Exchange.