Platinum Equity Completes Sale of ACR Logistics to Kuehne + Nagel International

Operational Performance and Enterprise Value Grew Dramatically Under Platinum Ownership 

LOS ANGELES (October 17, 2005) – Platinum Equity announced today that it has agreed to sell portfolio company ACR Logistics to Kuehne + Nagel International AG, one of world’s largest logistics companies.

The agreement values ACR Logistics at nearly €500 million euros. The transaction, which is subject to regulatory approval, is expected to be completed in early 2006.

“ACR Logistics has been an outstanding investment for Platinum Equity, and we are confident the company will continue to thrive under Kuehne + Nagel,” said Platinum Chairman and CEO Tom Gores.

“I am very pleased that under our ownership over the past two years, ACR was able to solidify itself as a leader in the world of contract logistics,” Mr. Gores said. “We were fortunate to work with a strong management team that executed well on its plans. This is a great company, and it will be a strong asset for Kuehne + Nagel.”

Platinum acquired the business, which was known as Hays Logistics, from Hays plc in February 2004, established the organization as a standalone company and re-launched it under the new name, ACR Logistics. Subsequently, Platinum’s operations executives worked with CEO Xavier Urbain and his management team to drive operational improvements within the business, and empowered management team to grow enterprise value.

ACR Logistics is forecasting revenue in excess of €1.3 billion in 2005. The company is headquartered in Paris, with operations in 11 countries throughout Europe. ACR provides supply-chain design; information systems and data management; distribution center and transport services; and asset management of returnable transport packaging and not-for-sale goods.

Kuehne + Nagel has annual revenue of €7.5 billion and operations in 98 countries worldwide. With 25,000 employees at 620 locations, Kuehne + Nagel is one of the world’s leading logistics companies. Its strong market position lies in the seafreight, airfreight and contract logistics businesses, with a clear focus on providing IT-based supply chain management services.

In announcing the transaction, Kuehne + Nagel described ACR Logistics as “an ideal strategic fit” that provides complementary geographic and industry penetration with blue-chip customers, a strong information technology platform, and an experienced and capable management team.

“We could see powerful synergies between the two companies and knew this could be a substantial opportunity for ACR to continue its development,” said Brian Wall, Managing Director of Platinum Equity’s European operations, based in Paris. “The creation and development of ACR Logistics and this transaction combine to form another success story for our organization. This adds to our track record of success and gives us a great deal of momentum as we continue pursuing new transaction opportunities in Europe.”

Mr. Urbain, the CEO of ACR Logistics, said that under Platinum the business quickly completed an operational turnaround and distinguished itself as a strong player in the European contract logistics sector with a focus on achieving superior results and a high level of customer satisfaction. He said those qualities would continue under the new ownership.

“ACR Logistics has an approach that goes above and beyond simply providing economies of scale and lower costs. Our objective is to provide added value for our customers by turning logistics into a competitive advantage and a means for them to grow in their respective markets,” Mr. Urbain said.

“As part of Kuehne + Nagel, we are better than ever positioned to be that long-term force in the industry our customers look for,” he said. “I firmly believe that we have the right partner to pursue our development for the benefit of our customers and employees.”

About Platinum Equity

Platinum Equity (www.platinumequity.com) is a global M&A&O® firm specialized in the merger, acquisition and operation of companies that provide services and solutions to customers in a broad range of business markets, including information technology, software, telecommunications, logistics, manufacturing, health care products and entertainment distribution. Since its founding in 1995 by entrepreneur Tom Gores, Platinum Equity has acquired more than 50 businesses and built a portfolio of operating companies that today has more than 40,000 employees, more than 600,000 customer sites and aggregate annual revenue of approximately $8 billion. In 2004, Platinum was named the 32nd largest private company in the United States by Forbesmagazine.

Contacts:

For Platinum Equity

Mark Barnhill
Platinum Equity
(310) 228-9514
mbarnhill@platinumequity,com 

Bill Kobel
Platinum Equity
(717) 649-8705
wkobel@platinumequity.com

Philip Gawith / Alastair Crabbe
The Maitland Consultancy
+44 20 7379 5151
pgawith@maitland.co.uk
acrabbe@maitland.co.uk

For Kuehne + Nagel International AG

Inge Lauble-Meffert
Tel. +41 (0)44 786 96 78
Fax +41 (0)44 786 96 90
inge.lauble@kuehne-nagel.com

For ACR Logistics

Mireille Dutruge
Tel.. +33 (0)1 48 07 39 22
mireille.dutruge@acr-logistics.com