2008 M&A Awards

Winners of The 7^th Annual Middle Market M&A Awards

The Middle Market M&A Awards winners were announced “Academy-Awards style” at an Awards Gala at the Hudson Theatre in New York City on December 15, 2008. From over 220 finalists, an independent panel of judges determined winners in 37 different categories. In addition to the annual awards, the M&A Advisor chooses the Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient, which recognizes excellence in deal making throughout the career of the individual. For more information, please contact the M&A Advisor 718-997-7900 or info@maadvisor.com or visit www.maadvisor.com.

Major Deal Categories

Lifetime Achievement Award

John K. Castle, Castle Harlan, Inc.

Middle-Market Deal of the Year

Sale of Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group

Nominated by TM Capital Corp.

Cross-Border Middle-Market Deal of the Year ($100 mm and above)

Minority Investment in Corsa Controladora, S.A. de C.V. by Gerdau S.A.

Nominated by Pron Asociados, S.C.

Cross-Border Middle-Market Deal of the Year (Below $100 mm)

Acquisition of ProLogic Incorporated by Ultra Electronics

Nominated by Citi Capital Strategies

Corporate/Strategic Acquisition of the Year ($100 mm and above)

Acquisition of Republic Fastener Mfg. Corp. by Alcoa

Nominated by FMV Capital Markets, Inc.

Corporate/Strategic Acquisition of the Year (Below $100 mm)

Acquisition of Humm Foods (dba LÄRABAR) by General Mills

Nominated by JD Ford & Company LLC

Green/Environmental Deal of the Year (NEW)

Acquisition of DuraTherm, Inc. by MASDAR Clean Tech Fund and the Virgin Green Fund Nominated by Morgan Joseph & Co. Inc.

Lower Middle Market Deal of the Year (Below $100 mm)

Acquisition of Intelligent Automation Corp. by Honeywell International, Inc.

Nominated by Houlihan Lokey

Dealmaker of the Year

Chuck Gaetano, The Braff Group

Sector Deal Categories

Information Technology ($100 mm and above)

Acquisitions of Gateway Inc. and Packard Bell BV by Acer Inc.

Nominated by Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP

Information Technology (Below $100 mm)

Acquisition of McDonald Bradley, Inc. by ManTech International Corporation

Nominated by BB&T Capital Markets

Media, Entertainment or Telecom

Acquisition of Cyberview Technology Inc. by International Game Technology

Nominated by Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP

Healthcare/Life Sciences ($100 mm and above)

Acquisition of Authentix, Inc. by Carlyle Venture Partners and J.H. Whitney & Co.

Nominated by MHT Partners LP

Healthcare/Life Sciences (Below $100 mm)

Sale of Dinex Holdings, Inc. to Carlisle Companies, Inc.

Nominated by TM Capital Corp.

Energy (includes alternative energy, etc.)

Acquisition of Concept Mining & The Ridge Land Company by Arcelor Mittal

Nominated by KPMG Corporate Finance LLC

Real Estate (commercial, industrial, development, etc.)

Management Buyout of Simpson Housing Solutions by MacFarlane Costa Housing Partners Nominated by Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP

Retail Manufacturing/Distribution

Sale of Summit Global Logistics, Inc.

Nominated by Gordian Group, LLC

Industrial Manufacturing/Distribution ($100 mm and above)

Acquisition of Atwood Mobile Products LLC from Dura Automotive

Nominated by Insight Equity LP

Industrial Manufacturing/Distribution (Below $100 mm)

Acquisition of Jervis B Webb Company by Daifuku Co., Ltd.

Nominated by Houlihan Lokey

Industrial Goods and Basic Resources

Acquisition of Maxim Crane Works Holdings, Inc. by Platinum Equity Capital Partners II, LP Nominated by Alvarez and Marsal

Financial Services (institutional or consumer services)

Acquisition of D.F. King & Co., Inc. by Sage Holdings, with backing from The Riverside Company Nominated by Houlihan Lokey

Consumer and Retail Products ($450 mm and above)

Acquisition of Technical Concepts Holdings LLC by Newell Rubbermaid Inc.

Nominated by Robert W. Baird & Co. Inc.

Consumer and Retail Products (Between $100 mm and $450 mm)

Acquisition of Nellson Nutraceutical, Inc. by GE Capital, Barclays, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, MeLife and New York Life, et.al.

Nominated by Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP

Consumer and Retail Products (Below $100 mm)

Acquisition of Manchester, Inc. and its affiliates by Palm Beach Multi-Strategy Fund L.P. Nominated by Winston & Strawn LLP

Consumer Services

Acquisition of Veterans Transportation Services by Harrison Transportation

Nominated by Lockebridge

Professional Services ($100 mm and above)

Sale of HD Supply Lumber and Building Materials to Pro-Build Holdings, a holding of Fidelity Capital by Bain Capital, The Carlyle Group and Clayton, Dubilier & Rice

Nominated by Edgeview Partners LLC

Professional Services (Below $100 mm)

Acquisition of Coto Global Solutions LLC by Language Line Holdings, a portfolio co. of ABRY Nominated by Reynolds Advisory Partners LLC

Magnus Award Categories

Deal of the Year

Northwest Airlines Corporation Chapter 11 proceedings

Nominated by Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP

International Deal of the Year

Norilsk Nickel Group acquires LionOre Mining International Ltd.

Nominated by Hogan & Hartson

Firm/Product Categories

Investment Banking Firm of the Year

Houlihan Lokey

Boutique Investment Banking Firm of the Year (Generalist)

Edgeview Partners

Boutique Investment Banking Firm of the Year (Sector Specialist)

Financo, Inc. (Retail Merchandising)

Private Equity Firm of the Year

Summit Partners

Law Firm of the Year

Seward & Kissel

Services/Valuation Firm of the Year

Empire Valuation Consultants

Accounting Due Diligence Firm of the Year

Crowe Horwath LLP

M&A Product/Service of the Year

The J.H. Cohn Private Equity Deal-Flow Initiative

Marketing/Public Relations Firm of the Year

Michael A. Burns & Associates