NEW YORK, March 14, 2007 - Castle Harlan, Inc., the New York-based private equity investment firm, announced today it and members of management have sold the Gravograph-Technifor Group, the world leader in the manufacture of permanent marking machines, devices, accessories and related consumables, to LBO France, one of the leading private equity firms in Paris. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

The Gravograph-Technifor Group includes Gravograph Industrie International, the world leader in machines, accessories and materials used in the engraving industry; and Technifor S.A., a global leader in marking devices for permanent product identification in a variety of industrial applications. Castle Harlan acquired Gravograph in 2000 and Technifor in 2003.

Gravograph has major facilities in Atlanta in the U.S. and in Troyes, France, and markets its products worldwide under the Gravograph and New Hermes brand names. The U.S. is Gravograph's largest market.

Technifor, which sells its marker products worldwide, is based in Miribel, France, near Lyons. Technifor serves the global automotive industry, major aerospace companies, including Boeing and Airbus, and the medical industry.

The group is active in 50 countries worldwide.

Marcel Fournier, a senior managing director at Castle Harlan and a member of Gravograph's board of directors, said the company has excellent opportunities for continued growth.

"Gravograph-Technifor has evolved very well while we have owned it," Fournier said, "to provide a broad range of marking solutions for its customers.

"Under our ownership the company confirmed its global leadership position. We encouraged product development and innovation and introduced a number of new products, including a very successful line of laser machines as well as a series of other products that will come to market over the next two years.

"In addition we encouraged the company to successfully establish manufacturing in China and begin developing a customer base in this new market. China should represent significant potential over the next few years. We turn over to LBO France a strong and dynamic group."

Castle Harlan, founded in 1987, invests in controlling interests in the buyout and development of middle-market companies in North America and Europe. Its team of 20 investment professionals has completed 48 acquisitions since its inception with a total value in excess of $9 billion. The firm traces its roots to the start of the institutionalized private-equity business in the late 1960s.

Castle Harlan's current portfolio companies, which employ more than 42,000 people, include Ames True Temper, a leading manufacturer of lawn and garden tools and accessories; RathGibson, a leader in the manufacture of stainless steel and high alloy precision-welded tubing; Baker & Taylor, the leading global distributor of books and entertainment products to libraries and retailers, and Perkins & Marie Callender's, Inc., which operates and franchises 618 family restaurants in the United States and Canada.

NEW YORK, January 9, 2003 - New York merchant bank Castle Harlan, Inc., announced today it had acquired Technifor, S.A., a global leader in the manufacture of marking devices for permanent product identification and tracing in a variety of industrial applications. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Castle Harlan said it plans to merge and integrate Technifor into another company it owns, Gravograph New Hermes Holding LLC, which is building a position as the global leader in the rapidly growing markets for permanent marking. Gravograph is the world's largest producer and distributor of engraving and laser-marking machines, accessories. Castle Harlan had acquired Gravograph in the spring of 2000.

Robert C. Wages, the Castle Harlan managing director who helped negotiate the purchase, said the acquisition would grow Gravograph's annual revenues to approximately $120 million.

Technifor is based in Miribel, France, near Lyon, but more than 80 percent of its sales occur outside that country through eight subsidiaries and some 80 distributors. Approximately 50 percent of Technifor's sales are to the automotive industry, and virtually all of the major automotive companies worldwide are its customers. In the aeronautics industry, its customers include Boeing, Airbus, Dassault and General Electric.

In a joint statement, Gravograph Chairman Gérard Guyard and Chief Executive Officer Ben Anderson-Ray commented: "By acquiring Technifor, Gravograph will expand its position in industrial markets and add to its already significant worldwide distribution and service capabilities. "The integration of Technifor's strong management team, its research and development competence and its broad customer base will further solidify Gravograph's role in industrial-marking solutions and bring added innovation to its engraving-systems customers." They're a perfect fit," Wages said of the two companies. "Technifor's marking devices are largely for utilitarian purposes -- identification and traceability of parts -- while Gravograph has a greater concern for the aesthetics and appearance of its end product. The two companies are truly complementary."

