Portland, Oregon – January 4, 2000 – Veber Partners served as exclusive financial advisor to the management team of Associated Chemists, Inc. (ACI), a subsidiary of Louisiana-Pacific Corp. (L-P) (NYSE: LPX), in their purchase of ACI from L-P on December 30, 1999.  As ACI’s sole financial advisor, Veber Partners assisted in structuring and negotiating the transaction on behalf of the current management team, led by ACI President Richard M. Wilch.  As part of their assignment, Veber Partners arranged for Industrial Growth Partners (IGP), a San Francisco based equity firm, to partner with management in the buyout.  Gayle Veber, managing partner of Veber Partners said, “Associated Chemists, Inc. developed an important relationship with Veber Partners.  We are pleased to assist ACI in positioning itself for its next stage of development.  This transaction represents another example of Veber Partners’ commitment to helping clients achieve their long term corporate objectives.”  

“We are extremely pleased with the expertise, dedication and service that Veber Partners exhibited on behalf of ACI in this transaction,” said Dick Wilch, ACI President.  “Veber Partners played a critical role in helping us through every state of the transaction process.”  

Associated Chemists, Inc., is the sealant, adhesive and coating subsidiary of Louisiana-Pacific Corp.  Based in Portland, with an additional facility in Orangeburg, South Carolina, ACI manufactures specialty paints, coatings, specialty process adhesives and defoamers for the wood building materials and pulp and paper industries.   ACI will continue to supply Louisiana-Pacific with coatings and other chemicals after the sale.  The company also plans to pursue a vigorous growth and acquisition strategy.   

Louisiana-Pacific is a 26-year-old major building products company, which is also headquartered in Portland, but with manufacturing facilities throughout the United States, Ireland and Canada.  

Veber Partners, LLC was founded in 1994 and its client list includes such companies as Fine Arts Graphics, Inc., American Ecology Corp., Cascade Microtech, M. Cutter Company., Elmer’s Restaurants, Northwest Software, Northwest Supermarket Holdings, Trout Lake Farm, Reddick Hydraulic, International Composites Corporation, Physician Partners, Sunset Fuel, Surgitech, Boyds Coffee, WaferTech and Harry’s Fresh Foods.  The firm is one of the premier private investment banking firms in the Pacific Northwest which focuses on mergers and acquisitions, private placements, fairness opinions, valuations and other financial advisory services.  Visit Veber Partners on the World Wide Web at http://www.veber.com.