Baird Receives Top Manufacturing, Consumer Banking Honors For Second Consecutive Year

MILWAUKEE, Jan. 26, 2009 Baird, an employee-owned international capital markets, private equity, wealth and asset management firm, today announced that, for a second consecutive year, it received top manufacturing and consumer investment banking honors for its mergers and acquisitions work in 2008. Baird was named “Manufacturing Sector Adviser of the Year” by Acquisitions Monthly, a U.K.-based publication of Thomson Financial and won the “Consumer and Retail Products Deal of the Year” (large transaction category) award from The M&A Advisor for its role in advising Technical Concepts on its sale to Newell Rubbermaid Inc. for $445 million.

“Given the current landscape, it’s especially gratifying to be recognized for the value we consistently strive to provide our middle-market clients across our global platform,” said Steve Booth, Director of Investment Banking.

“Manufacturing Sector Adviser of the Year”
Acquisitions Monthly selected Baird as the 2009 "Manufacturing Sector Adviser of the Year”, proclaiming that Baird’s “knowledge of US strategic buyers; experience in cross-border transactions and long-term commitment to the mid-market have seen it emerge as a key adviser in 2008, with deal volume remaining steady despite the financial crisis.”

Among Baird’s many distinguishing factors, Acquisitions Monthly pointed to two outstanding transactions in 2008 as evidence of the firm’s industrial/manufacturing expertise:
     • Driessen Aerospece Group N.V. sale to Zodiac S.A. 
     • Avery Weigh-Tronix Holdings Limited sale to Illinois Tool Works Inc.

The firm’s work advising Italian-based ECO SpA on its sale to Finland –based Luvata OY won Baird the same award in 2007.

“Industrial and manufacturing sectors have always been a sweet spot for Baird, and it’s great to have a well-regarded third party like Acquisitions Monthly enforce Baird’s reputation in that space,” said Booth.

“Consumer and Retail Products Deal of the Year”, U.S. Middle Market
At The M&A Advisor’s 7th annual M&A awards, Baird’s instrumental work on one of the largest middle-market Consumer Products transactions of 2008 was recognized as a “Consumer and Retail Products Deal of the Year”. Baird advised Technical Concepts Holdings, LLC, a leading global provider of innovative restroom hygiene systems for the away-from-home washroom category, on its sale to Newell Rubbermaid Inc., an S&P 500 company and a global marketer of consumer and commercial products with sales over $6 billion. The highly strategic transaction provided Technical Concepts with $445 million (all cash), representing a purchase price of more than three times TC's annual sales of approximately $137 million.

Baird won “Consumer Products Deal of the Year” (large transaction category) award in 2007, for its role advising Wilton Industries on its sale to EK Success, a portfolio company of GTCR.

“Winning this award for two consecutive years is a testament to our Consumer team’s ability to position and sell high-growth, innovative Consumer Products businesses,” said Booth.

About Baird Investment Banking group
Recognized as the 2008 “Middle Market Investment Bank of the Year” by Buyouts magazine, Baird is a leading international investment bank focused on the middle market. More than 150 investment banking professionals in the U.S., Europe and Asia provide corporations with in-depth market knowledge and extensive experience in merger and acquisition and equity financing transactions. Over the past 10 years, Baird has advised on over 615 M&A and financing transactions with a total value of more than $94 billion. Over the past five years, European and transatlantic assignments have accounted for approximately one-third of our M&A transactions. Baird was named “Middle Market Bank of the Year” for 2006 by Investment Dealer’s Digest. The firm has received “Deal of the Year” recognitions from The M&A Advisor for four years running and was named the 2008 and 2009 “Manufacturing Sector Adviser of the Year” by Acquisitions Monthly in the UK.

About Baird
Baird is an employee-owned, international wealth management, capital markets, private equity and asset management firm with offices in the United States, Europe and Asia. Established in 1919, Baird has more than 2,300 associates serving the needs of individual, corporate, institutional and municipal clients. Baird oversees and manages client assets of more than $66 billion. Committed to being a great place to work, Baird ranked number 14 on FORTUNE’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” in 2009 -- its sixth consecutive year on the list. Baird’s principal operating subsidiaries are Robert W. Baird & Co. in the United States and Robert W. Baird Group Ltd. in Europe. Baird also has operating subsidiaries in Asia supporting Baird’s private equity and investment banking operations. For more information, please visit Baird’s Web site at www.rwbaird.com.