TYCO INTERNATIONAL LTD
8-K, 1997-03-25
GENERAL INDUSTRIAL MACHINERY & EQUIPMENT, NEC
Previous: TRANSAMERICA FINANCE CORP, 10-K405, 1997-03-25
Next: UNITED CITIES GAS CO, 10-K, 1997-03-25



- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------



                                  UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549


                         ------------------------------

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT

                     PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
                         SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934


         Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported) March 17, 1997


                                     1-5482
                            (Commission File Number)


                         ------------------------------


                             TYCO INTERNATIONAL LTD.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


               Massachusetts                             04-2297459
           (State of Incorporation)                      IRS Employer
                                                       Identification Number)


                   One Tyco Park, Exeter, New Hampshire 03833
              (Address of registrant's principal executive office)


                                  603-778-9700
                         (Registrant's telephone number)


                         ------------------------------



- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------





<PAGE>



ITEM 5.     OTHER EVENTS

            On March 17, 1997, Tyco  International Ltd. ("Tyco") entered into an
Agreement and Plan of Merger (the "Merger  Agreement") by and among ADT Limited,
a Bermuda  company  restricted  by  shares  ("ADT"),  Limited  Apache,  Inc.,  a
Massachusetts corporation and wholly-owned subsidiary of ADT ("Merger Sub"), and
Tyco,  pursuant to which Merger Sub will be merged (the  "Merger") with and into
Tyco. Tyco  shareholders  will receive one share of ADT for each Tyco share, and
ADT shareholders,  through a reverse split, will receive 0.48133 shares for each
of their pre-Merger ADT shares.  Following the Merger, the combined company will
be renamed Tyco International Ltd.

            The Merger is subject to approval by the shareholders of Tyco and to
the approval of certain  related matters by the  shareholders of ADT,  including
the election at the effective  time of the Merger of a new Board of Directors of
ADT  comprised of all eight  current  members of Tyco's  Board of Directors  and
three current members of ADT's Board of Directors. Consummation of the Merger is
subject to, among other things,  the receipt of the opinion of Coopers & Lybrand
that the Merger will be accounted for as a pooling of interests.

            The foregoing  description is qualified in its entirety by reference
to the full text of the Merger  Agreement  which is filed  herewith as Exhibit 2
and is incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 7.     FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, PRO FORMA FINANCIAL INFORMATION AND EXHIBITS

            (c) Exhibits.

Exhibit Number                        Title
- --------------                        -----

         2      Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of March 17,
                1997, by and among ADT Limited, Limited Apache, Inc.
                and Tyco International Ltd.

         99     Press Release of Tyco International Ltd., dated March
                17,  1997.




<PAGE>

                                   SIGNATURES


            Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
the  registrant  has duly  caused  this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.


                                TYCO INTERNATIONAL LTD.


                                By:  /s/ Mark. H. Swartz
                                     -----------------------
                                      Mark H. Swartz
                                      Vice President - Chief Financial Officer

Date:  March 24, 1997




<PAGE>

                                   SIGNATURES


            Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
the  registrant  has duly  caused  this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.


                                TYCO INTERNATIONAL LTD.


                                By:  /s/ Mark. H. Swartz
                                     -----------------------
                                      Mark H. Swartz
                                      Vice President - Chief Financial Officer

Date:  March 24, 1997




<PAGE>

                                  Exhibit Index



Exhibit Number                                             Title          Page
- --------------                                             -----          ----

         2      Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of March 17,
                1997, by and among ADT Limited, Limited Apache,
                Inc. and Tyco International Ltd.

         99     Press Release of Tyco International Ltd., dated March
                17,  1997.





     

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                     DAVID P. BROWNELL
                                                          SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT
                                                          (603) 778-9700


        TYCO INTERNATIONAL TO ACQUIRE ADT LIMITED IN A STOCK TRANSACTION
                             VALUED AT $5.6 BILLION


                     $29 PER SHARE VALUE TO ADT SHAREHOLDERS

         EXETER, New Hampshire,  March 17, 1997 - Tyco International Ltd. (NYSE-
TYC),  a  diversified   manufacturer  of  industrial  and  commercial  products,
announced today that the Company has entered into a definitive  merger agreement
pursuant  to which Tyco will  effectively  acquire  ADT  Limited  (NYSE-ADT),  a
leading installer and servicer of electronic  security  systems,  in a stock for
stock transaction valued at $5.6 billion.

         The form of the acquisition will be as follows:  Tyco will merge with a
subsidiary of ADT and the ADT parent company will be renamed Tyco  International
Ltd. Tyco  shareholders  will receive one share in the combined company for each
Tyco share, and ADT shareholders,  through a reverse split, will receive 0.48133
shares in the  combined  company for each ADT share.  Based on Tyco's  March 14,
1997 closing price of $60.25, the terms of the agreement would result in a value
of $29 per share to ADT shareholders.

         At  the  closing  of  the  transaction,   Tyco  shareholders  will  own
approximately  64 percent of the  outstanding  shares of the combine company and
ADT shareholders will own approximately 36 percent of the outstanding  shares of
the combined  company.  L. Dennis  Kozlowski  will remain the Chairman and Chief
Executive  Officer  of Tyco  International  Ltd.  After  the  completion  of the
transaction, Tyco is expected to have annual revenues in excess of $8.5 billion.

         Mr. Kozlowski stated,  "Tyco's  acquisition of ADT is a continuation of
our  strategy to expand our  position  in service  businesses  through  internal
growth and complementary  acquisitions.  We believe that the combined operations
of ADT and  Tyco's  Fire and Safety  Services  group will  greatly  enhance  our
ability to serve our industrial and commercial customers,  worldwide,  with fire
protection and electronic  security products and services.  Additionally,  ADT's
continued  penetration  of new markets  with  electronic  security  products and
services  provides  Tyco with  opportunities  for growth in those  markets.  The
combined company will provide excellent cost,  marketing and service  synergies,
allowing  for  immediate   positive   benefits  for  the  shareholders  of  both
companies."

         Additionally,  Mr. Kozlowski noted that this  transaction  meets all of
Tyco's  previously  stated  acquisition  requirements:  ADT is a  leader  in the
markets it serves  and  complements  Tyco's  existing  Fire and Safety  Services
operations;  and  during the first  year,  the  transaction  is  expected  to be
accretive  to Tyco's  earnings per share and generate  positive  operating  cash
flows before transaction related charges.


<PAGE>

         Michael  A.  Ashcroft,  ADT's  Chairman  and Chief  Executive  Officer,
commented, "ADT's commercial and industrial businesses are an excellent fit with
Tyco's Fire and Safety Services group. This merger will enhance ADT's ability to
continue its growth,  not only in North America and the United  Kingdom,  but in
all  parts  of the  world  utilizing  Tyco's  established  infrastructure.  This
transaction  represents  the best  opportunity  for  current  ADT  shareholders,
particularly  as they will have an ongoing stake in an outstanding  company with
superior performance."

         ADT has total revenues of $1.7 billion.  Through its subsidiaries,  ADT
provides electronic security services to over 1.8 million industrial, commercial
and  residential  customers and is the largest  provider of electronic  security
services in North  America and the United  Kingdom.  ADT's  electronic  security
services businesses generate recurring revenues of $920 million, representing 65
percent of total electronic security revenues.  In the industrial and commercial
market,  which represents over 60 percent of ADT's electronic security revenues,
ADT provides a complete range of sophisticated electronic security solutions for
every  type of  business  and  its  customers  include  390 of the  Fortune  500
companies.  ADT also provides  residential  electronic security services to over
1.1  million  customers,  approximately  85 percent of which are  located in the
United States. In addition, ADT, through its subsidiary ADT Automotive,  is also
the second largest  provider of vehicle auction and  redistribution  services in
the United States.

         The  combination of ADT with Tyco's Fire and Safety Services group will
provide the  opportunity  for expanded  market  coverage and combined  marketing
programs.  Tyco  presently  operates  in over  300  offices  located  in over 50
countries. ADT operates with 230 offices in 10 countries.  This combination will
improve  the  Company's  position  in the  electronic  security  market  and the
enhanced  efficiency of these offices will provide Tyco with numerous  strategic
and financial synergies.


         The  transaction,  which  will  be  taxable  to Tyco  shareholders  and
accounted for as a pooling of interests, is contingent upon customary regulatory
review  and  approval  by the  shareholders  of both  companies.  The  Boards of
Directors of both companies have approved the transaction,  which is expected to
close by July 1, 1997.

         Upon  completion of the  transaction,  the combined  company's Board of
Directors will include Mr. Kozlowksi,  as Chairman, and Tyco's seven independent
outside  directors,  as  well  as,  Mr.  Ashcroft  and two  independent  outside
directors from the present ADT board.

         Credit  Suisse  First  Boston is acting as  financial  advisor to Tyco;
Merrill Lynch is financial advisor to ADT.

         Tyco  International is a worldwide  manufacturer with strong leadership
positions in disposable  medical  products,  packaging  materials,  flow control
products,  electrical  and  electronic  components  and is the  world's  largest
manufacturer and provider of


<PAGE>

fire and safety  systems  and  services.  The  Company  operates in more than 50
countries around the world and has revenues in excess of $6 billion.


                     (SEE ACCOMPANYING TRANSACTION SUMMARY)


<PAGE>

                       Tyco International Ltd. (NYSE-TYC)
                          Announces the Acquisition of
                             ADT Limited (NYSE-ADT)

Transaction Value
  (based on March 14 closing price):  Approximately $5.6 billion

Exchange ratio:            0.48133 (subject to adjustments and walk-aways 
                           under certain conditions)

Anticipated Closing:       July 1, 1997

Termination Fee:           $150 million

Conditions Include:        Customary regulatory review and approval by 
                           shareholders of both companies.

Management:                L. Dennis Kozlowski - Chairman and CEO Mark H. 
                           Swartz - CFO

Board:                     Current Tyco Board (8) plus Michael A. Ashcroft and 
                           two additional independent outside directors from 
                           the present ADT board.




                          AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER

                                  BY AND AMONG

                                  ADT LIMITED,

                              LIMITED APACHE, INC.

                                       and

                             TYCO INTERNATIONAL LTD


















                           Dated as of March 17, 1997



<PAGE>

                                TABLE OF CONTENTS
                                                                           Page

                                    ARTICLE I

                                   THE MERGER

 SECTION 1.01.         The Merger...........................................  2
 SECTION 1.02.         Effective Time.  ....................................  2
 SECTION 1.03.         Effect of the Merger.................................  2
 SECTION 1.04.         Articles of Organization; By-Laws....................  2
 SECTION 1.05.         Directors and Officers...............................  3
 SECTION 1.06.         Effect on Capital Stock..............................  3
 SECTION 1.07.         Exchange of Certificates.............................  5
 SECTION 1.08.         Stock Transfer Books.................................  7
 SECTION 1.09.         No Further Ownership Rights in Company Common Stock..  7
 SECTION 1.10.         Lost, Stolen or Destroyed Certificates...............  7
 SECTION 1.11          Dissenting Shares....................................  7
 SECTION 1.12.         Accounting Consequences..............................  8
 SECTION 1.13.         Taking of Necessary Action; Further Action...........  8
 SECTION 1.14.         Material Adverse Effect..............................  8

                                   ARTICLE II

             REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF PARENT AND MERGER SUB

 SECTION 2.01.         Organization and Qualification; Subsidiaries.........  8
 SECTION 2.02.         Certificate of Incorporation and By-Laws.............  9
 SECTION 2.03.         Capitalization.......................................  9
 SECTION 2.04.         Authority Relative to this Agreement; Takeover Laws.. 10
 SECTION 2.05.         No Conflict; Required Filings and Consents........... 11
 SECTION 2.06.         Compliance; Permits.................................. 12
 SECTION 2.07.         SEC Filings; Financial Statements.................... 13
 SECTION 2.08.         Absence of Certain Changes or Events................. 14
 SECTION 2.09.         No Undisclosed Liabilities........................... 14
 SECTION 2.10.         Absence of Litigation................................ 14
 SECTION 2.11.         Employee Benefit Plans; Employment Agreements........ 14
 SECTION 2.12.         Labor Matters........................................ 17
 SECTION 2.13.         Registration Statement; Joint Proxy 
                         Statement/Prospectus............................... 17
 SECTION 2.14.         Restrictions on Business Activities.................. 18
 SECTION 2.15.         Title to Property.................................... 18
 SECTION 2.16.         Real Property........................................ 19
 SECTION 2.17.         Taxes................................................ 19


                                       -i-


<PAGE>

SECTION 2.18.         Environmental Matters................................. 20
SECTION 2.19.         Intellectual Property................................. 21
SECTION 2.20.         Interested Party Transactions......................... 22
SECTION 2.21.         Insurance............................................. 22
SECTION 2.22.         Product Liability and Recalls  ....................... 22
SECTION 2.23.         Opinion of Financial Advisor.......................... 22
SECTION 2.24.         Pooling Matters....................................... 22
SECTION 2.25.         Ownership of Merger Sub; No Prior Activities.......... 23
SECTION 2.26          Brokers............................................... 23
SECTION 2.27.         Full Disclosure....................................... 23

                                   ARTICLE III

                  REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY

SECTION 3.01.         Organization and Qualification; Subsidiaries.......... 23
SECTION 3.02.         Articles of Organization and By-Laws.................. 24
SECTION 3.03.         Capitalization........................................ 24
SECTION 3.04.         Authority Relative to this Agreement; Takeover Laws... 25
SECTION 3.05.         No Conflict; Required Filings and Consents............ 26
SECTION 3.06.         Compliance; Permits................................... 27
SECTION 3.07.         SEC Filings; Financial Statements..................... 27
SECTION 3.08.         Absence of Certain Changes or Events.................. 28
SECTION 3.09.         No Undisclosed Liabilities............................ 28
SECTION 3.10.         Absence of Litigation................................. 28
SECTION 3.11.         Employee Benefit Plans; Employment Agreements......... 29
SECTION 3.12.         Labor Matters......................................... 31
SECTION 3.13.         Registration Statement; Joint Proxy 
                        Statement/Prospectus................................ 31
SECTION 3.14.         Restrictions on Business Activities................... 32
SECTION 3.15.         Title to Property..................................... 32
SECTION 3.16.         Real Property......................................... 32
SECTION 3.17.         Taxes................................................. 33
SECTION 3.18.         Environmental Matters................................. 34
SECTION 3.19.         Intellectual Property................................. 34
SECTION 3.20.         Interested Party Transactions..........................35
SECTION 3.21.         Insurance............................................. 35
SECTION 3.22.         Product Liability and Recalls..........................35
SECTION 3.23.         Opinion of Financial Advisor.......................... 36
SECTION 3.24.         Pooling Matters........................................36
SECTION 3.25.         Brokers............................................... 36
SECTION 3.26.         Full Disclosure....................................... 36


                                      -ii-


<PAGE>

                                   ARTICLE IV

                     CONDUCT OF BUSINESS PENDING THE MERGER

SECTION 4.01.         Conduct of Business by Parent Pending the Merger...... 36
SECTION 4.02.         No Solicitation by Parent............................. 39
SECTION 4.03.         Conduct of Business by the Company Pending the Merger. 40
SECTION 4.04.         No Solicitation by the Company........................ 41


                                    ARTICLE V

                              ADDITIONAL AGREEMENTS

SECTION 5.01.  Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus; Registration Statement..... 42
SECTION 5.02.  Company Shareholders Meeting................................. 43
SECTION 5.03.  Parent Shareholders Meeting.................................. 43
SECTION 5.04.  Access to Information; Confidentiality....................... 44
SECTION 5.05.  Consents; Approvals.......................................... 45
SECTION 5.06.  Agreements with Respect to Affiliates........................ 45
SECTION 5.07.  Indemnification and Insurance................................ 45
SECTION 5.08.  Notification of Certain Matters.............................. 48
SECTION 5.09.  Further Action............................................... 48
SECTION 5.10.  Public Announcements......................................... 48
SECTION 5.11.  Listing of Shares of Parent Common Stock..................... 48
SECTION 5.12.  Conveyance Taxes............................................. 49
SECTION 5.13.  Accountant's Letters......................................... 49
SECTION 5.14.  Pooling Accounting Treatment................................. 49
SECTION 5.15   Company Stock Options........................................ 49
SECTION 5.16   Parent Stock Options and Severence Arrangements.............. 49
SECTION 5.17   Rights....................................................... 50


                                   ARTICLE VI

                            CONDITIONS TO THE MERGER

SECTION 6.01.  Conditions to Obligation of Each Party to Effect the Merger.. 51
SECTION 6.02.  Additional Conditions to Obligations of Parent and
                 Merger Sub................................................. 52


                                     -iii-


<PAGE>

SECTION 6.03.  Additional Conditions to Obligation of the Company........... 53


                                   ARTICLE VII

                                   TERMINATION

SECTION 7.01.  Termination.................................................. 54
SECTION 7.02.  Effect of Termination........................................ 57
SECTION 7.03.  Fees and Expenses............................................ 57


                                  ARTICLE VIII

                               GENERAL PROVISIONS

SECTION 8.01.  Effectiveness of Representations, Warranties and
                      Agreements; Knowledge, Etc............................ 59
SECTION 8.02.  Notices...................................................... 59
SECTION 8.03.  Certain Definitions.......................................... 60
SECTION 8.04.  Amendment.................................................... 61
SECTION 8.05.  Waiver....................................................... 61
SECTION 8.06.  Headings..................................................... 61
SECTION 8.07.  Severability................................................. 62
SECTION 8.08.  Entire Agreement............................................. 62
SECTION 8.09.  Assignment; Merger Sub....................................... 62
SECTION 8.10.  Parties in Interest.......................................... 62
SECTION 8.11.  Failure or Indulgence Not Waiver; Remedies Cumulative........ 62
SECTION 8.12.  Governing Law; Jurisdiction.................................. 63
SECTION 8.13.  Counterparts................................................. 63
SECTION 8.14.  WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL......................................... 63

ANNEX A  ................................................................... 66
ANNEX B  ................................................................... 67
ANNEX C  ................................................................... 68


                                      -iv-

<PAGE>



                          AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER


         AGREEMENT  AND  PLAN OF  MERGER,  dated  as of  March  17,  1997  (this
"Agreement"), among ADT LIMITED, a Bermuda company limited by shares ("Parent"),
LIMITED  APACHE,  INC., a Massachusetts  corporation and a direct,  wholly-owned
subsidiary  of  Parent  ("Merger   Sub"),   and  TYCO   INTERNATIONAL   LTD.,  a
Massachusetts corporation (the "Company").

