Hatch Announces Formal Launch of HB Advisers

September 30, 2004

The Hatch Group (“Hatch”), the world’s pre-eminent supplier of technical and strategic services to the metals, mining, energy and infrastructure industries, is pleased to announce the formal launch of HB Advisers Limited (“HB Advisers”), a new London headquartered corporate finance advisory firm, which extends and complements Hatch’s existing range of services to its clients.

HB Advisers has assembled a high-calibre team of seven professionals, drawn principally from the investment banking world, complemented by a dedicated Hatch team of 15 professionals located in key cities worldwide (including Toronto, Pittsburgh, Santiago, Moscow, Johannesburg, Brisbane and Beijing).

HB Advisers is a separately incorporated company, recently authorised by the Financial Services Authority.  It is owned by Hatch, an employee-owned company, and by the founding directors Guy de Selliers and Rod Beddows.  Guy de Selliers has more than 25 years of experience in corporate finance having held senior positions with Lehman Brothers, Robert Fleming and the EBRD among others. Rod Beddows, director of Hatch, is recognized as one of the world’s leading experts in the metals and mining industry with more than 15 years as a strategy consultant to the sector.

Guy de Selliers, Executive Chairman of HB Advisers, commented:

“The establishment of HB Advisers provides an exciting new proposition to clients in the ferrous and non-ferrous metals and mining industry. It combines the benefits of a small team of highly qualified, experienced and industry focused corporate finance professionals with Hatch’s global network of metals and mining experts.

 “We have a unique business model, which is particularly suited to the current environment where clients expect in-depth industry expertise from their advisers. Yet because of restrictions over access to research analysts in the post Spitzer environment, many investment banks are hard pressed to provide this in the industries we cover.”

Rod Beddows, CEO of HB Advisers added:

“HB Advisers provides a bottom up understanding of M&A situations and has the ability to provide innovative solutions and ideas to its key clients.  We are currently working on over eight mandates in all the major metal and mining territories.”

 “We believe that both the steel and non-ferrous sectors are undergoing a decade-long process of consolidation, globalisation and portfolio restructuring. HB Advisers is perfectly positioned to help its clients participate in, and benefit from these changes”

 Kurt Strobele, President and CEO of Hatch, commented:

“HB Advisers is another exciting development for Hatch as it expands and enhances its offerings to clients.  The establishment of the business appears to be well timed given the current high levels of activity and interest in the sector.”