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Cooper Industries Acquires Kahnetics LLC

28 September 1999

Cooper Industries Acquires Kahnetics LLC; Acquisition Enhances Product Offerings to Electrical Component Manufacturers COOPER INDUSTRIES LOGO Cooper Industries' logo. (PRNewsFoto)[DM] HOUSTON, TX USA 05/13/1999    

    HOUSTON, Sept. 28 -- Cooper Industries, Inc. has
acquired the principal assets of Kahnetics LLC, a privately held company based
in Bloomington, CA, a manufacturer of dispensing systems for solder pastes,
solder masks, adhesives, lubricants and inks.  These dispensing systems
typically are used by electronics manufacturers in conjunction with Weller
soldering tools and systems sold by the Cooper Tools division.  Kahnetics had
1998 sales of more than $4 million.
    "The addition of the Kahnetics product line enhances our existing
soldering product offerings, particularly for high tech markets where these
products are used to manufacture circuit boards," said H. John Riley, Jr.,
chairman, president and chief executive officer, Cooper Industries. "As part
of Cooper, we expect sales of the Kahnetics product line to benefit from our
Cooper Tools division's strong brand recognition, manufacturing expertise and
distribution efficiencies."
    Cooper Tools manufactures a wide variety of premium hand tools and
commercial power tools and automated assembly equipment.  The division's
Weller brand soldering tools and accessories are sold worldwide.
Headquartered in Lexington, SC, Cooper Tools has 58 manufacturing and sales
and service facilities located in North and South America, Europe and Asia
Pacific with 7,600 employees worldwide.
    Cooper Industries, with 1998 revenues of $3.7 billion, is a worldwide
manufacturer of electrical products, tools and hardware.  Additional
information about Cooper is available on the Company's Internet site:
http://www.cooperindustries.com.

    Contact:  John Breed of Cooper Industries, Inc., 713-209-8835.