                              W I T N E S S E T H:

         WHEREAS, the Boards of Directors of Parent,  Merger Sub and the Company
have each  determined  that it is advisable  and in the best  interests of their
respective  stockholders  for Parent to cause  Merger Sub to merge with and into
the Company upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein;

         WHEREAS, in furtherance of such combination, the Boards of Directors of
Parent,  Merger Sub and the Company have each approved the merger (the "Merger")
of  Merger  Sub with and into the  Company  in  accordance  with the  applicable
provisions of the Massachusetts  Business Corporation Law (the "MBCL"), and upon
the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein;

         WHEREAS,  Parent,  Merger Sub and the Company intend that the Merger be
accounted for as a pooling-of-interests for financial reporting purposes;

         WHEREAS,  pursuant  to  the  Merger,  each  outstanding  share  of  the
Company's  Common Stock,  $.50 par value per share (the "Company Common Stock"),
shall be  converted  into the right to  receive  and  exchanged  for the  Merger
Consideration (as defined in Section 1.07(b)), upon the terms and subject to the
conditions set forth herein;

         WHEREAS,  effective upon consummation of the Merger, the name of Parent
shall be changed to Tyco International Ltd. and the Board of Directors of Parent
shall be as set  forth  on or  designated  in  accordance  with  Annex A to this
Agreement;

         NOW,  THEREFORE,  in  consideration  of the  foregoing  and the  mutual
covenants and  agreements  herein  contained,  and intending to be legally bound
hereby, Parent, Merger Sub and the Company hereby agree as follows:


<PAGE>

                                    ARTICLE I

                                   THE MERGER


         SECTION 1.01. The Merger. (a) Effective Time. At the Effective Time (as
defined  in  Section  1.02  hereof),  and  subject  to and  upon the  terms  and
conditions of this  Agreement and the MBCL,  Merger Sub shall be merged with and
into the Company,  the separate  corporate  existence of Merger Sub shall cease,
and the Company shall continue as the surviving corporation.  The Company as the
surviving  corporation after the Merger is hereinafter  sometimes referred to as
the "Surviving Corporation."

         (b) Closing.  Unless this Agreement shall have been terminated pursuant
to Section 7.01 and subject to the  satisfaction or waiver of the conditions set
forth in Article VI, the  consummation of the Merger will take place as promptly
as practicable (and in any event within two business days) after satisfaction or
waiver of the  conditions  set forth in  Article  VI, at the  offices of Kramer,
Levin,  Naftalis & Frankel, 919 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10022, unless another
date, time or place is agreed to in writing by the parties hereto.

         SECTION  1.02.  Effective  Time. As promptly as  practicable  after the
satisfaction  or waiver of the  conditions  set forth in Article VI, the parties
hereto shall cause the Merger to be consummated by filing  articles of merger as
contemplated by the MBCL (the "Articles of Merger"),  together with any required
related  certificates,  with  the  Secretary  of State  of The  Commonwealth  of
Massachusetts,  in such form as required by, and executed in accordance with the
relevant  provisions  of, the MBCL (the time of such filing being the "Effective
Time").

         SECTION 1.03.  Effect of the Merger.  At the Effective Time, the effect
of the Merger shall be as provided in this Agreement, the Articles of Merger and
the applicable  provisions of the MBCL.  Without  limiting the generality of the
foregoing,  and  subject  thereto,  at the  Effective  Time  all of the  estate,
property,  rights,  privileges,  powers and franchises of the Company and Merger
Sub  shall be  transferred  to and vest in the  Surviving  Corporation,  and all
debts,  liabilities  and duties of the Company  and Merger Sub shall  become the
debts, liabilities and duties of the Surviving Corporation.

         SECTION  1.04.  Articles  of  Organization;  By-Laws.  (a)  Articles of
Organization.  Unless otherwise determined by the Company prior to the Effective
Time,  at the  Effective  Time the  Restated  Articles  of  Organization  of the
Company,  as in effect  immediately  prior to the Effective  Time,  shall be the
Articles of Organization of the Surviving  Corporation until thereafter  amended
as provided by the MBCL and such Articles of  Organization;  provided,  however,
that Articles 3 and 4 shall be amended and restated in their entirety to provide
that the  capital  stock of the  Surviving  Corporation  shall  consist of 1,000
shares of Common Stock, par value $.01 per share.

         (b) By-Laws. The By-Laws of the Company, as in effect immediately prior
to the Effective Time, shall be the By-Laws of the Surviving Corporation until


                                       -2-

<PAGE>

thereafter  amended as provided by the MBCL, the Articles of Organization of the
Surviving Corporation and such By-Laws.

         SECTION  1.05.  Directors  and  Officers.  The directors of the Company
immediately  prior to the Effective  Time shall be the initial  directors of the
Surviving  Corporation,  each to hold office in accordance  with the Articles of
Organization  and ByLaws of the Surviving  Corporation,  and the officers of the
Company immediately prior to the Effective Time shall be the initial officers of
the Surviving  Corporation,  in each case until their respective  successors are
duly elected or appointed and qualified.

         SECTION 1.06. Effect on Capital Stock. At the Effective Time, by virtue
of the Merger and without any action on the part of the Parent,  Merger Sub, the
Company or the holders of any of the following securities:

         (a) Conversion of Securities. Each share of Company Common Stock issued
and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time (excluding any shares to
be canceled  pursuant to Section  1.06(b) and other than  Dissenting  Shares (as
defined in Section 1.11)) shall be converted, subject to the prior effectiveness
of the Reverse Stock Split (as defined in Section  5.03) and to Section  1.06(f)
and Section  7.01(n),  into the right to receive and shall be exchanged  for one
share (the "Exchange  Ratio") of validly  issued,  fully paid and  nonassessable
Parent Common Stock (as defined below).  For purposes of this Agreement,  Parent
Common Stock means (i) prior to the  effectiveness  of the Reserve  Stock Split,
the common shares,  par value $.10 per share,  of Parent and (ii) from and after
the  effectiveness  of the Reverse  Stock Split,  the common shares of Parent as
adjusted by the Reserve Stock Split.

         (b)  Cancellation.  Each  share of  Company  Common  Stock  held in the
treasury of the Company and each share of Company  Common Stock owned by Parent,
Merger Sub or any direct or indirect  wholly owned  subsidiary of the Company or
Parent  immediately  prior to the Effective Time shall,  by virtue of the Merger
and  without  any  action  on  the  part  of the  holder  thereof,  cease  to be
outstanding,  be  canceled  and  retired  without  payment of any  consideration
therefor and cease to exist.

         (c)   Assumption  of  Outstanding   Stock  Options.   (i)  Each  option
outstanding at the Effective Time to purchase  shares of Company Common Stock (a
"Stock Option") granted under (i) the Tyco  International Ltd. 1995 Stock Option
Plan  (the  "Company  Stock  Option  Plan"),  or (ii) any  other  stock  plan or
agreement of the Company, whether vested or unvested, shall be deemed assumed by
Parent  and deemed to  constitute  an option to  acquire,  on the same terms and
conditions  as were  applicable  under such Stock Option prior to the  Effective
Time,  the number of shares of Parent  Common  Stock as the holder of such Stock
Option  would  have been  entitled  to receive  pursuant  to the Merger had such
holder exercised such option in full immediately prior to the Effective Time, at
a price per share equal to (x) the aggregate  exercise  price for Company Common
Stock  otherwise  purchasable  pursuant to such Stock Option  divided by (y) the
number of shares of Parent  Common  Stock  deemed  purchasable  pursuant to such
Stock  Option;  provided,  however,  that the number of shares of Parent  Common
Stock that may be purchased upon exercise of any such Stock Option shall


                                       -3-


<PAGE>

not include any fractional  share and, upon exercise of the Stock Option, a cash
payment shall be made for any fractional  share based upon the Closing Price (as
hereinafter  defined)  of a share of  Parent  Common  Stock on the  trading  day
immediately  preceding the date of exercise.  "Closing Price" shall mean, on any
day, the last reported sale price of one share of Parent Common Stock on the New
York Stock Exchange (the "NYSE").

         As soon as practicable  after the Effective Time,  Parent shall deliver
to each holder of an  outstanding  Stock Option an  appropriate  notice  setting
forth  such  holder's  rights  pursuant  thereto,  and such Stock  Option  shall
continue  in  effect  on the same  terms and  conditions,  except  as  otherwise
provided herein.

         (ii) At the  Effective  Time,  each  Warrant  expiring  July 7, 1999 to
purchase 2.5897 shares of Company Common Stock at a price of $15.46,  subject to
adjustment (an "A Warrant"),  and each Warrant expiring July 7, 1999 to purchase
2.5897  shares  of  Company  Common  Stock  at a price  of  $20.62,  subject  to
adjustment (a "B Warrant" and,  together with the A Warrants,  the  "Warrants"),
shall be assumed by Parent and deemed to constitute a warrant to acquire, on the
same terms and  conditions  as were  applicable  under such Warrant prior to the
Effective  Time,  the number  (rounded to the nearest whole number) of shares of
Parent  Common Stock as the holder of such Warrant  would have been  entitled to
receive  pursuant to the Merger had such holder  exercised  such Warrant in full
immediately  prior to the Effective  Time, at a price per share equal to (x) the
aggregate exercise price for Company Common Stock otherwise purchasable pursuant
to such  Warrant  divided  by (y) the  number of shares of Parent  Common  Stock
deemed  purchasable  pursuant to such Warrant.  This Agreement shall  constitute
notice by Parent to the Company of its election to be governed by section 5.1(b)
(the "Section 5.1(b)  Election") of each of the Warrant  Agreement,  dated as of
July 7, 1992, between the Company,  as successor under such agreement to Kendall
International, Inc. and ChaseMellon Shareholder Services L.L.C., as successor to
Norwest Bank Minnesota,  N.A., as Warrant Agent,  with respect to the A Warrants
and the Warrant  Agreement,  dated as of July 7, 1992,  between the Company,  as
successor  under such agreement to Kendall  International,  Inc. and ChaseMellon
Shareholder Services L.L.C., and Norwest Bank Minnesota, N.A., as Warrant Agent,
with respect to the B Warrants (the "Warrant Agreements").  Prior to the date of
the  Effective  Time,  Parent shall  deliver to each holder of Warrants  written
notice of the Section  5.1(b)  Election and shall  deliver to the Warrant  Agent
under each of the Warrant  Agreements an assumption  of the  obligations  of the
Company  and  opinion of  counsel,  as  required  by Section  5.2 of the Warrant
Agreements. In no event shall Parent be required to make any payment pursuant to
Section 5.1(a)(2) of the Warrant Agreements.

         (iii) Parent shall take all corporate  action  necessary to reserve for
issuance a sufficient  number of shares of Parent Common Stock for delivery upon
exercise of Stock Options and Warrants in accordance with this Section  1.06(c).
As soon as practicable  after the Effective Time,  Parent shall cause the Parent
Common Stock subject to Stock Options and those Warrants originally issued under
the Kendall  International,  Inc.  Management  Incentive  Plan (the  "Management
Warrants") to be registered  under the  Securities  Act of 1933, as amended (the
"Securities  Act"),  pursuant  to  a  registration   statement  or  registration
statements on Form S-8 (or any successor or other appropriate  forms), and shall
use its best


                                       -4-


<PAGE>

efforts  to  maintain  the  effectiveness  of  such  registration  statement  or
registration  statements  (and maintain the current  status of the prospectus or
prospectuses  contained therein) for so long as the Stock Options and Management
Warrants, as the case may be, remain outstanding.

         (iv) Parent shall assume the Company's 1994  Restricted  Stock Plan and
shall  reserve for issuance  thereunder  such number of shares of Parent  Common
Stock  equal to the  number of shares  of  Company  Common  Stock  reserved  for
issuance  thereunder  immediately  prior to the Effective Time multiplied by the
Exchange Ratio.

         (d) Capital Stock of Merger Sub.  Each share of common stock,  $.01 par
value, of Merger Sub issued and outstanding  immediately  prior to the Effective
Time shall be converted  into and exchanged for one validly  issued,  fully paid
and  nonassessable  share of common  stock,  $0.01 par value,  of the  Surviving
Corporation.

         (e) Adjustments to Exchange Ratio. The Exchange Ratio shall be adjusted
to reflect fully the effect of any  subdivision,  consolidation,  stock dividend
(including any dividend or  distribution of securities  convertible  into Parent
Common  Stock),  reorganization,  recapitalization  or other  like  change  with
respect to Parent Common Stock  occurring after the date hereof and prior to the
Effective Time,  except that no adjustment  shall be made to reflect the Reverse
Stock Split or the Share Amendment.

         (f) Fractional  Shares. No certificates or scrip representing less than
one share of Parent Common Stock shall be issued upon the surrender for exchange
of a certificate or certificates  which  immediately prior to the Effective Time
represented outstanding shares of Company Common Stock (the "Certificates").  In
lieu of any such fractional share, each holder of shares of Company Common Stock
who would otherwise have been entitled to a fraction of a share of Parent Common
Stock  upon  surrender  of  Certificates  for  exchange  shall be paid upon such
surrender cash (without interest) in an amount equal to such fraction multiplied
by the closing price per share of Parent Common Stock on the NYSE on the date of
the Effective Time.

         SECTION 1.07.  Exchange of  Certificates.  (a) Exchange  Agent.  Parent
shall supply, or shall cause to be supplied,  to or for the account of such bank
or trust company as shall be mutually  designated by the Company and Parent (the
"Exchange  Agent"),  in trust for the benefit of the  holders of Company  Common
Stock,  for exchange in accordance with this Section 1.07,  through the Exchange
Agent,  certificates  evidencing the shares of Parent Common Stock,  and cash in
lieu of  fractional  shares,  issuable or payable  pursuant  to Section  1.06 in
exchange for the outstanding shares of Company Common Stock.

         (b) Exchange  Procedures.  As soon as reasonably  practicable after the
Effective  Time,  Parent will instruct the Exchange Agent to mail to each holder
of record of Certificates (i) a letter of transmittal  (which shall specify that
delivery shall be effected, and risk of loss and title to the Certificates shall
pass,  only upon proper  delivery of the  Certificates to the Exchange Agent and
shall be in such form and have such other  provisions  as Parent may  reasonably
specify), and (ii) instructions to effect the surrender of the Certificates


                                       -5-


<PAGE>

in exchange for the certificates  evidencing shares of Parent Common Stock. Upon
surrender of a Certificate for  cancellation to the Exchange Agent together with
such letter of transmittal, duly executed, and such other customary documents as
may be required  pursuant to such  instructions,  the holder of such Certificate
shall be entitled to receive in exchange  therefor (A)  certificates  evidencing
that  number of whole  shares of Parent  Common  Stock which such holder has the
right to receive in accordance  with the Exchange Ratio in respect of the shares
of  Company  Common  Stock  formerly  evidenced  by  such  Certificate,  (B) any
dividends or other  distributions  to which such holder is entitled  pursuant to
Section  1.07(c),  and (C) cash in respect of  fractional  shares as provided in
Section 1.06(f) (the shares of Parent Common Stock and cash being, collectively,
the "Merger Consideration"),  and the Certificate so surrendered shall forthwith
be canceled. In the event of a transfer of ownership of shares of Company Common
Stock which is not  registered in the transfer  records of the Company as of the
Effective Time,  shares of Parent Common Stock,  dividends,  distributions,  and
cash in respect of fractional  shares, may be issued and paid in accordance with
this  Article I to a transferee  if the  Certificate  evidencing  such shares of
Parent  Common  Stock is presented to the  Exchange  Agent,  accompanied  by all
documents required to evidence and effect such transfer pursuant to this Section
1.07(b) and by evidence that any applicable stock transfer taxes have been paid.
Until so surrendered,  each outstanding Certificate that, prior to the Effective
Time,  represented  shares of Company Common Stock will be deemed from and after
the  Effective  Time,  for all  corporate  purposes,  other than the  payment of
dividends or other  distributions  as provided in Section 1.07(c) and subject to
Section  1.06(f),  to  evidence  the  ownership  of the number of full shares of
Parent Common Stock, and cash in respect of fractional  shares,  into which such
shares of the Company Common Stock shall have been so converted.

         (c) Distributions  With Respect to Unexchanged  Shares of Parent Common
Stock. No dividends or other distributions  declared or made after the Effective
Time with respect to shares of Parent  Common Stock with a record date after the
Effective Time shall be paid to the holder of any unsurrendered Certificate with
respect to the shares of Parent  Common Stock they are entitled to receive until
the holder of such  Certificate  shall  surrender such  Certificate.  Subject to
applicable law, following surrender of any such Certificate, there shall be paid
to the record  holder of the  certificates  representing  whole shares of Parent
Common Stock issued in exchange therefor,  without interest, at the time of such
surrender,  the amount of  dividends or other  distributions  with a record date
after the Effective Time  theretofore  paid with respect to such whole shares of
Parent Common Stock.

