Baird-Advised Transmark Fcx – McJunkin Red Man Deal Closes

Cross-Border Transaction Completed Despite Challenging M&A Environment

The sale of Transmark Fcx Group B.V. (“Transmark Fcx” or the “Company”) to McJunkin Red Man Corporation (“MRC”), a Goldman Sachs Capital Partners portfolio company, has been completed, creating the leading global platform for the distribution of pipe, valves and fitting (PVF) products. This cross-border transaction is one of only a few significant distribution transactions to be completed since the credit crisis began in September 2008. Baird, an employee-owned, international investment banking, private equity, wealth and asset management firm, served as the exclusive financial advisor to Transmark Fcx in this transaction. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Baird’s fully-integrated, international deal team was led by David Silver, Head of Baird’s Business Services Group in Europe and Tom Lange, Head of Baird’s Global Distribution Group.

“This transaction brings together two outstanding businesses with leadership positions in their respective geographic markets,” said Silver. “Working together, MRC and Transmark Fcx are better positioned to serve a global customer base.”

Lange commented, “Transatlantic distribution deals of this scale have unique challenges and are very rare. Baird is extremely pleased to help the owners of Transmark Fcx complete a successful transaction in a challenging M&A environment.”

Transmark Fcx is the leading distributor of specialized valves and flow control products serving customers in Europe, Southeast Asia and Australasia and is the only flow control distributor with a meaningful presence in each of these markets. The Company serves customers in the oil and gas and energy sector, as well as a range of other industries. With operational headquarters in Bradford, UK, the Company has a presence in 13 countries through 40 locations. Transmark Fcx reported 2008 sales of €260 million.

MRC is the largest North American distributor of pipe, valves and fittings (“PVF”) and related products and services to the energy industry (based on sales) and is a leading PVF distributor serving this industry across each of the upstream (exploration, production and extraction of underground oil and gas), midstream (gathering and transmission of oil and gas, gas utilities and the storage and distribution of oil and gas), downstream (crude oil refining and petrochemical processing) and industrial markets.

About Baird’s 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. Approximately 140 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 620 M&A and financing transactions with a total value of $107 billion. Over the past five years, European and transatlantic assignments have accounted for approximately one-third of our M&A transactions. In addition to the Buyouts award, Baird received “Deal of the Year” recognition from The M&A Advisor in 2008 for the fourth straight year, and was named “Manufacturing Sector Adviser of the Year” in 2008 and 2009 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 2,400 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.