Press Release Details

Brush Engineered Materials Inc. Subsidiary Awarded $9.8 Million in New Orders to Produce Infrared Window Assemblies and Hybrid Circuits

April 2, 2008

BUELLTON, Calif., Apr 02, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Brush Engineered Materials Inc. (NYSE:BW) announced today that Thin Film Technology, Inc. (TFT), a unit of its Williams Advanced Materials Inc. (WAM) subsidiary, has been awarded $9.8 million in new contracts to provide Visi-Lid(TM) hermetic window assemblies and thin film hybrid circuits to DRS Technologies Sensors & Targeting Systems, Infrared Technologies Division. The contract is for a period of up to 16 months.

TFT, headquartered in Buellton, California, is a leader in the production of precision optical coatings, thin film hybrid circuits, and highly engineered thin film coatings and services.

A major supplier of advanced night vision systems, DRS Infrared Technologies, based in Dallas, Texas, provides products to the military that are used to enhance a soldier's vision capability, survivability and mobility in low-light conditions and support our military units engaged in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. DRS products include Thermal Weapon Sights (TWS) and the Driver Enhanced Vision (DEV) system used on armored vehicles such as the Humvee(TM), the Bradley and the U.S. Army's new MRAP armored personnel carrier.

Commenting on the new contracts, Dr. Ian Tribick, Vice President and General Manager of TFT, said, "We are excited about our continued strong business partnership with DRS. We have been able to leverage our technology development capabilities to add value to DRS' highly sophisticated product offering. Moreover, we're honored to have our materials play a part in helping keep our troops from harm's way."

TFT and several other units within the WAM organization collaborated to create a custom-integrated solution with the Visi-Lid(TM) hermetic assembly for DRS. The Visi-Lid(TM) structural component is precision machined and plated at WAM's Buffalo, New York facility. High performance optical materials supplied by WAM's CERAC subsidiary in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and thin film metallization materials supplied by WAM in Buffalo are applied to glass substrates at TFT in California through physical vapor deposition (PVD) processes. Assembly of these components into a single sub-assembly is performed at TFT using high purity solder preforms provided by WAM. "Each WAM material works together to ultimately protect and seal a DRS image sensor for superior end-product performance. This is a unique, enabling capability that WAM provides to benefit important customers like DRS," Dr. Tribick added.

Over the past few years, the WAM organization has undergone expansions and completed several important acquisitions to strengthen its leadership position in global growth markets. In February 2008, WAM completed the acquisition of the assets of Techni-Met, Inc. of Windsor, Connecticut. Techni-Met produces precision precious metal coated flexible polymeric films used in a variety of high-end applications, including diabetes diagnostic test strips. In 2007, WAM opened a new precision cleaning and reconditioning services facility in the Czech Republic. In 2006, it acquired CERAC, a leading domestic provider of specialty inorganic materials. In 2005, following the acquisition of OMC Scientific Holdings Limited in Ireland, WAM purchased TFT.

WAM is headquartered in Buffalo, New York. It manufactures precious, non-precious and specialty metal products at its facilities in North America, Europe and Asia, and provides value added services on a global basis. Major markets for WAM's products include magnetic data storage, wireless, semiconductor, photonics, medical sensors, and key applications of the microelectronics markets.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Portions of the narrative set forth in this document that are not statements of historical or current facts are forward-looking statements. Our actual future performance may materially differ from that contemplated by the forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors. These factors include, in addition to those mentioned herein:

-- The global and domestic economies;

-- The condition of the markets which we serve, whether defined geographically or by segment, with the major market segments being telecommunications and computer, data storage, aerospace and defense, automotive electronics, industrial components and appliance;

-- Changes in product mix and the financial condition of customers;

-- Actual sales, operating rates and margins for the year 2008;

-- Our success in developing and introducing new products and new product ramp up rates, especially in the media market;

-- Our success in passing through the costs of raw materials to customers or otherwise mitigating fluctuating prices for those materials, including the impact of fluctuating prices on inventory values;

-- Our success in integrating newly acquired businesses, including the recent acquisition of the assets of Techni-Met, Incorporated;

-- Our success in implementing our strategic plans and the timely and successful completion of any capital projects;

-- The availability of adequate lines of credit and the associated interest rates;

-- Other financial factors, including cost and availability of raw materials (both base and precious metals), tax rates, exchange rates, interest rates, metal financing fees, pension and other employee benefit costs, energy costs, regulatory compliance costs, the cost and availability of insurance, and the impact of the Company's stock price on the cost of incentive and deferred compensation plans;

-- The uncertainties related to the impact of war and terrorist activities;

-- Changes in government regulatory requirements and the enactment of new legislation that impacts our obligations and

-- The conclusion of pending litigation matters in accordance with our expectation that there will be no material adverse effects.

Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Brush Engineered Materials Inc., through its wholly-owned subsidiaries, supplies worldwide markets with beryllium products, alloy products, electronic products, precious metal products, and engineered material systems.

SOURCE: Brush Engineered Materials Inc.

Media Contact:
Williams Advanced Materials Inc.
Michael Zasowski, 716-837-1000
or
Investor Contact:
Brush Engineered Materials Inc.
Michael Hasychak, 216-383-6823
http://www.beminc.com

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