         (d) Transfers of  Ownership.  If any  certificate  for shares of Parent
Common Stock is to be issued in a name other than that in which the  Certificate
surrendered in exchange  therefor is  registered,  it will be a condition of the
issuance thereof that the Certificate so surrendered  will be properly  endorsed
and  otherwise in proper form for transfer and that the person  requesting  such
exchange will have paid to Parent or any agent  designated by it any transfer or
other taxes  required by reason of the issuance of a  certificate  for shares of
Parent Common Stock in any name other than that of the registered  holder of the
certificate  surrendered,  or established to the  satisfaction  of Parent or any
agent designated by it that such tax has been paid or is not payable.


                                       -6-


<PAGE>

         (e) No Liability.  Neither Parent,  Merger Sub nor the Company shall be
liable to any  holder of  Company  Common  Stock  for any  Merger  Consideration
delivered to a public official  pursuant to any applicable  abandoned  property,
escheat or similar law.

         (f) Withholding Rights.  Parent or the Exchange Agent shall be entitled
to deduct and withhold from the Merger Consideration  otherwise payable pursuant
to this  Agreement to any holder of Company  Common Stock such amounts as Parent
or the  Exchange  Agent is required to deduct and  withhold  with respect to the
making of such  payment  under the Code,  or any  provision  of state,  local or
foreign  tax law.  To the extent  that  amounts are so withheld by Parent or the
Exchange Agent,  such withheld amounts shall be treated for all purposes of this
Agreement  as having  been paid to the holder of the  shares of  Company  Common
Stock in respect of which such deduction and  withholding  was made by Parent or
the Exchange Agent.

         SECTION 1.08.  Stock Transfer  Books.  At the Effective Time, the stock
transfer  books of the  Company  shall be closed,  and there shall be no further
registration of transfers of the Company Common Stock  thereafter on the records
of the Company.

         SECTION 1.09. No Further  Ownership Rights in Company Common Stock. The
Merger  Consideration  delivered  upon the  surrender  for exchange of shares of
Company Common Stock in accordance with the terms hereof shall be deemed to have
been  issued in full  satisfaction  of all rights  pertaining  to such shares of
Company Common Stock, and there shall be no further registration of transfers on
the records of the Surviving Corporation of shares of Company Common Stock which
were  outstanding  immediately  prior  to the  Effective  Time.  If,  after  the
Effective Time,  Certificates are presented to the Surviving Corporation for any
reason, they shall be canceled and exchanged as provided in this Article I.

         SECTION 1.10. Lost, Stolen or Destroyed Certificates.  In the event any
Certificates shall have been lost, stolen or destroyed, the Exchange Agent shall
issue in exchange  for such lost,  stolen or  destroyed  Certificates,  upon the
making of an affidavit of that fact by the holder thereof, such shares of Parent
Common Stock as may be required  pursuant to Section  1.06;  provided,  however,
that Parent may, in its discretion and as a condition  precedent to the issuance
thereof,  require the owner of such lost,  stolen or destroyed  Certificates  to
deliver a bond in such sum as it may reasonably  direct as indemnity against any
claim that may be made against  Parent or the Exchange Agent with respect to the
Certificates alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed.

         SECTION  1.11  Dissenting  Shares.  Notwithstanding  anything  in  this
Agreement to the contrary,  any issued and outstanding  shares of Company Common
Stock  held  by  a  shareholder   who  objects  to  the  Merger  (a  "Dissenting
Shareholder")  and complies with the provisions of the MBCL concerning rights of
holders of shares of Company Common Stock to dissent from the Merger and require
appraisal  of such  shares  ("Dissenting  Shares")  shall  not be  converted  as
described   in  Section  1.06  but  shall  become  the  right  to  receive  such
consideration  as may be  determined  to be due to such  Dissenting  Shareholder
pursuant to the MBCL. If, after the Effective Time, such Dissenting  Shareholder
withdraws


                                       -7-


<PAGE>

its demand for  appraisal  or fails to perfect or  otherwise  loses its right of
appraisal,  in any such  case  pursuant  to the  MBCL,  or if  Parent  otherwise
consents thereto,  each of such shareholder's  Dissenting Shares shall be deemed
converted  as of the  Effective  Time  into the  right  to  receive  the  Merger
Consideration in accordance with Section 1.06.

         SECTION 1.12.  Accounting  Consequences.  It is intended by the parties
hereto  that the Merger  shall,  subject  to  applicable  accounting  standards,
qualify for accounting treatment as a pooling of interests.

         SECTION  1.13.  Taking of Necessary  Action;  Further  Action.  Each of
Parent,  Merger Sub and the  Company  will take all such  reasonable  and lawful
action as may be necessary or  appropriate  in order to effectuate the Merger in
accordance  with this  Agreement as promptly as possible.  If, at any time after
the Effective  Time,  any such further action is necessary or desirable to carry
out the purposes of this  Agreement and to vest the Surviving  Corporation  with
full right, title and possession to all assets,  property,  rights,  privileges,
powers and  franchises of the Company and Merger Sub, the officers and directors
of the Company and Merger Sub immediately  prior to the Effective Time are fully
authorized in the name of their  respective  corporations  or otherwise to take,
and will take, all such lawful and necessary action.

         SECTION 1.14. Material Adverse Effect. When used in connection
with  the  Company  or  any  of  its  subsidiaries,  or  Parent  or  any  of its
subsidiaries,  as the case may be, the term "Material  Adverse Effect" means any
change,  effect or circumstance  that,  individually or when taken together with
all other such changes, effects or circumstances that have occurred prior to the
date of determination of the occurrence of the Material Adverse Effect, is or is
reasonably  likely to be materially  adverse to the business,  assets (including
intangible assets),  financial condition or results of operations of the Company
and its subsidiaries or Parent and its subsidiaries, as the case may be, in each
case taken as a whole.


                                   ARTICLE II

             REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF PARENT AND MERGER SUB


         Parent and Merger Sub,  jointly and  severally,  hereby  represent  and
warrant  to the  Company  that,  except as set forth in the  written  disclosure
schedule  previously  delivered by Parent to the Company (the "Parent Disclosure
Schedule"):

         SECTION 2.01.  Organization and  Qualification;  Subsidiaries.  Each of
Parent and each of its  subsidiaries is a corporation  duly  organized,  validly
existing  and in  good  standing  under  the  laws  of the  jurisdiction  of its
incorporation  and has the  requisite  corporate  power and  authority and is in
possession  of  all  franchises,  grants,  authorizations,   licenses,  permits,
easements, consents, certificates,  approvals and orders ("Approvals") necessary
to own,  lease and operate the  properties it purports to own,  operate or lease
and to carry on its  business  as it is now being  conducted,  except  where the
failure to be so


                                       -8-


<PAGE>

organized,  existing and in good  standing or to have such power,  authority and
Approvals  would not reasonably be expected to have a Material  Adverse  Effect.
Each of Parent and its  subsidiaries  is duly qualified or licensed as a foreign
corporation to do business,  and is in good standing, in each jurisdiction where
the character of its properties owned, leased or operated by it or the nature of
its activities makes such qualification or licensing necessary,  except for such
failures to be so duly qualified or licensed and in good standing that would not
reasonably be expected to have a Material  Adverse  Effect.  A true and complete
list  of all  of  Parent's  subsidiaries,  together  with  the  jurisdiction  of
incorporation  of each  subsidiary  and  the  percentage  of  each  subsidiary's
outstanding capital stock owned by Parent or another subsidiary, is set forth in
Section 2.01 of Parent Disclosure Schedule (which Section may be provided to the
Company no later than five (5) business days after the date  hereof).  Except as
set forth in  Section  2.01 of Parent  Disclosure  Schedule  or the  Parent  SEC
Reports  (as defined  below),  Parent does not  directly or  indirectly  own any
equity or similar interest in, or any interest  convertible into or exchangeable
or  exercisable  for,  any  equity or  similar  interest  in,  any  corporation,
partnership, joint venture or other business association or entity, with respect
to which  interest  Parent has invested or is required to invest  $3,000,000  or
more, excluding securities in any publicly traded company held for investment by
Parent and comprising  less than five percent of the  outstanding  stock of such
company.

         SECTION 2.02.  Certificate  of  Incorporation  and By-Laws.  Parent has
heretofore  furnished  to  the  Company  a  complete  and  correct  copy  of its
Memorandum of Association,  as altered, and Bye-Laws as most recently altered or
amended  to date  and has  furnished,  made  available  or  will  promptly  make
available  to the  Company  the  certificate  of  incorporation  and by-laws (or
equivalent organizational documents) of each of its subsidiaries listed on Annex
B hereto (such subsidiaries,  collectively, the "Principal Parent Subsidiaries",
and their respective  organizational documents, the "Principal Parent Subsidiary
Documents")  and  each  of its  other  subsidiaries  (such  other  subsidiaries,
collectively,   the   "Other   Parent   Subsidiaries",   and  their   respective
organizational  documents,  the  "Other  Parent  Subsidiary  Documents").   Such
Memorandum of Association,  as altered,  Bye-Laws,  Principal Parent  Subsidiary
Documents  and Other Parent  Subsidiary  Documents are in full force and effect.
Neither Parent nor any of its Principal  Parent  Subsidiaries is in violation of
any of the provisions of its Memorandum of Association,  as altered, or Bye-Laws
or Principal Parent Subsidiary Documents (other than immaterial  violations,  in
the case of  non-U.S.  Principal  Parent  Subsidiaries),  and none of the  Other
Parent  Subsidiaries  are in  violation  of any of the  provisions  of its Other
Parent  Subsidiary  Documents,  except for such  violations  of the Other Parent
Subsidiary  Documents  which would not reasonably be expected to have a Material
Adverse Effect.

         SECTION  2.03.  Capitalization.  (a) The  authorized  capital  stock of
Parent  consists  of  220,000,000  shares of Parent  Common  Stock,  125,725,000
convertible  cumulative redeemable preference shares, $1.00 par value per share,
divided into three  classes (the "Parent  Convertible  Preference  Stock"),  and
25,000 exchangeable cumulative redeemable preference shares, $1.00 par value per
share (the "Parent  Exchangeable  Preference  Stock"). As of March 14, 1997, (i)
141,693,947 shares of Parent Common Stock were issued and outstanding,  of which
3,182,787 are held by a subsidiary of Parent,  (ii) 53,840,036  shares of Parent
Common Stock were reserved for issuance upon the exercise


                                       -9-


<PAGE>

or conversion of outstanding options, warrants or convertible securities granted
or issued by Parent, (iii) no shares of Parent Convertible Preference Stock were
issued and outstanding, and 2,500,000 of such shares were classified as Series A
First  Preference  Shares and reserved for issuance  upon  exercise of the share
purchase rights (the "Rights") issued pursuant to Parent's  Shareholders  Rights
Plan,  dated  November  6,  1996,  as  amended,  and (iv) no  shares  of  Parent
Exchangeable Preference Stock were issued and outstanding. No material change in
such  capitalization  has occurred  between  March 14, 1997 and the date hereof.
Except as set forth in Section  2.01,  this  Section  2.03 or Section 2.11 or in
Section 2.03 or Section 2.11 of the Parent Disclosure Schedule or the Parent SEC
Reports,   there  are  no  options,   warrants  or  other  rights,   agreements,
arrangements or commitments of any character  relating to the issued or unissued
capital stock of Parent or any of its  subsidiaries or obligating  Parent or any
of its  subsidiaries  to issue or sell any shares of capital  stock of, or other
equity  interests  in, Parent or any of its  subsidiaries.  All shares of Parent
Common Stock  subject to issuance as  aforesaid,  upon issuance on the terms and
conditions  specified in the  instruments  pursuant to which they are  issuable,
shall be duly authorized,  validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.  Except
as  disclosed in Section  2.03 of Parent  Disclosure  Schedule or the Parent SEC
Reports, there are no obligations,  contingent or otherwise, of Parent or any of
its subsidiaries to repurchase, redeem or otherwise acquire any shares of Parent
Common Stock or the capital  stock of any  subsidiary  or to provide funds to or
make any investment (in the form of a loan,  capital  contribution or otherwise)
in any subsidiary  that is not a wholly owned  subsidiary of Parent or any other
entity other than guarantees of bank obligations of subsidiaries entered into in
the ordinary  course of business.  Except as set forth in Sections 2.01 and 2.03
of Parent Disclosure  Schedule,  all of the outstanding  shares of capital stock
(other than directors'  qualifying shares) of each of the Parent's  subsidiaries
is duly authorized,  validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable,  and all such
shares (other than directors'  qualifying shares) are owned by Parent or another
subsidiary free and clear of all security  interests,  liens,  claims,  pledges,
agreements, limitations in Parent's voting rights, charges or other encumbrances
of any nature whatsoever.

         (b) The  shares of Parent  Common  Stock to be issued  pursuant  to the
Merger will be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable and
listed, upon official notice of issuance, for trading on the NYSE.

         SECTION 2.04. Authority Relative to this Agreement;  Takeover Laws. (a)
Each of Parent and Merger Sub has all necessary corporate power and authority to
execute and deliver this Agreement and to perform its obligations  hereunder and
to consummate the transactions  contemplated  hereby. The execution and delivery
of this  Agreement by Parent and Merger Sub and the  consummation  by Parent and
Merger Sub of the  transactions  contemplated  hereby have been duly and validly
authorized by all necessary corporate action, and no other corporate proceedings
on the part of Parent and Merger Sub are necessary to authorize  this  Agreement
or to consummate the transactions so  contemplated,  subject to authorization of
this Agreement and the transactions  contemplated hereby, including the approval
of the issuance of shares of Parent  Common Stock in the Merger by a majority of
the  votes  cast,  provided  that the total  votes  cast  represent  over 50% in
interest of all securities  entitled to vote on the proposals,  and the approval
of the Reverse Stock Split, the Share Amendment,  the Parent Name Change and the
New Parent Director Election (all as


                                      -10-


<PAGE>

defined in Section  5.03) by a majority  of the holders of Parent  Common  Stock
(hereafter in this Agreement  referred to as  shareholders)  voting at a quorate
meeting.  Under the Bermuda  Companies  Act of 1981,  as amended,  and  Parent's
Memorandum of  Association,  as altered,  and Bye-Laws,  the quorum  required to
approve each of the Reverse Stock Split,  the Share  Amendment,  the issuance of
Parent  Common  Stock in the  Merger,  the Parent Name Change and the New Parent
Director  Election is two or more holders of Parent  Common  Stock.  None of the
Reverse Stock Split, the Share Amendment, the issuance of Parent Common Stock in
the Merger,  the Parent Name Change or the New Parent Director  Election require
the approval of any holder of capital  stock of Parent other than the holders of
Parent Common Stock.  The Board of Directors of Parent has determined that it is
advisable and in the best interest of Parent's  shareholders for Parent to enter
into this  Agreement and to consummate  the Merger upon the terms and subject to
the  conditions  of this  Agreement.  This  Agreement  has been duly and validly
executed  and  delivered  by  Parent  and  Merger  Sub  and,  assuming  the  due
authorization, execution and delivery by the Company, constitutes a legal, valid
and binding obligation of Parent and Merger Sub.

         (b) Prior to the date  hereof,  the Board of  Directors  of Parent  has
taken all  action  necessary  to exempt  under or make not  subject to any "fair
price,"  "moratorium,"  "control  share  acquisition"  or similar  anti-takeover
statute or  regulation  enacted  under any  Bermuda law or any other law, or any
provision of Parent's Memorandum of Association,  as altered, or Bye-Laws,  that
purports to limit or restrict business combinations or the ability to acquire or
vote  shares  that would  otherwise  be  applicable  to this  Agreement  and the
transactions  contemplated hereby,  including the consummation of the Merger and
the issuance of Parent Common Stock pursuant thereto.

         SECTION 2.05. No Conflict;  Required Filings and Consents.  (a) Section
2.05(a)  of the  Parent  Disclosure  Schedule  includes  a list of (i) all  loan
agreements,  indentures, mortgages, pledges, conditional sale or title retention
agreements,  security agreements, capital leases, guaranties, standby letters of
credit, or lease purchase agreements, to which Parent or any of its subsidiaries
is a party or by  which  any of them is  bound,  each in an  amount  equal to or
exceeding  $10,000,000,  but excluding any such agreement between Parent and its
wholly-owned  subsidiaries or between two or more  wholly-owned  subsidiaries of
the Parent; (ii) all contracts, agreements,  commitments or other understandings
or  arrangements  to which  Parent or any of its  subsidiaries  is a party or by
which any of them or any of their  respective  properties or assets are bound or
affected,   but   excluding   contracts,   agreements,   commitments   or  other
understandings  or arrangements  entered into in the ordinary course of business
and involving,  in each case,  payments by Parent or any of its  subsidiaries of
less than $5,000,000 per annum;  and (iii) all agreements  which, as of the date
hereof,  would  be  required  to be  filed  as  "material  contracts"  with  the
Securities and Exchange  Commission  ("SEC") pursuant to the requirements of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the SEC's rules thereunder (the
"Exchange Act"), other than those agreements actually filed heretofore by Parent
with the SEC.  Except as set forth on Section  2.05(a) of the Parent  Disclosure
Schedule,  no single customer or affiliated  group of customers  (excluding U.S.
governmental  agencies or  authorities),  accounted for more than 3% of Parent's
electronic  security  services business net sales during the year ended December
31, 1996 or is currently expected by Parent to account for more than 3% of


                                      -11-


<PAGE>

Parent's net sales for the year ended December 31, 1997 (without  regards to any
effects of the Merger).

