INDIA BROOK PARTNERS LAUNCHES FOOD INDUSTRY M&A TEAM; RICHARD DANKO, FOOD INDUSTRY SPECIALIST, JOINS THE TEAM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

COMPANY CONTACT:

Jeffrey F. Tarplin, CEO and Managing Director, India Brook Partners, L.L.C. (973) 476-5340 - tarplin@indiabrook.com

New York, NY, November 4, 2002 – India Brook Partners, L.L.C. announced the launch of a Food Industry Team as part of its mergers and acquisitions group, and also announced that Richard Danko had joined the Team as a Director. India Brook also announced that it had formed an alliance with Summit Industries, Mr. Danko’s firm, under which Summit will provide consulting services to India Brook clients in the food industry.

Richard Danko brings wealth of expertise and industry relationships to the India Brook team, with more than 30 years experience as a senior executive and strategic consultant to leading food companies. Since 1995, Mr. Danko has been the CEO of Summit Industries, a consulting firm providing business development, technical and strategic advisory services to companies in a range of industry segments, including commercial baking, yeast, bakery ingredients, frozen foods, food manufacturing equipment, dairy and related industries, snack foods, meat and poultry products and food ingredients. He was previously a senior executive with Universal Foods Corp in the Red Star Yeast and Products Division.

Educated at the University of Pittsburgh and Syracuse University, Mr. Danko is a member of the American Society of Baking and the Institute of Food Technologists, and is a Contributing Editor-at-Large to bakery-net.com (www.bakery-net.com), a leading industry web site. Mr. Danko will continue to provide consulting services to food industry clients through Summit Industries, with all mergers and acquisitions business being handled by India Brook.

Jeffrey F. Tarplin, CEO and Managing Director of India Brook remarked, "India Brook clients are the winners as Richard Danko joins our mergers and acquisitions team. With strong sales and operating experience, exceptional knowledge of the worldwide food business and a broad range of industry relationships, he brings tremendous value to the team and we are very pleased that he has joined the Firm.” Mr. Danko said "Joining the India Brook mergers and acquisitions team is a unique opportunity at a perfect time. Together we will provide value and insight to our clients in several key industry segments and assist clients in generating value for their companies and investors."

India Brook focuses on bringing specialized industry expertise and financial advisory services to owners of large and mid-sized companies, investment funds and investor groups seeking to acquire or invest in these companies. All of the principals of the firm have been operating executives in their industries and bring substantial direct management experience as well as transactional M&A expertise to the firm’s clients.

Current India Brook projects in the food industry include a rollup acquisition program in the food safety testing business as well as buy-side acquisition searches for several leading companies in baking and food ingredients.

India Brook Partners, L.L.C. is a private investment banking and venture development firm founded in 1993 by Jeffrey Tarplin, specializing in middle market companies in selected industries. Based in New York, NY the firm provides mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance and strategic business development services to companies and investors. The firm and its principals have completed several hundred transactions in the public and private markets. In addition to the food industry, India Brook also has specialists in software and Internet business services, financial services and direct marketing/catalog retailing. In addition to offices in Mendham, NJ and New York City, the firm maintains affiliate relationships with investment banking and private equity firms in San Francisco, Nashville, Chicago, Boston and Washington, D.C. The firm’s website is at www.indiabrook.com.