Wages noted that Technifor had experienced consistent sales growth of 17.5 percent per year for the past 10 years.

"This is clearly a company on a strong growth path," he said, "and we are confident that the synergies that will be realized with Gravograph will accelerate the growth of both companies."

Marcel Therond, who founded Technifor 22 years ago, and Gérard Guérin, the chief operating officer, will remain with the company.

Gravograph is based in Atlanta, Georgia, and also has a major facility in Troyes, France; it markets its products throughout the world under the Gravograph and New Hermes brand names. The United States is by far Gravograph's largest market with approximately 40 percent of sales. Technifor's largest market is also the United States, with more than 35 percent of sales.

Castle Harlan was founded in 1987 by John K. Castle, former president and chief executive officer of Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, the investment banking firm, and Leonard M. Harlan, founder and former chairman of The Harlan Company. Since its founding, Castle Harlan has completed acquisitions exceeding $5 billion.

Its portfolio companies include McCormick & Schmick's, owner of upscale seafood restaurants; Associated Packaging Technologies, Inc., the leading manufacturer of specialty packaging for frozen foods; AdobeAir, Inc., a leading manufacturer of evaporative coolers, and American Achievement Corp., producer of class rings under the Balfour and ArtCarved labels, college and high school yearbooks and other similar academic and scholastic materials.

Castle Harlan is currently raising its fourth private-equity investment fund, Castle Harlan Partners IV, L.P, and has more than $900 million in commitments from limited partners. It expects a final closing in the first half of this year.

For additional information on Gravograph, see www.gravograph.com. For additional information on Technifor visit www.technifor.com.

NEW YORK, May 3, 2000 - Castle Harlan, Inc., the New York merchant bank, announced today the acquisition of Gravograph Industrie International, the world's leading maker and seller of machines, accessories and materials used in the engraving industry. The transaction was valued at approximately $100 million.

Gravograph has major facilities in Atlanta, Georgia, and Troyes, France, and markets its products throughout the world under the Gravograph and New Hermes brand names. The United States is by far the company's largest market, representing more than 40 percent of 1999 sales.

"This is an excellent company with strong global brands," said Robert C. Wages, the Castle Harlan director who led the negotiations for the firm, along with Marcel Fournier, a managing director. "It has an outstanding reputation for the quality of its products and services.

"The company also offers excellent opportunities for growth through entry into new markets, creative use of new marketing techniques and the introduction of innovative products."

Gravograph manufactures and distributes manual and computerized engraving machines, as well as accessories and materials on which engravings are made. It also provides engraving software, training and maintenance services.

Wages said that senior executives, including Gerard Guyard and Albert Journo, will remain with the company and participate in the buyout with Castle Harlan. Guyard, currently managing director and chief operating officer, will be promoted to chief executive officer.

Gravograph had revenues in 1999 of $95 million. It markets its products directly, through 10 subsidiaries and 28 exclusive distributors throughout the world and has some 650 employees.

The company was founded in 1938 in the United States as New Hermes, the developer of the pantograph, a portable engraving machine. The company is being sold by Financière St Luc, a private French holding company, which has owned Gravograph since 1991.

Gravograph is the fourteenth company acquired by Castle Harlan Partners III L.P., a private equity limited partnership with $630 million in committed capital. Castle Harlan said approximately 50 percent of the fund had now been invested.

Since its founding in 1987, Castle Harlan has completed acquisitions exceeding $4.5 billion. Companies in the Castle Harlan Partners III portfolio include Worldwide Flight Services, a major provider of ground services for more than 200 airlines throughout the world; Universal Compression, a leading independent provider of natural gas compression equipment and services; Charlie Brown's and Marie Callender's, two popular restaurant chains, the former in New Jersey and the other on the West Coast, and AdobeAir, one of the nation's leading manufacturers of evaporative coolers and portable electric heaters.

Castle Harlan was founded by John K. Castle, an early pioneer of institutionalized private equity investing and the former president and chief executive officer of Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, the investment bank, and by Leonard M. Harlan, founder and former chairman of The Harlan Company, a diversified real estate and corporate finance advisory firm.