         (b)  Except as set forth in Section  2.05(b)  of the Parent  Disclosure
Schedule,  the execution and delivery of this Agreement by Parent and Merger Sub
do not, and the performance of this Agreement by Parent and Merger Sub will not,
(i)  conflict  with or violate the  Memorandum  of  Association,  as altered (or
Articles of  Organization)  or Bye-Laws  (or  By-laws) of Parent and Merger Sub,
(ii)  conflict with or violate any law,  rule,  regulation,  order,  judgment or
decree applicable to Parent or any of its subsidiaries or by which its or any of
their respective  properties is bound or affected, or (iii) result in any breach
of or  constitute  a default  (or an event that with  notice or lapse of time or
both would  become a default),  or impair  Parent's or any of its  subsidiaries'
rights or alter the rights or obligations  of any third party under,  or give to
others any rights of termination, amendment, acceleration or cancellation of, or
result in the  creation of a lien or  encumbrance  on any of the  properties  or
assets  of Parent  or any of its  subsidiaries  pursuant  to,  any  note,  bond,
mortgage,  indenture,  contract, agreement, lease, license, permit, franchise or
other  instrument or obligation to which Parent or any of its  subsidiaries is a
party  or by  which  Parent  or any of its  subsidiaries  or its or any of their
respective properties is bound or affected, except in any such case for any such
conflicts,  violations,  breaches,  defaults or other occurrences that would not
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

         (c) The execution  and delivery of this  Agreement by Parent and Merger
Sub do not, and the  performance of this Agreement by Parent and Merger Sub will
not, require any consent,  approval,  authorization or permit of, or filing with
or  notification  to, any  governmental  or  regulatory  authority,  domestic or
foreign, except (i) for applicable requirements,  if any, of the Securities Act,
the Exchange Act, and any applicable  state  securities  laws ("Blue Sky Laws"),
(ii) the pre-merger notification requirements of the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust
Improvements Act of 1976, as amended,  and the rules and regulations  thereunder
(the "HSR Act") and filings and consents under any applicable  non-United States
laws intended to prohibit,  restrict or regulate  actions  having the purpose or
effect of  monopolization  or restraint  of trade  ("Competition  Laws"),  (iii)
filings  and  consents  as may be required  under any  environmental,  health or
safety law or regulation pertaining to any notification,  disclosure or required
approval  triggered  by the  Merger  or the  transactions  contemplated  by this
Agreement,  (iv) the  filing  and  recordation  of  appropriate  merger or other
documents  as required  by the MBCL,  (v) the  approval  of the  issuance of the
Parent Common Stock in the Merger by the Bermuda  Monetary  Authority,  and (vi)
where the failure to obtain such consents, approvals, authorizations or permits,
or  to  make  such  filings  or  notifications,   would  not  prevent  or  delay
consummation of the Merger, or otherwise prevent or delay Parent from performing
its  obligations  under this  Agreement,  or would not  otherwise  reasonably be
expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

         SECTION 2.06.  Compliance;  Permits. (a) Except as disclosed in Section
2.06(a)  of the  Parent  Disclosure  Schedule,  neither  Parent  nor  any of its
subsidiaries  is in conflict  with,  or in default or violation of, (i) any law,
rule,  regulation,  order, judgment or decree applicable to Parent or any of its
subsidiaries or by which its or any of their  respective  properties is bound or
affected or (ii) any note, bond, mortgage, indenture,


                                      -12-


<PAGE>

contract,  agreement,  lease, license,  permit, franchise or other instrument or
obligation  to which  Parent or any of its  subsidiaries  is a party or by which
Parent or any of its subsidiaries or its or any of their  respective  properties
is bound or  affected,  except for any such  conflicts,  defaults or  violations
which would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

         (b) Except as  disclosed  in Section  2.06(b) of the Parent  Disclosure
Schedule,  Parent and its subsidiaries  hold all permits,  licenses,  easements,
variances,  exemptions,  consents,  certificates,   orders  and  approvals  from
governmental  authorities which are material to the operation of the business of
Parent  and its  subsidiaries  taken  as a whole  as it is now  being  conducted
(collectively,  the  "Parent  Permits").  Parent  and  its  subsidiaries  are in
compliance with the terms of the Parent Permits,  except where the failure to so
comply would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

         SECTION 2.07. SEC Filings;  Financial Statements.  (a) Parent has filed
all  forms,  reports  and  documents  required  to be filed  with the SEC  since
December 31, 1993,  including (i) its Annual Reports on Form 10-K for the fiscal
years ended December 31, 1993, December 31, 1994 and December 31, 1995, (ii) its
Quarterly  Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarterly  periods ended March 31, 1996,
June 30, 1996 and September  30, 1996,  (iii) all proxy  statements  relating to
Parent's  meetings  of  shareholders  (whether  annual or  special)  held  since
December 31, 1993, (iv) all other reports or registration statements (other than
Reports on Form 10-Q not  referred to in clause (ii) above) filed by Parent with
the SEC since December 31, 1993,  and (v) all amendments and  supplements to all
such  reports  and  registration   statements  filed  by  Parent  with  the  SEC
(collectively, the "Parent SEC Reports"). Except as disclosed in Section 2.07 of
the Parent Disclosure Schedule,  the Parent SEC Reports (i) were prepared in all
material  respects in accordance with the  requirements of the Securities Act or
the  Exchange  Act,  as the case may be,  and (ii) did not at the time they were
filed  (or if  amended  or  superseded  by a  filing  prior  to the date of this
Agreement,  then on the date of such filing)  contain any untrue  statement of a
material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated  therein or
necessary  in  order  to  make  the  statements  therein,  in the  light  of the
circumstances  under which they were made, not misleading.  None of the Parent's
subsidiaries is required to file any forms,  reports or other documents with the
SEC.

         (b) Each of the consolidated financial statements  (including,  in each
case, any related notes thereto)  contained in the Parent SEC Reports,  Parent's
1995 Annual  Report to  Shareholders  and in the March 6, 1997 draft of Parent's
Annual  Report on Form 10-K for the year  ended  December  31,  1996,  except as
necessary to give effect to the accounting for Parent's vehicle auction business
and this Agreement (the "1996 Financial Statements"), was prepared in accordance
with generally accepted  accounting  principles ("GAAP") applied on a consistent
basis  throughout the periods  involved (except as may be indicated in the notes
thereto),  and each fairly in all material  respects  presents the  consolidated
financial  position of Parent and its  subsidiaries  as at the respective  dates
thereof and the  consolidated  results of its  operations and cash flows for the
periods indicated,  except that the unaudited interim financial  statements were
or are subject to normal and recurring  year-end  adjustments  which were not or
are not expected to be material in amount.


                                      -13-


<PAGE>

         SECTION 2.08. Absence of Certain Changes or Events. Except as set forth
in Section  2.08 of the Parent  Disclosure  Schedule or the Parent SEC  Reports,
since  September  30, 1996,  Parent has  conducted  its business in the ordinary
course and there has not occurred:  (i) any Material  Adverse  Effect;  (ii) any
amendments or changes in the Memorandum of Association,  as altered, or Bye-laws
of  Parent;  (iii) any  damage  to,  destruction  or loss of any asset of Parent
(whether or not covered by insurance) that could  reasonably be expected to have
a Material Adverse Effect;  (iv) any material change by Parent in its accounting
methods,  principles or practices; (v) any material revaluation by Parent of any
of its  assets,  including,  without  limitation,  writing  down  the  value  of
inventory or writing off notes or accounts receivable other than in the ordinary
course of  business;  (vi) any sale of a material  amount of property of Parent,
except in the ordinary  course of  business;  or (vii) any other action or event
that would have required the consent of the Company pursuant to Section 4.01 had
such action or event occurred after the date of this Agreement.

         SECTION  2.09.  No  Undisclosed  Liabilities.  Except  as set  forth in
Section  2.09 of the Parent  Disclosure  Schedule  or the  Parent  SEC  Reports,
neither  Parent  nor  any of its  subsidiaries  has any  liabilities  (absolute,
accrued,  contingent  or  otherwise),  except  liabilities  (a) in the aggregate
adequately provided for in Parent's audited balance sheet (including any related
notes  thereto) for the fiscal year ended December 31, 1995 included in Parent's
1995 Annual Report to Shareholders  (the "1995 Balance Sheet"),  (b) incurred in
the ordinary  course of business and not required  under GAAP to be reflected on
the 1995 Balance  Sheet,  (c) incurred  since  December 31, 1995 in the ordinary
course of business  consistent  with past  practice,  (d) incurred in connection
with this  Agreement,  or (e) which would not  reasonably  be expected to have a
Material Adverse Effect.

         SECTION  2.10.  Absence of  Litigation.  Except as set forth in Section
2.10 of the Parent Disclosure  Schedule or the Parent SEC Reports,  there are no
claims,  actions,  suits,  proceedings  or  investigations  pending  or,  to the
knowledge  of  Parent,   overtly   threatened  against  Parent  or  any  of  its
subsidiaries,  or any properties or rights of Parent or any of its subsidiaries,
before any court,  arbitrator  or  administrative,  governmental  or  regulatory
authority or body,  domestic or foreign,  that would  reasonably  be expected to
have a Material Adverse Effect.

         SECTION  2.11.  Employee  Benefit  Plans;  Employment  Agreements.  (a)
Section  2.11(a) of the Parent  Disclosure  Schedule lists all employee  pension
plans (as defined in Section 3(2) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act
of 1974,  as amended  ("ERISA")),  all  employee  welfare  plans (as  defined in
Section  3(1) of ERISA),  and all other bonus,  stock  option,  stock  purchase,
incentive, deferred compensation,  supplemental retirement,  severance and other
similar fringe or employee benefit plans,  programs or arrangements,  written or
otherwise, as amended, modified or supplemented, for the benefit of, or relating
to, any current employee,  officer or consultant (or any of their beneficiaries)
of Parent or any other entity (whether or not incorporated) which is a member of
a controlled group including Parent or which is under common control with Parent
(an "ERISA  Affiliate") within the meaning of Section 414 of the Code or Section
4001 of ERISA, or any subsidiary of Parent, as well as each plan with respect to
which Parent or an ERISA Affiliate


                                      -14-


<PAGE>

could  incur  liability  under  Section  4069  (if  such  plan  has been or were
terminated)  or Section  4212(c) of ERISA or Section 412 of the Code  (together,
the "Employee Plans").  There have been made available or will be made available
as promptly  as  practicable,  but in any event no later than 20  business  days
after the date hereof to the Company  copies of (i) each such  written  Employee
Plan and all related trust agreements,  insurance and other contracts (including
policies),  the most recent  summary  plan  descriptions,  summaries of material
modifications and communications distributed to plan participants since the date
of the most recent summary plan descriptions,  (ii) the three most recent annual
reports on Form 5500 series, with accompanying schedules and attachments,  filed
with respect to each  Employee  Plan  required to make such a filing,  (iii) the
most recent  actuarial  valuation  for each Employee Plan subject to Title IV of
ERISA,  (iv) the latest  reports  which have been filed with the  Department  of
Labor with respect to each  Employee  Plan  required to make such filing and (v)
favorable  determination letters issued for each Employee Plan and related trust
that are intended to satisfy the  qualification  requirements  of Section 401(a)
and Section 501(a) of the Code (or, if pending,  a copy of the  application  for
such  determination).  For purposes of this Section 2.11,  the term  "material,"
when used with  respect to (i) any Employee  Plan,  shall mean that Parent or an
ERISA  Affiliate has incurred or may incur  obligations  in an amount  exceeding
$5,000,000  with  respect  to  such  Employee  Plan,  and  (ii)  any  liability,
obligation,  breach or  non-compliance,  shall  mean that the Parent or an ERISA
Affiliate  has  incurred  or  may  incur  obligations  in  an  amount  exceeding
$1,000,000,  with  respect  to any one such or  series of  related  liabilities,
obligations, breaches, defaults, violations or instances of non-compliance.

         (b)  Except as set forth in Section  2.11(b)  of the Parent  Disclosure
Schedule, (i) none of the Employee Plans promises or provides retiree medical or
other retiree welfare benefits to any person,  and none of the Employee Plans is
a "multiemployer  plan" as such term is defined in Section 3(37) of ERISA;  (ii)
no party in interest  or  disqualified  person (as  defined in Section  3(14) of
ERISA and  Section  4975 of the Code) has at any time  engaged in a  transaction
with  respect to any  Employee  Plan  which  could  subject  Parent or any ERISA
Affiliate, directly or indirectly, to a tax, penalty or other material liability
for prohibited  transactions  under ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code;  (iii) no
fiduciary of any  Employee  Plan has  breached  any of the  responsibilities  or
obligations  imposed upon fiduciaries under Title I of ERISA, which breach could
result in any  material  liability  to Parent or any ERISA  Affiliate;  (iv) all
Employee Plans have been established and maintained  substantially in accordance
with their terms and have operated in  compliance in all material  respects with
the  requirements  prescribed by any and all statutes  (including  ERISA and the
Code),  orders, or governmental  rules and regulations  currently in effect with
respect  thereto  (including all applicable  requirements  for  notification  to
participants or the Department of Labor, Internal Revenue Service (the "IRS") or
Secretary of the Treasury),  and may by their terms be amended and/or terminated
at any time subject to applicable  law, and Parent and each of its  subsidiaries
have performed all material  obligations required to be performed by them under,
are not in any material  respect in default  under or violation  of, and have no
knowledge of any default or violation by any other party to, any of the Employee
Plans;  (v) each Employee  Plan intended to qualify under Section  401(a) of the
Code and each trust  intended to qualify under Section 501(a) of the Code is the
subject of a  favorable  determination  letter  from the IRS,  and  nothing  has
occurred which may reasonably


                                      -15-


<PAGE>

be expected to impair such determination;  (vi) all contributions required to be
made with respect to any Employee  Plan  pursuant to Section 412 of the Code, or
the terms of the Employee Plan or any collective bargaining agreement, have been
made on or before their due dates;  (vii) with respect to each Employee Plan, no
"reportable  event" within the meaning of Section 4043 of ERISA  (excluding  any
such event for which the 30 day notice  requirement  has been  waived  under the
regulations  to  Section  4043 of ERISA)  has  occurred  for which  there is any
material  outstanding  liability  to the  Company nor any ERISA  Affiliate;  and
(viii) neither Parent nor any ERISA Affiliate has incurred or reasonably expects
to incur any liability under Title IV of ERISA (other than liability for premium
payments to the Pension Benefit Guaranty  Corporation (the PBGC") arising in the
ordinary course).

         (c) Section 2.11(c) of the Parent Disclosure Schedule sets forth a true
and  complete  list of options or other  rights,  direct or indirect to purchase
Parent Common Stock held by any current or former employee,  officer or director
of Parent or any of its  subsidiaries  as of the date hereof,  together with the
number of shares  of  Parent  Common  Stock  subject  to such  options,  and the
exercise  price of such  options or rights (to the extent  determined  as of the
date  hereof),  and no such option is intended to qualify as an incentive  stock
option  within the meaning of Section  422(b) of the Code (an  "ISO"),  provided
that no later than 20 business  days after the date hereof,  Parent will provide
the Company with a list of current or former  employees,  officers and directors
of Parent or any of its  subsidiaries  who hold any options or rights  listed on
Section 2.11(c) of the Parent  Disclosure  Schedule and the expiration  dates of
such options.

         (d) Section 2.11(d) of the Parent Disclosure Schedule sets forth a true
and complete list of (i) all employment  agreements  with executive  officers of
Parent or any of its subsidiaries;  (ii) all agreements with consultants who are
individuals  obligating  Parent or any of its  subsidiaries  to make annual cash
payments in an amount exceeding  $500,000;  (iii) all current executive officers
of  Parent  or any of its  subsidiaries  who  have  executed  a  non-competition
agreement with Parent or any of its subsidiaries; (iv) all severance agreements,
programs and policies of Parent or any of its  subsidiaries  with or relating to
its employees, in each case with outstanding commitments with respect to any one
individual  exceeding  $250,000 per year or providing for payments over a period
in  excess  of  two  years,  excluding  programs  and  policies  required  to be
maintained by law; and (v) all Employee  Plans which  contain  change in control
provisions.  Other than as  disclosed in Parent's  Statement  on Schedule  14D-9
filed prior to the date  hereof with the SEC in respect of an exchange  offer of
Western  Resources,  Inc. (the  "Schedule  14D-9"),  there have been no material
changes to the compensation of Parent's  executive  officers since September 30,
1996.  All related  payroll  expenses and any  accelerated  pension  benefits of
Parent  and any of its  subsidiaries  under  severance  agreements  with  former
employees, directors and officers of Parent or any of its subsidiaries have been
fully accrued in the 1996 Financial Statements.

         (e)  Except as set forth in Section  2.11(e)  of the Parent  Disclosure
Schedule,  no employee of Parent or any of its  subsidiaries has participated in
any  employee  pension  benefit  plans (as  defined  in  Section  3(2) of ERISA)
maintained by or on behalf of Parent. The PBGC has not instituted proceedings to
terminate  any  defined  benefit  plan  listed in Section  2.11(e) of the Parent
Disclosure Schedule (each, a "Defined Benefit Plan"). The


                                      -16-


<PAGE>

Defined Benefit Plans have no accumulated or waived funding  deficiencies within
the  meaning  of  Section  412  of the  Code  nor  have  any  extensions  of any
amortization  period  within the  meaning  of Section  412 of the Code or 302 of
ERISA been applied for with respect  thereto.  The present  value of the benefit
liabilities (within the meaning of Section 4041 of ERISA) of the Defined Benefit
Plans,  determined on a termination basis using actuarial assumptions that would
be used by the PBGC does not  exceed by more  than  $1,000,000  the value of the
Plans'  assets.  No facts exist with respect to the Defined  Benefit Plans which
would give rise to a lien on the assets of Parent  under  Section 4068 of ERISA.
All the  assets  of the  Defined  Benefit  Plans are  cash,  readily  marketable
securities or insurance contracts.

         (f) Parent has  fiduciary  liability  insurance in effect  covering the
fiduciaries of the Employee Plans (including Parent) with respect to whom Parent
may have liability,  and within 20 business days of the date hereof, Parent will
provide the Company with a statement of the amount of such insurance.

