General Cable Announces Utility Cable Cooperation With Brugg Kabel.

Business Editors

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 19, 2001

General Cable, through its subsidiary General Cable Iberia, S.A., announced that it has reached an agreement in principle with Brugg Kabel AG to jointly market energy cables and related accessories to the worldwide Power Utility market. The two companies, both leaders in their respective energy and communication cable markets, plan to combine their strengths to provide a complete range of high quality products, services and technology to their customers. The product offering will include medium- and high-voltage cables up to 400kV, as well as turnkey installation services and engineering support. In addition, they will offer their Power Utility customers fiber optic cable for their communications networks.

"Brugg Kabel has proven expertise in the manufacture, engineering and installation of extra-high-voltage energy cables. General Cable Iberia has the technical experience and manufacturing capacity to produce low-, medium- and high-voltage energy cables up to 220 kV and has a strong presence in its local markets. We have successfully collaborated with Brugg on major projects in the past and this new partnership between our two companies will offer an important channel of growth for both of our businesses," said Gregory B. Kenny, President and Chief Executive Officer of General Cable. "This alliance empowers the two companies to jointly pursue new business, particularly in the European market where synergies will be immediately attainable. In addition to the advantages of the collaboration between the two companies in a combined product range, their strength in markets that represent geographically complementary trading areas will be beneficial to both organizations."

General Cable, headquartered in Highland Heights, Kentucky, is a leader in the development, design, manufacture, marketing and distribution of copper, aluminum and fiber optic wire and cable products for the communications, energy and specialty markets. The Company offers competitive strengths in such areas as breadth of product line, brand recognition, distribution and logistics, sales and service and operating efficiency. Communications wire and cable products transmit low-voltage signals for voice, data, video and control applications. Energy cables include low-, medium- and high-voltage power distribution and power transmission products. The Specialty segment is comprised of application-specific cables for uses such as electrical power generation (traditional fuels, alternative and renewable sources, and distributed generation), the oil, gas and petrochemical industries, mining, industrial automation, automotive, marine, military and aerospace applications, power applications in the telecommunications industry, and other key industrial segments. Visit our website at www.GeneralCable.com.

Brugg Kabel's activities are highly specialized and focused on a limited number of well-defined market segments: low-, medium- and high-voltage cable systems and accessories, as well as the full range of fiber optic cables and accessories. Brugg Kabel Business Unit's benefiting from the collaboration between General Cable and Brugg, are high-voltage systems, power cables, specialty cables and telecom cables. All product ranges are enhanced by the high quality and guaranteed systems of Brugg Kabel.

Statements in this press release, other than historical facts, are forward-looking statements including without limitation, statements regarding future financial results and performance, plans and objectives, capital expenditures and the Company's or management's beliefs, expectations or opinions. Actual results may differ materially from those statements as a result of factors, risks and uncertainties over which the Company has no control. Such factors include domestic and local country price competition, particularly in certain segments of the power cable, building wire and cordsets markets, and other competitive pressures; general economic conditions, particularly in construction; changes in customer purchasing patterns; the Company's ability to increase manufacturing capacity and productivity; the Company's ability to successfully complete and integrate acquisitions and divestitures; the cost of raw materials, including copper; the impact of foreign currency fluctuations; the impact of technological changes; the Company's ability to achieve productivity improvements; and other factors which are discussed in the Company's Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 30, 2001, as well as periodic reports filed with the Commission.