Cooper Industries Announces Acquisitions of Mount Engineering plc and Apex Lighting Controls

Cooper Industries plc (NYSE: CBE) today announced the acquisitions of Mount Engineering plc, a United Kingdom based manufacturer of specialty threaded adaptors and reducers for harsh and hazardous environments, and Apex Lighting Controls Ltd., a private manufacturer of Energy Management lighting controls also based in the UK.

Mount Engineering specializes in the manufacture and supply of thread-converting adaptors and reducers that are "Ex Certified" for use in potentially explosive or hazardous areas. Additionally, Mount Engineering is engaged in the sale and distribution of industrial valves and actuators to the oil, gas, petrochemical and process industries throughout the world. Mount Engineering will become part of the Cooper Safety division of Cooper Industries.

Apex Lighting Controls is an industry leader in delivering integrated lighting control systems and services to manage lighting and energy usage for commercial, government, and healthcare markets in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. This acquisition complements Cooper's existing lighting controls business, notably the Greengate Energy Management products sold in North American markets, and enhances the overall portfolio with expertise in addressable ballast and digital control technologies. Apex Lighting Controls will become part of
the Cooper Lighting division of Cooper Industries.

"The acquisition of Mount Engineering represents a strategic fit with Cooper Safety's existing offering of cable glands and Cooper Crouse-Hinds' extensive portfolio of harsh and hazardous solutions. Cooper's global-leading market position in harsh and hazardous electrical products and extensive distribution channel provides a great
opportunity to expand Mount Engineering's offering worldwide," said Cooper Industries Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Kirk S. Hachigian. "Additionally, the acquisition of Apex Lighting Controls demonstrates Cooper's ongoing commitment to enhance our existing portfolio of energy-efficient lighting products and continue to add advanced technology into the portfolio."

"Cooper has an exceptionally strong balance sheet and continues to maintain a focused and disciplined acquisition strategy," said Hachigian. "We remain committed to building key business and technology platforms that provide substantial growth in more specification-driven end markets."