         SECTION 2.12. Labor Matters. Except as set forth in Section 2.12 of the
Parent Disclosure Schedule (which with respect to clause (ii) shall be furnished
by Parent to the Company no later than 20 business  days of the date  hereof) or
the  Parent  SEC  Reports,  (i) there are no  controversies  pending  or, to the
knowledge of Parent or any of its  subsidiaries,  threatened,  between Parent or
any  of  its  subsidiaries  and  any  of  their  respective   employees,   which
controversies  have had, or would  reasonably  be  expected to have,  a Material
Adverse  Effect;  (ii) neither Parent nor any of its  subsidiaries is a party to
any  material  collective  bargaining  agreement  or other labor union  contract
applicable  to persons  employed by Parent or its  subsidiaries;  (iii)  neither
Parent nor any of its subsidiaries knows of any activities or proceedings of any
labor  union  to  organize  50 or  more  employees  of  Parent  or  any  of  its
subsidiaries in any office;  and (iv) neither Parent nor any of its subsidiaries
has any  knowledge of any  strikes,  slowdowns,  work  stoppages,  lockouts,  or
threats  thereof,  by or with  respect to any  employees of Parent or any of its
subsidiaries  which would  reasonably  be  expected  to have a Material  Adverse
Effect. Schedule 2.12 shall set forth, with respect to any collective bargaining
agreement or labor union contract  identified in accordance  with clause (ii) of
this Section  2.12,  the name of the union that is a party to such  agreement or
contract, the expiration date thereof, and the number of the employees of Parent
and its subsidiaries who are party thereto.

         SECTION 2.13. Registration Statement; Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus.
Subject to the accuracy of the  representations  of the Company in Section 3.13,
the  registration  statement (the  "Registration  Statement")  pursuant to which
Parent Common Stock to be issued in the Merger will be  registered  with the SEC
shall not at the time the  Registration  Statement is declared  effective by the
SEC  contain  any  untrue  statement  of a  material  fact or omit to state  any
material  fact  required to be stated  therein or necessary in order to make the
statements  therein,  in the light of the  circumstances  under  which they were
made, not misleading.  The  information  supplied by Parent for inclusion in the
joint proxy  statement/prospectus  to be sent to the  shareholders  of Parent in
connection  with the general  meeting of the  shareholders of Parent to consider
the Reverse  Stock Split,  the Share  Amendment,  the issuance of Parent  Common
Stock in the Merger, the Parent Name Change


                                      -17-


<PAGE>

and the New Parent Director Election (the "Parent Shareholders Meeting"), and to
the  shareholders  of  the  Company  in  connection  with  the  meeting  of  the
shareholders  of the Company to consider the Merger (the  "Company  Shareholders
Meeting" and, together with the Parent Shareholders  Meeting,  the "Shareholders
Meetings")  (such  proxy  statement/prospectus  as  amended or  supplemented  is
referred to herein as the "Joint Proxy  Statement/Prospectus")  will not, on the
date  the  Joint  Proxy   Statement/Prospectus  (or  any  amendment  thereof  or
supplement  thereto)  is  first  mailed  to  shareholders,  at the  time  of the
Shareholders Meetings, or at the Effective Time, contain any statement which, at
such time and in light of the  circumstances  under  which it shall be made,  is
false or  misleading  with respect to any material  fact, or shall omit to state
any material  fact  necessary in order to make the  statements  made therein not
false or misleading; or omit to state any material fact necessary to correct any
statement  in any earlier  communication  with  respect to the  solicitation  of
proxies for the Shareholders  Meetings which has become false or misleading.  If
at any time prior to the Effective  Time any event  relating to Parent or any of
its respective affiliates,  officers or directors should be discovered by Parent
which  should be set forth in an amendment  to the  Registration  Statement or a
supplement to the Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus, Parent shall promptly inform
the Company. The Joint Proxy  Statement/Prospectus  shall comply in all material
respects with the  requirements  of the Securities Act, the Exchange Act and the
rules and regulations thereunder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Parent makes no
representation  or  warranty  with  respect to any  information  supplied by the
Company  which is contained  or  incorporated  by reference  in, or furnished in
connection  with the  preparation  of, the  Registration  Statement or the Joint
Proxy Statement/Prospectus.

         SECTION  2.14.  Restrictions  on Business  Activities.  Except for this
Agreement,  or as set forth in Section 2.14 of the Parent Disclosure Schedule or
the  Parent  SEC  Reports,  to the  best  of  Parent's  knowledge,  there  is no
agreement,  judgment,  injunction, order or decree binding upon Parent or any of
its subsidiaries which has or could reasonably be expected to have the effect of
prohibiting  or  impairing  any  business  practice  of  Parent  or  any  of its
subsidiaries,  acquisition of property by Parent or any of its  subsidiaries  or
the  conduct  of  business  by Parent or any of its  subsidiaries  as  currently
conducted or as proposed to be conducted by Parent,  except for any  prohibition
or  impairment as would not  reasonably  be expected to have a Material  Adverse
Effect.

         SECTION 2.15. Title to Property. Except as set forth in Section 2.15 of
the Parent  Disclosure  Schedule,  Parent and each of its subsidiaries have good
and defensible  title to all of their  properties and assets,  free and clear of
all liens,  charges  and  encumbrances,  except  liens for taxes not yet due and
payable  and such  liens or other  imperfections  of  title,  if any,  as do not
materially  detract from the value of or  interfere  with the present use of the
property  affected  thereby or which would not  reasonably be expected to have a
Material Adverse Effect; and, to the knowledge of Parent, all leases pursuant to
which Parent or any of its  subsidiaries  lease from others material  amounts of
real or  personal  property,  are in  good  standing,  valid  and  effective  in
accordance with their  respective  terms,  and there is not, to the knowledge of
Parent,  under any of such  leases,  any existing  material  default or event of
default (or event which with notice or lapse of time, or both,  would constitute
a material default),  except where the lack of such good standing,  validity and
effectiveness or the


                                      -18-


<PAGE>

existence of such default or event of default  would not  reasonably be expected
to have a Material Adverse Effect.

         SECTION 2.16. Real Property. (a) Except as set forth in Section 2.16(a)
of the Parent  Disclosure  Schedule,  each of the  buildings,  improvements  and
structures located upon any real property and land owned by Parent or any of its
subsidiaries  (collectively,  the "Owned Property"),  and each of the buildings,
structures and premises  leased by the Company or any of its  subsidiaries  (the
"Leased Premises"),  is in reasonably good repair and operating  condition,  and
Parent has not received any notice of or writing  referring to any  requirements
by any insurance company that has issued a policy covering any part of any Owned
Property or Leased  Premises or by any board of fire  underwriters or other body
exercising  similar  functions,  requiring any repairs or work to be done on any
part of any Owned Property or Leased Premises, except as would not reasonably be
expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

         (b)  Except as set forth in Section  2.16(b)  of the Parent  Disclosure
Schedule,  all structural or material  mechanical  systems in the buildings upon
the Owned  Property and Leased  Properties are in good working order and working
condition,  and  adequate  for the  operation  of the business of Parent and its
subsidiaries as heretofore conducted, except as would not reasonably be expected
to have a Material Adverse Effect.

         SECTION  2.17.  Taxes.  (a) For  purposes of this  Agreement,  "Tax" or
"Taxes"  shall  mean  taxes,  fees,  levies,  duties,   tariffs,   imposts,  and
governmental impositions or charges of any kind in the nature of (or similar to)
taxes,  payable  to any  federal,  state,  local or  foreign  taxing  authority,
including (without limitation) (i) income,  franchise,  profits, gross receipts,
ad valorem,  net worth,  value  added,  sales,  use,  service,  real or personal
property,  special assessments,  capital stock, license,  payroll,  withholding,
employment,  social security, workers' compensation,  unemployment compensation,
utility, severance,  production,  excise, stamp, occupation,  premiums, windfall
profits,  transfer and gains taxes,  and (ii)  interest,  penalties,  additional
taxes and additions to tax imposed with respect thereto; and "Tax Returns" shall
mean returns, reports, and information statements with respect to Taxes required
to be filed with the IRS or any other  taxing  authority,  domestic  or foreign,
including,  without limitation,  consolidated,  combined and unitary tax returns
(including returns required in connection with any Employee Plan).

         (b) Other than as disclosed in Section 2.17(b) of the Parent Disclosure
Schedule  or the Parent SEC  Reports:  Parent and its  subsidiaries  have timely
filed all United  States  federal,  state and local  income Tax  Returns and all
foreign  Tax  Returns  required  to  be  filed  by  them,  and  Parent  and  its
subsidiaries have timely paid and discharged all Taxes due in connection with or
with respect to the periods or transactions covered by such Tax Returns and have
paid all other  Taxes as are due,  except  such as are being  contested  in good
faith by appropriate  proceedings  (to the extent that any such  proceedings are
required),  and there are no other  taxes  that  would be due if  asserted  by a
taxing authority, except with respect to which Parent is maintaining reserves to
the extent  currently  required unless the failure to do so would not reasonably
be expected  to have a Material  Adverse  Effect.  Except as does not involve or
would not result in liability to Parent or any of its subsidiaries that would


                                      -19-


<PAGE>

reasonably be expected to have a Material  Adverse Effect,  (i) there are no tax
liens on any assets of Parent or any subsidiary thereof; and (ii) neither Parent
nor any of its subsidiaries has granted any waiver of any statute of limitations
with respect to, or any  extension of a period for the  assessment  of, any Tax.
The accruals  and  reserves  (including  deferred  taxes)  reflected in the 1995
Balance Sheet are in all material respects adequate to cover all Taxes accruable
through the date thereof (including interest and penalties,  if any, thereon and
Taxes being contested) in accordance with GAAP.

         (c)  Parent  on  behalf  of  itself  and  all its  subsidiaries  hereby
represents  that,  other  than as  disclosed  in  Section  2.17(c) of the Parent
Disclosure  Schedule or the Parent SEC  Reports,  and other than with respect to
items  the  inaccuracy  of which  would not  reasonably  be  expected  to have a
Material  Adverse  Effect:  (i) neither  Parent nor any of its  subsidiaries  is
obligated  under any agreement with respect to industrial  development  bonds or
other obligations with respect to which the  excludability  from gross income of
the holder for  federal or state  income tax  purposes  could be affected by the
transactions  contemplated  hereunder  and (ii)  neither  Parent  nor any of its
subsidiaries is, or has been, a United States real property holding  corporation
(as  defined in Section  897(c)(2)  of the Code)  during the  applicable  period
specified  in Section  897(c)(1)(A)(ii)  of the Code.  To the best  knowledge of
Parent,  neither  Parent  nor any of its  subsidiaries  owns any  property  of a
character,  the indirect  transfer of which,  pursuant to this Agreement,  would
give rise to any material documentary, stamp or other transfer tax.

         (d) Parent will make  available as reasonably as is  practicable to the
Company all tax rulings,  agreements, or arrangements issued to, or entered into
by, any of its Principal  Parent  Subsidiaries by or with the tax authorities of
any jurisdiction.

         SECTION  2.18.  Environmental  Matters.  Except as set forth in Section
2.18 of the Parent Disclosure Schedule or the Parent SEC Reports,  and except in
all cases  as,  in the  aggregate,  have not had and  would  not  reasonably  be
expected to have a Material Adverse Effect,  to the best of Parent's  knowledge,
Parent and each of its  subsidiaries  (i) have obtained all applicable  permits,
licenses and other  authorization  which are  required to be obtained  under all
applicable  federal,  state or local laws or any regulation,  code, plan, order,
decree,  judgment,  notice or demand  letter  issued,  entered,  promulgated  or
approved  thereunder  relating to pollution or  protection  of the  environment,
including  laws  relating  to  emissions,  discharges,  releases  or  threatened
releases of pollutants,  contaminants, or hazardous or toxic materials or wastes
into ambient air, surface water,  ground water, or land or otherwise relating to
the manufacture,  processing,  distribution,  use, treatment, storage, disposal,
transport,  or  handling  of  pollutants,  contaminants  or  hazardous  or toxic
materials or wastes  ("Environmental  Laws") by Parent or its  subsidiaries  (or
their respective  agents);  (ii) are in compliance with all terms and conditions
of such required permits, licenses and authorization, and also are in compliance
with all other limitations,  restrictions,  conditions, standards, prohibitions,
requirements,  obligations,  schedules  and  timetables  contained in applicable
Environmental  Laws;  (iii) as of the  date  hereof,  are not  aware of nor have
received notice of any past or present  violations of Environmental  Laws or any
event, condition,  circumstance,  activity,  practice,  incident, action or plan
which is reasonably  likely to interfere  with or prevent  continued  compliance
with or which would give rise to any


                                      -20-


<PAGE>

common law or statutory  liability,  or  otherwise  form the basis of any claim,
action,  suit or proceeding,  against Parent or any of its subsidiaries based on
or resulting from the manufacture,  processing,  distribution,  use,  treatment,
storage, disposal,  transport or handling, or the emission, discharge or release
into the  environment,  of any  pollutant,  contaminant  or  hazardous  or toxic
material or waste;  and (iv) have taken all actions  necessary under  applicable
Environmental  Laws  to  register  any  products  or  materials  required  to be
registered by Parent or its  subsidiaries  (or any of their  respective  agents)
thereunder.

         SECTION  2.19.  Intellectual  Property.  (a) Parent  and/or each of its
subsidiaries  owns, or is licensed or otherwise  possesses  legally  enforceable
rights to use all patents,  trademarks,  trade names, service marks, copyrights,
and any applications therefor, technology,  know-how, computer software programs
or applications,  and tangible or intangible proprietary information or material
that are used in the  business  of  Parent  and its  subsidiaries  as  currently
conducted, except as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect.

         (b) Except as  disclosed  in Section  2.19(b) of the Parent  Disclosure
Schedule  or the Parent SEC  Reports or as would not  reasonably  be expected to
have a Material  Adverse Effect (i) Parent is not, nor will it be as a result of
the  execution  and  delivery  of  this  Agreement  or  the  performance  of its
obligations  hereunder,  in violation  of any  licenses,  sublicenses  and other
agreements  as to which  Parent  is a party  and  pursuant  to which  Parent  is
authorized  to use  any  third-party  patents,  trademarks,  service  marks  and
copyrights  ("Third-Party  Intellectual  Property Rights");  (ii) no claims with
respect to the patents,  registered  and material  unregistered  trademarks  and
service marks, registered copyrights,  trade names and any applications therefor
owned by Parent or any of its subsidiaries  (the "Parent  Intellectual  Property
Rights"),  any trade  secret  material to Parent,  or Third  Party  Intellectual
Property  Rights  to  the  extent  arising  out  of  any  use,  reproduction  or
distribution  of such Third  Party  Intellectual  Property  Rights by or through
Parent or any of its subsidiaries, are currently pending or, to the knowledge of
Parent,  are overtly threatened by any person; and (iii) Parent does not know of
any  valid  grounds  for  any  bona  fide  claims  (A) to the  effect  that  the
manufacture, sale, licensing or use of any product as now used, sold or licensed
or  proposed  for use,  sale or  license  by Parent or any of its  subsidiaries,
infringes on any copyright, patent, trademark, service mark or trade secret; (B)
against the use by Parent or any of its subsidiaries,  of any trademarks,  trade
names,  trade secrets,  copyrights,  patents,  technology,  know-how or computer
software  programs and applications used in the business of Parent or any of its
subsidiaries  as  currently  conducted  or  as  proposed  to be  conducted;  (C)
challenging  the  ownership,  validity  or  effectiveness  of any of the  Parent
Intellectual  Property Rights or other trade secret  material to Parent;  or (D)
challenging the license or legally  enforceable  right to use of the Third Party
Intellectual Rights by Parent or any of its subsidiaries.

         (c) To Parent's knowledge, all material patents, registered trademarks,
service marks and copyrights held by Parent are valid and subsisting.  Except as
set forth in Section 2.19(c) of the Parent Disclosure Schedule or the Parent SEC
Reports,  to  Parent's  knowledge,   there  is  no  material  unauthorized  use,
infringement or misappropriation of any of


                                      -21-


<PAGE>

the Parent Intellectual  Property by any third party,  including any employee or
former employee of Parent or any of its subsidiaries.

         SECTION 2.20.  Interested  Party  Transactions.  Except as set forth in
Section 2.20 of the Parent Disclosure  Schedule or the Parent SEC Reports or for
events  as to which  the  amounts  involved  do not,  in the  aggregate,  exceed
$100,000,  since the date of Parent's proxy  statement dated March 12, 1996 (the
"1996 Parent Proxy Statement"),  no event has occurred that would be required to
be reported as a Certain Relationship or Related  Transaction,  pursuant to Item
404 of Regulation S-K promulgated by the SEC.

         SECTION  2.21.  Insurance.  Except as set forth in Section  2.21 of the
Parent Disclosure Schedule,  all material fire and casualty,  general liability,
business  interruption,   product  liability  and  sprinkler  and  water  damage
insurance  policies  maintained  by Parent or any of its  subsidiaries  are with
reputable  insurance  carriers,  provide adequate  coverage for all normal risks
incident to the  business of Parent and its  subsidiaries  and their  respective
properties  and assets and are in character  and amount at least  equivalent  to
that carried by persons engaged in similar businesses and subject to the same or
similar perils or hazards,  except as would not reasonably be expected to have a
Material Adverse Effect.

