Barjan Acquires Victor Automotive Products; Latest add-on acquisition opens two new distribution channels and expands automotive accessory product line.

Business Editors

ROCK ISLAND, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 15, 2000

Barjan Products, L.L.C., the leading national marketer and distributor of automotive, electronic, entertainment and general merchandise products to travel centers and car washes, today announced the acquisition of Victor Automotive Products of Des Plaines, Illinois, a marketer and packager of automotive accessories, parts and supplies for mass merchants and specialty automotive retailers.

Victor packages and markets over 1,000 SKUs to over 1,000 customers. Its products are primarily muffler and tire repair items such as sealants, patch kits, pressure gauges and tubes and general automotive accessories such as fuses, emergency road kits, gas caps and light bulbs.

Effective July 21, 2000, Victor is Barjan's first acquisition serving the mass merchant and specialty automotive distribution channels. The acquisition is part of an ongoing strategic expansion program that has more than quadrupled Barjan's sales in the last four years That growth has been the result of 13 add-on acquisitions as well as significant infrastructure improvements and internal growth.

"Victor is a leader in marketing quality automotive accessories and the addition of Victor's products and mass merchant and specialty automotive retail customers is a natural extension of Barjan's growth strategy," said Mike Filiatreau, Barjan's Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing.

Victor's headquarters and Midwest distribution center are located in Des Plaines, Illinois, and other facilities include a small manufacturing facility in Dallas, Texas. Victor's established brand names, Victor(R) and Monkey Grip(R), will be added to Barjan's Wilson(R), Barjan(R), Diesel(R) and Francis(R) product lines. All Victor employees will become Barjan employees, and Victor will continue to operate from their facilities in Des Plaines, Illinois. Michael Braverman, President of Victor, is joining the Barjan senior management team and he will continue to lead the marketing and sales efforts for Victor.

"Barjan has been a customer of Victor for over 30 years," remarked Michael Braverman, "Barjan's extensive product offering and national distribution capability will allow Victor to better serve our expanding customer base by providing a more comprehensive product offering."

Barjan is the largest marketer of automotive, electronic, entertainment, and general merchandise products to the North American travel center and car wash markets. The company also distributes to truck fleets, truck dealers, retail automotive chains, convenience stores and CB dealers. Barjan sells over 10,000 products, including CB radios and antennas sold under the barjan(R), Diesel and Wilson brand names, cables and accessories, replacement lights and lenses, car and truck waxes and polishes, chrome, audio cassettes, VHS video tapes and DVDs, books on tape, paperback books, software products, and a variety of other trucking and general merchandise.

Barjan is owned by Goense Bounds & Partners LLC, and Pfingsten Partners, L.L.C., private equity firms based in Lake Forest and Deerfield, Illinois, respectively.