ACG Cleveland Salutes Region's Top Deal Makers At 11th Annual Deal Maker Award Dinner.

CLEVELAND -- ACG Cleveland, the local chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth, will recognize the winners of the 11th Annual ACG Cleveland Deal Maker Awards at a sold-out dinner program tonight in the main ballroom at the Cleveland Marriott at Key Center. The Deal Maker Awards recognize Northern Ohio's corporate and individual deal makers who have been inspirational, visionary, creative, tenacious, and persistent in their efforts to complete acquisitions, joint ventures, financing, and other transactions to achieve long-term corporate growth. The 2007 Deal Maker Awards winners are:

Corporate: Aleris International, Inc.

Aleris International, Inc. is a global leader in aluminum and zinc products and services headquartered in Beachwood, Ohio. The company operates 50 production facilities around the world and employs 8,600. Aleris was formed in December 2004 with the merger between IMCO Recycling Inc. and Commonwealth Industries, Inc. The combination brought the corporate headquarters to Cleveland and marked the beginning of a new era in which Aleris would become a high-performing industry leader. Aleris subsequently completed six acquisitions before announcing an agreement to be acquired by private equity investor Texas Pacific Group. The completion of this transaction on December 19, 2006 created significant value for Aleris shareholders while positioning the company with a partner committed to its continued growth as a privately held company.

Corporate: Cedar Fair Entertainment Company 

Cedar Fair Entertainment Company (NYSE:FUN) is a publicly traded partnership headquartered in Sandusky, Ohio. The Partnership, which owns and operates 12 amusement parks, five outdoor water parks, one indoor water park, and six hotels, is one of the largest amusement park operators in the world. Its flagship park, Cedar Point, has been voted "Best Amusement Park in the World" for nine consecutive years in an annual poll conducted by Amusement Today. On June 30, 2006, Cedar Fair acquired the Paramount Parks from CBS Corporation in a cash transaction valued at approximately $1.24 billion. Through strategic acquisitions such as this one, Cedar Fair has grown from two parks generating $96 million in revenue in 1986 to 17 parks across the country generating approximately $1 billion in revenue.

Emerging Growth: ComparisonMarket LLC 

David L. Roush was dedicated to the idea of creating an independent online insurance agency that would let consumers compare multiple quotes and find the right policy at the right price. In 2000 he left a 17-year career at Progressive Corporation and created ComparisonMarket. Since its inception, ComparisonMarket has raised $80 million of capital in the form of senior secured debt, convertible notes and preferred equity. Early on it leveraged internal growth to fund a key acquisition. Today the Solon-based company has more than 190 employees and has sold more than 400,000 policies. It is riding this wave of increasing consumer confidence in online financial purchases by providing a consistent and easy-to-use online experience for comparison shopping and buying auto insurance.

Buyout Firm: Primus Venture Partners

Primus was originally established in 1983 to invest in and promote the growth of companies principally in Ohio and the Midwest. The initial Primus fund was raised in 1984 with total commitments of $30 million and a challenge as the region had not previously attracted significant private equity capital. Over its 23-year history, Primus has grown in size and scope to include five funds, representing a total of $630 million of committed capital, and a national investment strategy. Notable portfolio companies include STERIS Corporation (NYSE:STE), DeVry, Inc. (NYSE:DV), Universal Electronics, Inc. (NASDAQ:UEIC), Petzazz/Petsmart (NASDAQ:PETM), and Golf Galaxy, Inc. (NASDAQ:GGXY). Through its $280 million fifth fund, Primus is making new investments in growth capital opportunities, recapitalizations and management-led buyouts.

About ACG and ACG Cleveland

Founded in 1954, the Association for Corporate Growth (www.acg.org) is a global association for professionals involved in corporate growth, corporate development, and mergers and acquisitions. Today ACG has more than 11,000 members in 53 chapters in North America and Europe. These members are from corporations, private equity, finance, and professional service firms representing Fortune 500, Fortune 1000, FTSE 100, and mid-market companies.

ACG Cleveland, with 300 members, celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2006. The annual Deal Maker Awards event is one 15 educational programs and other activities the chapter sponsors each year.