         SECTION 2.22. Product Liability and Recalls. (a) Except as disclosed in
Section  2.22(a) of the Parent  Disclosure  Schedule or the Parent SEC  Reports,
Parent is not aware of any claim,  or the basis of any claim,  against Parent or
any of its  subsidiaries  for injury to person or property of  employees  or any
third parties  suffered as a result of the sale of any product or performance of
any service by Parent or any of its  subsidiaries,  including claims arising out
of the  defective  or unsafe  nature of its  products or  services,  which would
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

         (b) Except as  disclosed  in Section  2.22(b) of the Parent  Disclosure
Schedule or the Parent SEC Reports,  there is no pending or, to the knowledge of
the Company,  threatened  recall or investigation of any product sold by Parent,
which recall or  investigation  would  reasonably be expected to have a Material
Adverse Effect.

         SECTION 2.23. Opinion of Financial Advisor.  Parent has been advised by
its financial advisor,  Merrill Lynch, Pierce,  Fenner & Smith Incorporated,  to
the effect  that,  in its  opinion  dated  March 17,  1997,  as of such date the
Exchange Ratio was fair from a financial point of view to Parent's shareholders.

         SECTION 2.24.  Pooling Matters.  (a) Parent has provided to the Company
and its  independent  accountants all  information  concerning  actions taken or
agreed to be taken by Parent or any of its  affiliates  on or before the date of
this Agreement that would reasonably be expected to adversely affect the ability
of Parent to account for the business  combination  to be effected by the Merger
as a pooling of  interests.  The failure of this  representation  to be true and
correct  shall,  if the Merger is not able to be  accounted  for as a pooling of
interests,  constitute a breach of this  Agreement by Parent for the purposes of
Section 7.01(i).


                                      -22-


<PAGE>

         (b) Western Resources,  Inc. is not an affiliate of Parent for purposes
of Accounting  Standards  Release 135 or Staff Accounting  Bulletin 65 regarding
pooling of interests accounting treatment of merger transactions.

         SECTION 2.25. Ownership of Merger Sub; No Prior Activities.  (a) Merger
Sub is a direct, wholly-owned subsidiary of Parent and was formed solely for the
purpose of engaging in the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

         (b)  As  of  the  date  hereof  and  the  Effective  Time,  except  for
obligations  or liabilities  incurred in connection  with its  incorporation  or
organization and the transactions  contemplated by this Agreement and except for
this Agreement and any other  agreements or  arrangements  contemplated  by this
Agreement,  Merger  Sub  has  not  and  will  not  have  incurred,  directly  or
indirectly,  through any subsidiary or affiliate, any obligations or liabilities
or engaged in any business  activities of any type or kind whatsoever or entered
into any agreements or arrangements with any person.

         SECTION 2.26.  Brokers.  No broker,  finder or investment banker (other
than Merrill Lynch, Pierce,  Fenner & Smith Incorporated,  the fees and expenses
of whom will be paid by Parent) is entitled to any brokerage,  finder's or other
fee or commission  in  connection  with the  transactions  contemplated  by this
Agreement based upon  arrangements made by or on behalf of Parent or Merger Sub.
Parent has  heretofore  furnished  to the Company a complete and correct copy of
all  agreements  between the Company and Merrill Lynch,  Pierce,  Fenner & Smith
Incorporated  pursuant  to which such firms  would be  entitled  to any  payment
relating to the transactions contemplated hereunder.

         SECTION  2.27.  Full   Disclosure.   No  statement   contained  in  any
certificate or schedule  furnished or to be furnished by Parent or Merger Sub or
its  subsidiaries  to the Company in, or  pursuant  to the  provisions  of, this
Agreement  contains or shall contain any untrue  statement of a material fact or
omits or will omit to state any  material  fact  necessary,  in the light of the
circumstances  under which it was made,  in order to make  statements  herein or
therein not  misleading,  except where the material fact so misstated or omitted
to be stated would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.


                                   ARTICLE III

                  REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY


         The Company hereby  represents  and warrants to Parent that,  except as
set forth in the written disclosure schedule previously delivered by the Company
to Parent (the "Company Disclosure Schedule"):

         SECTION 3.01. Organization and Qualification; Subsidiaries. Each of the
Company and its subsidiaries is a corporation  duly organized,  validly existing
and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation and
has the requisite corporate


                                      -23-


<PAGE>

power and authority  and is in  possession  of all  Approvals  necessary to own,
lease and operate  the  properties  it purports to own,  operate or lease and to
carry on its business as it is now being conducted,  except where the failure to
be so organized,  existing and in good standing or to have such power, authority
and  Approvals  would not  reasonably  be  expected  to have a Material  Adverse
Effect.  Each of the Company and its  subsidiaries is duly qualified or licensed
as a  foreign  corporation  to do  business,  and is in good  standing,  in each
jurisdiction where the character of its properties owned,  leased or operated by
it or the  nature  of its  activities  makes  such  qualification  or  licensing
necessary,  except for such failures to be so duly  qualified or licensed and in
good standing that would not  reasonably be expected to have a Material  Adverse
Effect. A true and complete list of all of the Company's subsidiaries,  together
with the  jurisdiction of incorporation of each subsidiary and the percentage of
each  subsidiary's  outstanding  capital  stock  owned by the Company or another
subsidiary,  is set forth in Section  3.01 of the Company  Disclosure  Schedule.
Except as set forth in Section  3.01 of the Company  Disclosure  Schedule or the
Company  SEC  Reports  (as defined  below),  the  Company  does not  directly or
indirectly  own any equity or similar  interest in, or any interest  convertible
into or exchangeable or exercisable  for, any equity or similar interest in, any
corporation, partnership, joint venture or other business association or entity,
with  respect  to which  the  Company  has  invested  or is  required  to invest
$5,000,000 or more, excluding securities in any publicly traded company held for
investment  by  the  Company  and  comprising  less  than  five  percent  of the
outstanding capital stock of such company.

         SECTION 3.02.  Articles of  Organization  and By-Laws.  The Company has
heretofore  furnished  to Parent a complete  and  correct  copy of its  Restated
Articles of  Organization  and By-Laws,  as amended to date and has furnished or
made  available  to Parent the  certificate  of  incorporation  and  by-laws (or
equivalent organizational documents) of each of its subsidiaries listed on Annex
C hereto (such subsidiaries, collectively, the "Principal Company Subsidiaries",
and their respective organizational documents, the "Principal Company Subsidiary
Documents")  and  each  of its  other  subsidiaries  (such  other  subsidiaries,
collectively,   the  "Other   Company   Subsidiaries",   and  their   respective
organizational  documents,  the  "Other  Company  Subsidiary  Documents").  Such
Restated  Articles of Organization  and By-Laws,  Principal  Company  Subsidiary
Documents and Other Company  Subsidiary  Documents are in full force and effect.
Neither  the  Company  nor  any  of its  Principal  Company  Subsidiaries  is in
violation of any of the provisions of its Restated  Articles of  Organization or
By-Laws or Principal Company Subsidiary Documents, and none of the Other Company
Subsidiaries  are in violation  of any of the  provisions  of its Other  Company
Subsidiary Documents,  except for such violation of the Other Company Subsidiary
Documents  which would not  reasonably  be  expected to have a Material  Adverse
Effect.

         SECTION  3.03.  Capitalization.  The  authorized  capital  stock of the
Company  consists of  500,000,000  shares of Company  Common Stock and 2,000,000
shares of Preferred Stock, $1 par value ("Company Preferred Stock"). As of March
15,  1997,  (i)  166,817,355  shares of Parent  Common  Stock  were  issued  and
outstanding, all of which are validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable, and
13,007,202  shares were held in  treasury,  (ii) no shares of Company  Preferred
Stock were  outstanding  or held in treasury,  (iii) no shares of Company Common
Stock or Company Preferred Stock were held by subsidiaries of


                                      -24-


<PAGE>

the Company,  (iv)  1,606,065  shares of Company  Common Stock were reserved for
future  issuance under the Company's 1994  Restricted  Stock Ownership Plan, (v)
210,849  shares of Company Common Stock were reserved for issuance upon exercise
of the Warrants, (vi) 7,992,724 shares of Company Common Stock were reserved for
issuance upon exercise of stock options  issued under the ABC Company 1995 Stock
Option Plan,  and (vii) 26,084 shares of Company  Common Stock were reserved for
issuance upon exercise of stock options issued under the stock  incentive  plans
maintained  by  Kendall   International,   Inc.  No  material   change  in  such
capitalization  has occurred between March 15, 1997 and the date hereof.  Except
as set forth in Section 3.03 of the Company  Disclosure  Schedule or the Company
SEC  Reports,  there  are no  options,  warrants  or other  rights,  agreements,
arrangements or commitments of any character  relating to the issued or unissued
capital  stock of the  Company  or any of its  subsidiaries  or  obligating  the
Company or any of its  subsidiaries to issue or sell any shares of capital stock
of, or other equity interests in, the Company or any of its subsidiaries. Except
as set forth in Section 3.03 of the Company  Disclosure  Schedule or the Company
SEC Reports, there are no obligations,  contingent or otherwise,  of the Company
or any of its subsidiaries to repurchase, redeem or otherwise acquire any shares
of Company  Common Stock or the capital  stock of any  subsidiary  or to provide
funds to or make any investment (in the form of a loan, capital  contribution or
otherwise) in any such subsidiary  other than guarantees of bank  obligations of
subsidiaries  entered  into in the ordinary  course of  business.  Except as set
forth in Section  3.01 or 3.03 of the Company  Disclosure  Schedule,  all of the
outstanding shares of capital stock (other than directors' qualifying shares) of
each of the Company's  subsidiaries is duly  authorized,  validly issued,  fully
paid and  nonassessable  and all such shares (other than  directors'  qualifying
shares)  are owned by the  Company or another  subsidiary  free and clear of all
security  interests,  liens,  claims,  pledges,  agreements,  limitations in the
Company's voting rights, charges or other encumbrances of any nature whatsoever.

         SECTION 3.04. Authority Relative to this Agreement;  Takeover Laws. (a)
The Company  has all  necessary  corporate  power and  authority  to execute and
deliver  this  Agreement  and  to  perform  its  obligations  hereunder  and  to
consummate the transactions  contemplated  hereby. The execution and delivery of
this  Agreement  by the  Company  and the  consummation  by the  Company  of the
transactions  contemplated  hereby have been duly and validly  authorized by all
necessary  corporate  action on the part of the Company,  and no other corporate
proceedings on the part of the Company are necessary to authorize this Agreement
or to consummate the transactions  contemplated thereby, other than the approval
of this  Agreement  and the Merger by the holders of at least  two-thirds of the
outstanding  shares of Company Common Stock entitled to vote in accordance  with
the MBCL and the Company's  Restated  Articles of Organization and By-Laws.  The
Board of Directors of the Company has determined that it is advisable and in the
best interest of the Company's  shareholders  for the Company to enter into this
Agreement  and to  consummate  the  Merger  upon the  terms and  subject  to the
conditions of this Agreement.  This Agreement has been duly and validly executed
and delivered by the Company and, assuming the due authorization,  execution and
delivery  by Parent and  Merger  Sub,  constitutes  a legal,  valid and  binding
obligation of the Company.


                                      -25-


<PAGE>

         (b) Prior to the date hereof, the Board of Directors of the Company has
taken all  action  necessary  to exempt  under or make not  subject to any "fair
price,"  "moratorium,"  "control  share  acquisition"  or similar  anti-takeover
statute or regulation  enacted under any  Massachusetts law or any other law, or
any provision of the Company's  Restated  Articles of  Organization  or By-Laws,
that  purports  to limit or  restrict  business  combinations  or the ability to
acquire or vote shares that would  otherwise be applicable to this Agreement and
the transactions  contemplated hereby,  including the consummation of the Merger
and the issuance of Parent Common Stock pursuant thereto.

         SECTION 3.05. No Conflict;  Required Filings and Consents.  (a) Section
3.05(a)  of the  Company  Disclosure  Schedule  includes  a list of (i) all loan
agreements,  indentures, mortgages, pledges, conditional sale or title retention
agreements,  security agreements, capital leases, guaranties, standby letters of
credit,  equipment  leases or lease purchase  agreements to which the Company or
any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which any of them is bound,  each in an
amount equal to or  exceeding  $25,000,000,  but  excluding  any such  agreement
between  the Company and its  wholly-owned  subsidiaries  or between two or more
wholly-owned  subsidiaries  of the  Company;  (ii)  all  contracts,  agreements,
commitments or other  understandings or arrangements to which the Company or any
of its  subsidiaries  is a  party  or by  which  any  of  them  or any of  their
respective  property or assets are bound or affected,  but excluding  contracts,
agreements,  commitments or other understandings or arrangements entered into in
the  ordinary  course of  business  and  involving,  in each case,  payments  or
receipts by the Company or any of its  subsidiaries of less than  $10,000,000 in
any single  instance;  and (iii) all  agreements  which,  as of the date hereof,
would be required to be filed with the SEC pursuant to the  requirements  of the
Exchange Act as "material  contracts",  other than those  agreements  which have
been filed heretofore by the Company with the SEC .

         (b) Except as set forth in Section  3.05(b) of the  Company  Disclosure
Schedule,  the execution  and delivery of this  Agreement by the Company do not,
and the performance of this Agreement by the Company will not, (i) conflict with
or violate the Restated Articles of Organization or By-Laws of the Company, (ii)
conflict with or violate any law, rule,  regulation,  order,  judgment or decree
applicable  to the Company or any of its  subsidiaries  or by which its or their
respective properties are bound or affected, or (iii) result in any breach of or
constitute  a default  (or an event  which with  notice or lapse of time or both
would  become  a  default)  under,  or  impair  the  Company's  or  any  of  its
subsidiaries'  rights or alter  the  rights or  obligations  of any third  party
under, or give to others any rights of termination,  amendment,  acceleration or
cancellation  of, or result in the creation of a lien or  encumbrance  on any of
the properties or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries  pursuant to,
any note,  bond,  mortgage,  indenture,  contract,  agreement,  lease,  license,
permit,  franchise or other instrument or obligation to which the Company or any
of  its  subsidiaries  is a  party  or by  which  the  Company  or  any  of  its
subsidiaries or its or any of their respective properties are bound or affected,
except in any such case for any such conflicts,  violations,  breaches, defaults
or other  occurrences  that would not  reasonably be expected to have a Material
Adverse Effect.


                                      -26-


<PAGE>

         (c) The  execution  and delivery of this  Agreement by the Company does
not, and the performance of this Agreement by the Company will not,  require any
consent,  approval,  authorization  or permit of, or filing with or notification
to, any governmental or regulatory  authority,  domestic or foreign,  except (i)
for applicable requirements, if any, of the Securities Act, the Exchange Act and
any applicable Blue Sky Laws, (ii) the pre-merger  notification  requirements of
the HSR Act and filings and  consents  under any  applicable  Competition  Laws,
(iii) filings and consents as may be required under any environmental, health or
safety law or regulation pertaining to any notification,  disclosure or required
approval  triggered  by the  Merger  or the  transactions  contemplated  by this
Agreement,  (iv) the  filing  and  recordation  of  appropriate  merger or other
documents  as  required  by the MBCL,  and (v) where the  failure to obtain such
consents,  approvals,  authorizations  or  permits,  or to make such  filings or
notifications,  would  not  prevent  or delay  consummation  of the  Merger,  or
otherwise  prevent  the  Company  from  performing  its  obligations  under this
Agreement,  and would not  otherwise be  reasonably  expected to have a Material
Adverse Effect.

         SECTION 3.06.  Compliance;  Permits. (a) Except as disclosed in Section
3.06(a) of the Company Disclosure  Schedule,  neither the Company nor any of its
subsidiaries  is in conflict  with,  or in default or violation of, (i) any law,
rule, regulation,  order, judgment or decree applicable to the Company or any of
its subsidiaries or by which its or any of their respective  properties is bound
or affected or (ii) any note, bond, mortgage,  indenture,  contract,  agreement,
lease, license, permit, franchise or other instrument or obligation to which the
Company or any of its  subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of
its  subsidiaries  or its or any of  their  respective  properties  is  bound or
affected, except for any such conflicts,  defaults or violations which would not
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

         (b) Except as  disclosed in Section  3.06(b) of the Company  Disclosure
Schedule,  the  Company  and  its  subsidiaries  hold  all  permits,   licenses,
easements, variances, exemptions,  consents, certificates,  orders and approvals
from  governmental  authorities  which  are  material  to the  operation  of the
business of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole as it is now being
conducted   (collectively,   the  "Company   Permits").   The  Company  and  its
subsidiaries are in compliance with the terms of Company  Permits,  except where
the  failure to so comply  would not  reasonably  be expected to have a Material
Adverse Effect.

         SECTION 3.07. SEC Filings;  Financial  Statements.  (a) The Company has
filed all forms,  reports and documents  required to be filed with the SEC since
June 30,  1994,  including  (i) its  Annual  Reports on Form 10-K for the fiscal
years ended June 30, 1994,  1995 and 1996,  (ii) its  Quarterly  Reports on Form
10-Q for the quarterly  periods ending September 30, 1996 and December 31, 1996,
(iii) all proxy  statements  relating to the Company's  meetings of shareholders
(whether  annual or special) held since June 30, 1994, (iv) all other reports or
registration  statements  (other  than  Reports on Form 10-Q not  referred to in
clause (ii) above) filed by Parent with the SEC since June 30, 1992, and (v) all
amendments and supplements to all such reports and registration statements filed
by the Company  with the SEC  (collectively,  the "Company  SEC  Reports").  The
Company SEC Reports (i) were  prepared in all  material  respects in  accordance
with the requirements of the


                                      -27-


<PAGE>

Securities  Act or the Exchange Act, as the case may be, and (ii) did not at the
time they were filed (or if amended or  superseded by a filing prior to the date
of this Agreement, then on the date of such filing) contain any untrue statement
of a  material  fact or omit to state a  material  fact  required  to be  stated
therein or necessary in order to make the  statements  therein,  in light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.  None of the Company's
subsidiaries is required to file any forms,  reports or other documents with the
SEC.

