Press Release Details

Williams Advanced Materials Inc. Extends Its Service Offering and Global Reach with Acquisition of Irish Company

May 4, 2005

BUFFALO, N.Y., May 04, 2005 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Williams Advanced Materials Inc. (WAM), a wholly owned subsidiary of Brush Engineered Materials Inc., announced today that its Netherlands subsidiary has acquired privately held OMC Scientific Holdings Limited (OMCS) of Limerick, Ireland. OMC Scientific Holdings primarily provides precision cleaning and reconditioning services for physical vapor deposition customers serving the magnetic and optical data storage, semiconductor and other technology-based growth markets. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

The acquisition, which includes a modern operating facility in Limerick with 35 employees enables Williams Advanced Materials to augment its existing physical vapor deposition materials business with significantly enhanced service capabilities and an extended geographic reach throughout Ireland, the United Kingdom and Continental Europe. OMC Scientific Holdings' unique technology will also augment WAM's existing service capabilities in North America.

In making the announcement, Richard W. Sager, WAM President, said, "We are excited to have OMC Scientific Holdings and its talented workforce join the WAM team. OMCS is recognized as a leader in technological expertise and service, and has generated a solid record of growth and profitability since its founding. This acquisition allows us to immediately offer existing and future customers a broader and highly complementary range of capabilities, and adds a new source of revenues and margin contribution to our organization."

Williams Advanced Materials has had a business relationship with OMCS since 2000 with OMCS performing value-added bonding and logistics services for WAM sputtering target materials exported from North America.

Williams Advanced Materials has undertaken a number of strategic initiatives over the past several years to strengthen its competitive position, including acquisitions, expansions into new markets and new product introductions. Beyond the OMCS acquisition, WAM in 2004 purchased the remaining portion of a joint venture in Taiwan that manufactures and distributes WAM products in Asia. In 2003 Williams Advanced Materials acquired certain assets of Honeywell Electronic Materials related to the production of microelectronic packaging for the computer, microwave and opto-electronic markets. In addition, WAM acquired certain similar assets from Semi Alloys Company in 2001.

Headquartered in Buffalo, New York, Williams Advanced Materials manufactures precious, non-precious and specialty metal products at its facilities in New York, California and Asia. Major markets for WAM's products include magnetic and optical data storage, the wireless, semiconductor, photonic and hybrid segments of the microelectronics markets. Its sales in 2004 were $165.7 million.

Brush Engineered Materials Inc. (NYSE:BW) is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio. The Company, through its wholly owned subsidiaries, supplies worldwide markets with beryllium products, alloy products, electronic products, precious metal products, and engineered material systems.

SOURCE: Williams Advanced Materials Inc.

Williams Advanced Materials Inc.
Media: Scott Haluska, 716-837-1000
http://www.williams-adv.com
or
Brush Engineered Materials Inc.
Investors: Michael C. Hasychak, 216-383-6823
http://www.beminc.com

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