         (b) Each of the consolidated financial statements  (including,  in each
case, any related notes  thereto)  contained in the Company SEC Reports has been
prepared in accordance  with GAAP applied on a consistent  basis  throughout the
periods  involved  (except as may be  indicated  in the notes  thereto) and each
fairly  presents  the  consolidated  financial  position  of the Company and its
subsidiaries as at the respective dates thereof and the consolidated  results of
its  operations  and cash  flows  for the  periods  indicated,  except  that the
unaudited  interim  financial  statements  were or are  subject  to  normal  and
recurring year-end adjustments which were not or are not expected to be material
in amount.

         SECTION 3.08. Absence of Certain Changes or Events. Except as set forth
in Section 3.08 of the Company  Disclosure  Schedule or the Company SEC Reports,
since June 30,  1996,  the Company has  conducted  its  business in the ordinary
course and there has not occurred:  (i) any Material  Adverse  Effect;  (ii) any
amendments or changes in the Articles of Organization or By-Laws of the Company;
(iii) any damage to,  destruction or loss of any assets of the Company  (whether
or not  covered  by  insurance)  that would  reasonably  be  expected  to have a
Material Adverse Effect;  (iv) any material change the Company in its accounting
methods; (v) any material revaluation by Parent of any of its assets,  including
without limitation,  writing down the value of inventory or writing off notes or
accounts receivable other than in the ordinary course of business; (vi) any sale
of a material amount of assets of the Company,  except in the ordinary course of
business;  or (vii) any other  action or event  that  would  have  required  the
consent of Parent  pursuant to Section  4.03 had such  action or event  occurred
after the date of this Agreement.

         SECTION 3.09.  No  Undisclosed  Liabilities.  Except as is disclosed in
Section  3.09 of the Company  Disclosure  Schedule  and the Company SEC Reports,
neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries  has any liabilities  (absolute,
accrued,  contingent or otherwise),  except liabilities (a) adequately  provided
for in the Company's  balance sheet  (including any related notes thereto) as of
June 30,  1996  included  in the  Company's  Annual  Report on Form 10-K for the
fiscal year ended June 30, 1996 (the "June 1996 Balance Sheet"), (b) incurred in
the ordinary  course of business and not required  under GAAP to be reflected on
the June 1996 Balance  Sheet,  (c) incurred  since June 30, 1996 in the ordinary
course of business and consistent with past practice, (d) incurred in connection
with this  Agreement,  or (e) which would not  reasonably  be expected to have a
Material Adverse Effect.

         SECTION  3.10.  Absence of  Litigation.  Except as set forth in Section
3.10 of the Company Disclosure Schedule,  there are no claims,  actions,  suits,
proceedings  or  investigations  pending or, to the  knowledge  of the  Company,
threatened against the Company


                                      -28-


<PAGE>

or any of its subsidiaries, or any properties or rights of the Company or any of
its subsidiaries,  before any court, arbitrator or administrative,  governmental
or regulatory  authority or body, domestic or foreign,  that would reasonably be
expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

         SECTION  3.11.  Employee  Benefit  Plans;  Employment  Agreements.  (a)
Section 3.11(a) of the Company  Disclosure  Schedule lists all employee  pension
plans (as defined in Section  3(2) of ERISA),  all  employee  welfare  plans (as
defined  in Section  3(1) of ERISA) and all other  bonus,  stock  option,  stock
purchase, incentive, deferred compensation,  supplemental retirement,  severance
and other similar fringe or employee  benefit plans,  programs or  arrangements,
written or otherwise, as amended, modified or supplemented,  for the benefit of,
or  relating  to,  current  employee,  officer  or  consultant  (or any of their
beneficiaries)  of the Company or any other entity (whether or not incorporated)
which is a member of a controlled  group including the Company or which is under
common  control  with the Company (an "ERISA  Affiliate")  within the meaning of
Section  414 of the Code or  Section  4001 of ERISA,  or any  subsidiary  of the
Company,  as well as each plan with  respect  to which the  Company  or an ERISA
Affiliate  could incur  liability  under  Section 4069 (if such plan has been or
were  terminated)  or  Section  4212(c)  of  ERISA  or  Section  412 of the Code
(together, the "Employee Plans"). There have been made available or will be made
available no later than 20 business  days after the date hereof to Parent copies
of (i) each  such  written  Employee  Plan  and all  related  trust  agreements,
insurance and other contracts (including policies), the most recent summary plan
descriptions,   and  summaries  of  material  modifications  and  communications
distributed   to  plan   participants,   since  the  most  recent  summary  plan
descriptions,  (ii) the most recent  three  annual  reports on Form 5500 series,
with accompanying schedules and attachments, filed with respect to each Employee
Plan  required  to make such a  filing,  and  (iii)  the most  recent  actuarial
valuation for each  Employee Plan subject to Title IV of ERISA.  For purposes of
this  Section  3.11,  the term  "material,"  when used with  respect  to (i) any
Employee Plan, shall mean that the Company or an ERISA Affiliate has incurred or
may incur  obligations in an amount  exceeding  $5,000,000  with respect to such
Employee  Plan, and (ii) any liability,  obligation,  breach or  non-compliance,
shall mean that the  Company or an ERISA  Affiliate  has  incurred  or may incur
obligations in an amount  exceeding  $1,000,000  with respect to any one such or
series of related liabilities,  obligations,  breaches, defaults,  violations or
instances of non-compliance.

         (b)  (i)  Except  as set  forth  in  Section  3.11(b)  of  the  Company
Disclosure  Schedule,  none of the Employee Plans  promises or provides  retiree
medical  or  other  retiree  welfare  benefits  to any  person,  and none of the
Employee  Plans is a  "multiemployer  plan" as such term is  defined  in Section
3(37) of ERISA; (ii) no party in interest or disqualified  person (as defined in
Section  3(14) of ERISA and Section 4975 of the Code) has at any time engaged in
a transaction  with respect to any Employee Plan which could subject the Company
or any ERISA  Affiliate,  directly  or  indirectly,  to a tax,  penalty or other
material  liability for prohibited  transactions  under ERISA or Section 4975 of
the Code;  (iii) no  fiduciary  of any  Employee  Plan has  breached  any of the
responsibilities or obligations imposed upon fiduciaries under Title I of ERISA,
which breach could result in any material  liability to the Company or any ERISA
Affiliate; (iv) all Employee Plans have been


                                      -29-


<PAGE>

established and maintained substantially in accordance with their terms and have
operated in compliance in all material respects with the requirements prescribed
by any and all statutes (including ERISA and the Code),  orders, or governmental
rules and regulations  currently in effect with respect  thereto  (including all
applicable  requirements  for  notification to participants or the Department of
Labor,  IRS or  Secretary  of the  Treasury),  and the  Company  and each of its
subsidiaries have performed all material obligations required to be performed by
them under,  are not in any material  respect in default  under or violation of,
and have no  knowledge of any default or violation by any other party to, any of
the Employee  Plans;  (iv) each  Employee Plan intended to qualify under Section
401(a) of the Code and each trust  intended to qualify under  Section  501(a) of
the Code is the subject of a favorable  determination  letter from the IRS,  and
nothing  has  occurred   which  may   reasonably  be  expected  to  impair  such
determination;  (v) all  contributions  required to be made with  respect to any
Employee  Plan pursuant to Section 412 of the Code, or the terms of the Employee
Plan or any collective bargaining  agreement,  have been made on or before their
due dates; (vi) with respect to each Employee Plan, no "reportable event" within
the meaning of Section 4043 of ERISA  (excluding any such event for which the 30
day notice  requirement has been waived under the regulations to Section 4043 of
ERISA)  nor any  event  described  in  Section  4062,  4063 or 4041 of ERISA has
occurred;  and (vii)  neither the Company nor any ERISA  Affiliate has incurred,
nor reasonably  expects to incur,  any liability  under Title IV of ERISA (other
than liability for premium payments to the PBGC arising in the ordinary course).

         (c) Section  3.11(c) of the Company  Disclosure  Schedule  sets forth a
true and complete list of each current employee,  officer or director of Company
or any of its  subsidiaries  who holds (i)  options to purchase  Company  Common
Stock as of the date  hereof,  together  with the  number of  shares of  Company
Common  Stock  subject to such  option,  the option price of such option (to the
extent  determined  as of the date  hereof),  whether such option is intended to
qualify as an incentive stock option within the meaning of Section 422(b) of the
Code (an "ISO"),  and the expiration date of such option; and (ii) other rights,
directly or  indirectly,  to acquire  Company  Common  Stock,  together with the
number of shares of Company Common Stock subject to such right.  Section 3.11(c)
of the  Company  Disclosure  Schedule  also sets forth the total  number of such
ISOs, such nonqualified options and such other rights.

         (d) Section  3.11(d) of the Company  Disclosure  Schedule  sets forth a
true and complete  list of (i) all  employment  agreements  with officers of the
Company or any of its subsidiaries; (ii) all agreements with consultants who are
individuals  obligating  the Company or any of its  subsidiaries  to make annual
cash payments in an amount exceeding  $500,000;  (iii) all officers of Parent or
any of its subsidiaries who have executed a  non-competition  agreement with the
Company; (iv) all severance agreements,  programs and policies of the Company or
any of its  subsidiaries  with or  relating to its  employees  in each case with
outstanding  commitments  exceeding  $1,000,000,  except  programs  and policies
required to be maintained by law; and (v) all plans,  programs,  agreements  and
other arrangements of the Company or any of its subsidiaries with or relating to
its employees which contain change in control provisions.


                                      -30-


<PAGE>

         (e) Except as set forth in Section  3.11(e) of the  Company  Disclosure
Schedule, no employee of the Company or any of its subsidiaries has participated
in any  employee  pension  benefit  plans (as defined in Section  3(2) of ERISA)
maintained  by or on  behalf  of  the  Company.  The  PBGC  has  not  instituted
proceedings to terminate any defined  benefit plan listed in Section  3.11(e) of
the Company  Disclosure  Schedule (each, a "Defined Benefit Plan").  The Defined
Benefit Plans have no  accumulated  or waived  funding  deficiencies  within the
meaning of Section 412 of the Code nor have any  extensions of any  amortization
period  within  the  meaning  of  Section  412 of the Code or 302 of ERISA  been
applied for with respect thereto.  The present value of the benefit  liabilities
(within the  meaning of Section  4041 of ERISA) of the  Defined  Benefit  Plans,
determined on a termination basis using actuarial assumptions that would be used
by the PBGC  does not  exceed by more than  $1,000,000  the value of the  Plans'
assets. All applicable  premiums required to be paid to the PBGC with respect to
the Defined Benefit Plans have been paid. No facts or  circumstances  exist with
respect to the  Defined  Benefit  Plans  which  would give rise to a lien on the
assets of the Company under Section 4068 of ERISA. All the assets of the Defined
Benefit Plans are readily marketable securities or insurance contracts.

         (f)  The  Company  has  fiduciary   liability  insurance  of  at  least
$15,000,000 in effect covering the fiduciaries of the Employee Plans  (including
the Company) with respect to whom the Company may have liability.

         SECTION 3.12. Labor Matters. Except as set forth in Section 3.12 of the
Company  Disclosure  Schedule  or the  Company  SEC  Reports,  (i)  there are no
controversies  pending  or,  to  the  knowledge  of  the  Company  or any of its
subsidiaries, threatened, between the Company or any of its subsidiaries and any
of their respective  employees,  which controversies have or would reasonably be
expected to have a Material Adverse Effect;  (ii) neither the Company nor any of
its subsidiaries is a party to any material collective  bargaining  agreement or
other labor union contract  applicable to persons employed by the Company or its
subsidiaries,  nor  does  the  Company  or any of its  subsidiaries  know of any
activities or proceedings of any labor union to organize 50 or more employees in
any office;  and (iii) neither the Company nor any of its  subsidiaries  has any
knowledge  of any  strikes,  slowdowns,  work  stoppages,  lockouts,  or threats
thereof,  by or with  respect  to any  employees  of the  Company  or any of its
subsidiaries  which would  reasonably  be  expected  to have a Material  Adverse
Effect.

         SECTION 3.13. Registration Statement; Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus.
Subject to the accuracy of the  representations  of Parent in Section 2.13,  the
information supplied by the Company for inclusion in the Registration  Statement
shall not, at the time the Registration  Statement  (including any amendments or
supplements  thereto)  is  declared  effective  by the SEC,  contain  any untrue
statement  of a material  fact or omit to state any material  fact  necessary in
order to make the statements  included  therein,  in light of the  circumstances
under which they were made,  not  misleading.  The  information  supplied by the
Company for inclusion in the Joint Proxy  Statement/Prospectus  will not, on the
date the Joint Proxy  Statement/Prospectus  is first mailed to shareholders,  at
the time of the  Shareholders  Meetings and at the Effective  Time,  contain any
statement which, at such time and in light of the  circumstances  under which it
shall be made, is false or misleading with respect to


                                      -31-


<PAGE>

any material fact, or will omit to state any material fact necessary in order to
make the  statements  therein  not  false or  misleading;  or omit to state  any
material fact  necessary to correct any  statement in any earlier  communication
with respect to the solicitation of proxies for the Shareholders  Meetings which
has become false or  misleading.  If at any time prior to the Effective Time any
event  relating to the Company or any of its  affiliates,  officers or directors
should be discovered by the Company which should be set forth in an amendment to
the   Registration    Statement   or   a   supplement   to   the   Joint   Proxy
Statement/Prospectus,  the Company will promptly inform Parent.  The Joint Proxy
Statement/Prospectus shall comply in all material respects with the requirements
of  the  Securities  Act,  the  Exchange  Act  and  the  rules  and  regulations
thereunder.  Notwithstanding the foregoing,  the Company makes no representation
or warranty  with  respect to any  information  supplied by Parent or Merger Sub
which is contained or  incorporated  by reference in, or furnished in connection
with the preparation of, the Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus.

         SECTION  3.14.  Restrictions  on Business  Activities.  Except for this
Agreement,  to the  best of the  Company's  knowledge,  there  is no  agreement,
judgment,  injunction,  order or decree  binding  upon the Company or any of its
subsidiaries  which has or could  reasonably  be  expected to have the effect of
prohibiting or materially  impairing any business practice of the Company or any
of its  subsidiaries,  any  acquisition of property by the Company or any of its
subsidiaries  or  the  conduct  of  business  by  the  Company  or  any  of  its
subsidiaries  as  currently  conducted  or as  proposed to be  conducted  by the
Company,  except for any  prohibition  or impairment as would not  reasonably be
expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

         SECTION  3.15.  Title  to  Property.   The  Company  and  each  of  its
subsidiaries  have  good and  defensible  title to all of their  properties  and
assets, free and clear of all liens, charges and encumbrances,  except liens for
taxes not yet due and payable and such liens or other imperfections of title, if
any,  as do not  materially  detract  from the  value of or  interfere  with the
present use of the property  affected  thereby or which would not  reasonably be
expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and, to the Company's knowledge, all
leases pursuant to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries lease from other
material  amounts of real or personal  property are in good standing,  valid and
effective in accordance with their  respective  terms,  and there is not, to the
knowledge  of the  Company,  under any of such  leases,  any  existing  material
default or event of default  (or event  which with  notice or lapse of time,  or
both,  would  constitute a material  default) except where the lack of such good
standing, validity and effectiveness,  or the existence of such default or event
of default would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

         SECTION 3.16. Real Property. (a) Except as set forth in Section 3.16(a)
of the Company  Disclosure  Schedule,  each of the buildings,  improvements  and
structures located upon any real property and land owned by Parent or any of its
subsidiaries  (collectively,  the "Owned Property"),  and each of the buildings,
structures and premises  leased by the Company or any of its  subsidiaries  (the
"Leased Premises"),  is in reasonably good repair and operating  condition,  and
the  Company  has  not  received  any  notice  of or  writing  referring  to any
requirements by any insurance company that has issued a policy covering any part
of any Owned Property or Leased Premises or by any board of fire


                                      -32-


<PAGE>

underwriters or other body exercising similar  functions,  requiring any repairs
or work to be done on any part of any Owned Property or Leased Premises,  except
as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

         (b) Except as set forth in Section  3.16(b) of the  Company  Disclosure
Schedule,  all structural or material  mechanical  systems in the buildings upon
the Owned  Property and Leased  Properties are in good working order and working
condition, and adequate for the operation of the business of the Company and its
subsidiaries as heretofore conducted, except as would not reasonably be expected
to have a Material Adverse Effect.

         SECTION  3.17.  Taxes.  (a) The Company on behalf of itself and all its
subsidiaries  hereby represents that, other than as disclosed in Section 3.17(a)
of the Company Disclosure  Schedule or the Company SEC Reports:  the Company and
its  subsidiaries  have timely filed all United States federal,  state and local
income Tax Returns and all foreign Tax Returns required to be filed by them, and
the Company and its  subsidiaries  have timely paid and discharged all Taxes due
in  connection  with or with respect to the periods or  transactions  covered by
such Tax Returns  and have paid all other  Taxes as are due,  except such as are
being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings (to the extent that any
such proceedings are required) and there are no other taxes that would be due if
asserted  by a taxing  authority,  except  with  respect to which the Company is
maintaining  reserves to the extent currently  required unless the failure to do
so would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Except as
does not  involve or would not result in  liability  to the  Company  that would
reasonably be expected to have a Material  Adverse Effect,  (i) there are no tax
liens on any assets of the Company or any subsidiary  thereof;  and (ii) neither
the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has granted any waiver of any statute of
limitations with respect to, or any extension of a period for the assessment of,
any Tax. The accruals and reserves  (including  deferred taxes) reflected in the
June 1996 Balance Sheet are in all material respects adequate to cover all Taxes
accruable through the date thereof  (including  interest and penalties,  if any,
thereon and Taxes being contested) in accordance with GAAP.

         (b) The  Company  on behalf of itself and all its  subsidiaries  hereby
represents  that,  other than as  disclosed  on Section  3.17(b) of the  Company
Disclosure  Schedule or the Company SEC Reports,  and other than with respect to
items  the  inaccuracy  of which  would not  reasonably  be  expected  to have a
Material  Adverse  Effect:  Neither the Company nor any of its  subsidiaries  is
obligated  under any agreement with respect to industrial  development  bonds or
other obligations with respect to which the  excludability  from gross income of
the holder for  federal or state  income tax  purposes  could be affected by the
transactions  contemplated  hereunder.  Neither  the  Company  nor  any  of  its
subsidiaries is, or has been, a United States real property holding  corporation
(as  defined in Section  897(c)(2)  of the Code)  during the  applicable  period
specified in Section  897(c)(1)(A)(ii) of the Code. To the best knowledge of the
Company,  neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries owns any property of a
character,  the indirect  transfer of which,  pursuant to this Agreement,  would
give rise to any material documentary, stamp or other transfer tax.


                                      -33-


<PAGE>

         SECTION  3.18.  Environmental  Matters.  Except as set forth in Section
3.18 of the  Company  Disclosure  Schedule,  and  except in all cases as, in the
aggregate,  have not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Material
Adverse  Effect,  the  Company and each of its  subsidiaries  to the best of the
Company's knowledge (i) have obtained all applicable permits, licenses and other
authorization   which  are  required  to  be  obtained   under  all   applicable
Environmental  Laws by the  Company  or its  subsidiaries  (or their  respective
agents);  (ii) are in compliance  with all terms and conditions of such required
permits,  licenses and authorization,  and also are in compliance with all other
limitations,  restrictions,  conditions, standards, prohibitions,  requirements,
obligations,  schedules and  timetables  contained in  applicable  Environmental
Laws; (iii) as of the date hereof,  are not aware of nor have received notice of
any past or present violations of Environmental  Laws, or any event,  condition,
circumstance,  activity,  practice, incident, action or plan which is reasonably
likely to interfere  with or prevent  continued  compliance  with or which would
give rise to any common law or statutory liability,  or otherwise form the basis
of any claim,  action,  suit or  proceeding,  against  the Company or any of its
subsidiaries   based  on  or  resulting   from  the   manufacture,   processing,
distribution,  use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport, or handling, or the
emission,   discharge  or  release  into  the  environment,  of  any  pollutant,
contaminant  or  hazardous or toxic  material or waste;  and (iv) have taken all
actions necessary under applicable  Environmental  Laws to register any products
or materials  required to be registered by the Company or its  subsidiaries  (or
any of their respective agents) thereunder.

         SECTION 3.19. Intellectual Property. (a) the Company and/or each of its
subsidiaries  owns, or is licensed or otherwise  possesses  legally  enforceable
rights to use all patents,  trademarks,  trade names, service marks, copyrights,
and any applications therefor, technology,  know-how, computer software programs
or applications,  and tangible or intangible proprietary information or material
that are used in the business of the Company and its  subsidiaries  as currently
conducted, except as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect.

         (b) Except as  disclosed in Section  3.19(b) of the Company  Disclosure
Schedule or the Company  SEC Reports or as would not  reasonably  be expected to
have a Material  Adverse  Effect:  (i) the  Company is not,  nor will it be as a
result of the execution and delivery of this Agreement or the performance of its
obligations  hereunder,  in violation  of any  licenses,  sublicenses  and other
agreements  as to which the Company is a party and pursuant to which the Company
is  authorized to use any  third-party  patents,  trademarks,  service marks and
copyrights  ("Third-Party  Intellectual  Property Rights");  (ii) no claims with
respect to the patents,  registered  and material  unregistered  trademarks  and
service marks, registered copyrights,  trade names and any applications therefor
owned by the  Company  or any of its  subsidiaries  (the  "Company  Intellectual
Property  Rights"),  any trade secret  material to the  Company,  or Third Party
Intellectual  Property Rights to the extent arising out of any use, reproduction
or distribution of such Third Party  Intellectual  Property Rights by or through
the  Company  or any of its  subsidiaries,  are  currently  pending  or,  to the
knowledge of the Company,  are overtly  threatened by any person;  and (iii) the
Company  does not know of any valid  grounds for any bona fide claims (A) to the
effect that the manufacture,  sale, licensing or use of any product as now used,
sold or licensed or proposed for use, sale or


                                      -34-


<PAGE>

license by the Company or any of its  subsidiaries  infringes on any  copyright,
patent,  trademark,  service  mark or trade  secret;  (B) against the use by the
Company  or any of  its  subsidiaries  of any  trademarks,  trade  names,  trade
secrets, copyrights, patents, technology, know-how or computer software programs
and applications  used in the business of the Company or any of its subsidiaries
as  currently  conducted or as proposed to be  conducted;  (C)  challenging  the
ownership,  validity or  effectiveness  of any part of the Company  Intellectual
Property  Rights  or  other  trade  secret  material  to  the  Company;  or  (D)
challenging the license or legally  enforceable  right to use of the Third Party
Intellectual Rights by the Company or any of its subsidiaries.

         (c) To the Company's knowledge, all patents,  registered trademarks and
copyrights held by the Company are valid and subsisting.  Except as set forth in
Section 3.19(c) of the Company  Disclosure  Schedule or the Company SEC Reports,
to the Company's knowledge,  there is no material unauthorized use, infringement
or  misappropriation  of any of the Company  Intellectual  Property by any third
party,  including  any employee or former  employee of the Company or any of its
subsidiaries.

         SECTION 3.20.  Interested  Party  Transactions.  Except as set forth in
Section  3.20 of the Company  Disclosure  Schedule  or the Company SEC  Reports,
since the date of the Company's  proxy  statement  dated  September 20, 1996, no
event  has  occurred  that  would  be  required  to  be  reported  as a  Certain
Relationship  or Related  Transaction,  pursuant to Item 404 of  Regulation  S-K
promulgated by the SEC.

         SECTION  3.21.  Insurance.  Except as  disclosed in Section 3.21 of the
Company Disclosure Schedule, all material fire and casualty,  general liability,
business  interruption,   product  liability  and  sprinkler  and  water  damage
insurance policies maintained by the Company or any of its subsidiaries are with
reputable  insurance  carriers,  provide adequate  coverage for all normal risks
incident  to  the  business  of the  Company  and  its  subsidiaries  and  their
respective  properties  and  assets  and are in  character  and  amount at least
equivalent to that carried by entities engaged in similar businesses and subject
to the same or similar  perils or  hazards,  except as would not  reasonably  be
expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

         SECTION 3.22. Product Liability and Recalls. (a) Except as disclosed in
Section 3.22(a) of the Company  Disclosure  Schedule or the Company SEC Reports,
the  Company is not aware of any claim,  or the basis of any claim,  against the
Company or any of its subsidiaries for injury to person or property of employees
or any  third  parties  suffered  as a  result  of the  sale of any  product  or
performance of any service by the Company or any of its subsidiaries,  including
claims  arising  out of the  defective  or  unsafe  nature  of its  products  or
services, which would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

         (b) Except as  disclosed in Section  3.22(b) of the Company  Disclosure
Schedule or the Company SEC Reports, there is no pending or, to the knowledge of
the  Company,  threatened,  recall or  investigation  of any product sold by the
Company,  which recall or  investigation  would reasonably be expected to have a
Material Adverse Effect.


                                      -35-


<PAGE>

         SECTION 3.23. Opinion of Financial Advisor. The Company has received an
opinion  dated March 16, 1997 of its  financial  advisor,  Credit  Suisse  First
Boston  Corporation,  that, as of such date,  the Exchange Ratio was fair from a
financial point of view to the shareholders of the Company.

         SECTION 3.24.  Pooling Matters.  The Company has provided to Parent and
its independent  accountants all information  concerning actions taken or agreed
to be taken by the  Company  or any of its  affiliates  on or before the date of
this Agreement that would reasonably be expected to adversely affect the ability
of Parent to account for the business  combination  to be effected by the Merger
as a pooling of  interests.  The failure of this  representation  to be true and
correct  shall,  if the Merger is not able to be  accounted  for as a pooling of
interests, constitute a breach of this Agreement by the Company for the purposes
of Section 7.01(i).

         SECTION 3.25.  Brokers.  No broker,  finder or investment banker (other
than Credit Suisse First Boston Corporation, the fees and expenses of which will
be paid by the Company) is entitled to any  brokerage,  finder's or other fee or
commission in connection  with the  transactions  contemplated by this Agreement
based upon arrangements made by or on behalf of the Company.

         SECTION  3.26.  Full   Disclosure.   No  statement   contained  in  any
certificate  or schedule  furnished  or to be furnished by the Company to Parent
in, or pursuant to the provisions  of, this  Agreement  contains or will contain
any  untrue  statement  of a  material  fact or omits or shall omit to state any
material fact necessary,  in the light of the  circumstances  under which it was
made, in order to make the statements  herein or therein not misleading,  except
where  the  material  fact so  misstated  or  omitted  to be  stated  would  not
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.


                                   ARTICLE IV

                     CONDUCT OF BUSINESS PENDING THE MERGER


         SECTION 4.01. Conduct of Business by Parent Pending the Merger.  During
the period from the date of this Agreement and  continuing  until the earlier of
the  termination of this Agreement or the Effective Time,  Parent  covenants and
agrees that, unless the Company shall otherwise agree in writing,  and except as
set forth in  Section  4.01 of the  Parent  Disclosure  Schedule,  Parent  shall
conduct its business and shall cause the  businesses of its  subsidiaries  to be
conducted  only in, and Parent  and its  subsidiaries  shall not take any action
except in, the ordinary course of business and in a manner  consistent with past
practice;  and  Parent  shall use  reasonable  commercial  efforts  to  preserve
substantially  intact the business  organization of Parent and its subsidiaries,
to  keep  available  the  services  of  the  present  officers,   employees  and
consultants  of  Parent  and  its  subsidiaries  and  to  preserve  the  present
relationships of Parent and its subsidiaries with customers, suppliers and other
persons with which Parent or any of its  subsidiaries  has significant  business
relations. By


                                      -36-


<PAGE>

way of  amplification  and  not  limitation,  except  as  contemplated  by  this
Agreement,  neither Parent nor any of its subsidiaries  shall, during the period
from  the  date of this  Agreement  and  continuing  until  the  earlier  of the
termination of this Agreement or the Effective  Time, and except as set forth in
Section 4.01 of the Parent  Disclosure  Schedule,  directly or indirectly do, or
propose to do, any of the  following  without the prior  written  consent of the
Company:

               (a) amend or otherwise change Parent's Memorandum of Association,
          as altered, or Bye-Laws;

               (b) issue, sell, pledge, dispose of or encumber, or authorize the
          issuance,  sale, pledge,  disposition or encumbrance of, any shares of
          capital  stock of any class,  or any  options,  warrants,  convertible
          securities  or other  rights  of any kind to  acquire  any  shares  of
          capital stock, or any other  ownership  interest  (including,  without
          limitation,  any phantom interest) in Parent,  any of its subsidiaries
          or  affiliates  (except for the  issuance  of shares of Parent  Common
          Stock  issuable  pursuant  to stock  options  outstanding  on the date
          hereof and except for the issuance of options ("New Parent  Options"),
          in the ordinary  course of business and consistent with past practice,
          to purchase up to 1,000,000  shares in the  aggregate of Parent Common
          Stock  (other  than  to the  Chief  Executive  Officer  or  the  Chief
          Financial  Officer of Parent);  provided that such New Parent  Options
          shall be issued to  employees  of Parent and its  subsidiaries,  shall
          have an  exercise  price  that is not less  than the  market  price of
          Parent  Common  Stock on the date of  grant,  shall  terminate  on the
          employee's  termination  of  employment  with Parent and shall vest in
          accordance  with  Parent's  customary  vesting  schedule  for employee
          options;  and provided further that the issuance of such options would
          not  reasonably be expected to adversely  affect the ability of Parent
          to account for the business  combination  to be effected by the Merger
          as a pooling of interests;

               (c) sell, pledge,  dispose of or encumber any assets of Parent or
          any of its  subsidiaries  (except  for  (i)  sales  of  assets  in the
          ordinary  course  of  business  and in a manner  consistent  with past
          practice,  (ii)  dispositions of obsolete or worthless  assets,  (iii)
          sales of immaterial  assets not in excess of $5,000,000 and (iv) sales
          pursuant  to  sale-leasebacks  not in  excess  of  $10,000,000  in any
          individual case or $35,000,000 in the aggregate);

               (d) (i)  declare,  set aside,  make or pay any  dividend or other
          distribution  (whether in cash,  stock or property or any  combination
          thereof) in respect of any of its capital stock,  except that a wholly
          owned  subsidiary  of Parent may  declare  and pay a  dividend  to its
          parent, (ii) split,  combine or reclassify any of its capital stock or
          issue or authorize or propose the issuance of any other  securities in
          respect  of, in lieu of or in  substitution  for shares of its capital
          stock, or (iii) amend the terms or change the period of exercisability
          of, purchase,  repurchase,  redeem or otherwise acquire, or permit any
          subsidiary to purchase,  repurchase,  redeem or otherwise acquire, any
          of its  securities or any securities of its  subsidiaries,  including,
          without  limitation,  shares of  Parent  Common  Stock or any  option,
          warrant or right, directly or indirectly,  to acquire shares of Parent
          Common Stock, or propose to do any of the foregoing;


                                      -37-


<PAGE>

               (e) (i) acquire  (by merger,  consolidation,  or  acquisition  of
          stock or  assets)  any  corporation,  partnership  or  other  business
          organization  or division  thereof  other than those listed on Section
          4.01(e)  of  the  Parent  Disclosure   Schedule  and  other  than  any
          acquisitions  in which the  consideration  payable by Parent  does not
          exceed  $10,000,000  for any individual  acquisition or $35,000,000 in
          the aggregate for all such  acquisitions;  (ii) incur any indebtedness
          for borrowed money or issue any debt  securities or assume,  guarantee
          (other  than  guarantees  of bank  debt of the  Parent's  subsidiaries
          entered  into in the  ordinary  course  of  business)  or  endorse  or
          otherwise as an accommodation  become  responsible for the obligations
          of any person,  or make any loans or advances,  except in the ordinary
          course of business consistent with past practice;  (iii) authorize any
          capital  expenditures  other than (x) as  described on Section 4.01 of
          the Parent Disclosure  Schedule,  (y) any capital  expenditures not in
          excess of $5,000,000 in any individual  case, or  $70,000,000  for all
          such  capital  expenditures  in the  aggregate,  and (z)  any  capital
          expenditures   incurred  in  connection   with  the   installation  of
          subscriber  systems in the ordinary course of business;  or (iv) enter
          into or amend any contract,  agreement,  commitment or  arrangement to
          effect any of the matters prohibited by this Section 4.01(e);

               (f) increase the compensation payable or to become payable to its
          officers or employees,  or grant any severance or termination  pay to,
          or enter into any employment or severance agreement with any director,
          officer or other  employee  of Parent or any of its  subsidiaries,  or
          establish,  adopt,  enter  into or amend  any  collective  bargaining,
          bonus, profit sharing, thrift, compensation,  stock option, restricted
          stock,  pension,   retirement,   deferred  compensation,   employment,
          termination,  severance or other plan, agreement,  trust, fund, policy
          or  arrangement  for the benefit of any  current or former  directors,
          officers or employees,  except for (w) increases in salary or wages of
          employees  of  Parent  or its  subsidiaries  in  accordance  with past
          practices;  (x)  entering  into  any  employment  agreement  with  any
          officers  or  employees  of  Parent  or  any of  its  subsidiaries  in
          accordance  with past practices  providing for annual  compensation of
          not more than $200,000, (y) entering into any severance or termination
          agreements or the grant of any severance or termination payment to any
          employee or officer in accordance with past practices in an amount not
          in excess of $200,000, or (z) as may be required by law;

               (g) take any action to change  accounting  policies or procedures
          (including,  without  limitation,  procedures  with respect to revenue
          recognition,  payments of accounts  payable and collection of accounts
          receivable), except as required by GAAP;

               (h)  make  any  material  tax  election  inconsistent  with  past
          practice or settle or compromise any material federal, state, local or
          foreign  tax  liability,  except to the  extent the amount of any such
          settlement has been reserved for in the financial statements contained
          in the Parent SEC Reports filed prior to the date of this Agreement;

               (i) pay, discharge or satisfy any material claims, liabilities or
          obligations (absolute, accrued, asserted or unasserted,  contingent or
          otherwise), other than the


                                      -38-


<PAGE>

         payment,  discharge or  satisfaction in the ordinary course of business
         and consistent with past practice of liabilities  reflected or reserved
         against in the financial statements contained in the Parent SEC Reports
         filed prior to the date of this  Agreement  or incurred in the ordinary
         course of business and consistent with past practice; or

               (j) take,  or agree in writing or otherwise  to take,  any of the
          actions described in Sections 4.01(a) through (i) above, or any action
          which would make any of the  representations  or  warranties of Parent
          contained in this  Agreement  untrue or incorrect or prevent Parent or
          Merger  Sub from  performing  or cause  Parent  or  Merger  Sub not to
          perform its covenants hereunder.

         SECTION 4.02. No Solicitation by Parent. (a) Parent shall not, directly
or indirectly, through any officer, director, employee,  representative or agent
of Parent or any of its subsidiaries, solicit or encourage the initiation of any
inquiries or proposals  regarding any merger,  or any acquisition of any capital
stock or any  material  portion  of the  assets  of  Parent  (including  without
limitation by way of a tender offer) or similar transactions involving Parent or
any  subsidiaries  of Parent (any of the foregoing  inquiries or proposals being
referred to herein as an  "Acquisition  Proposal").  Nothing  contained  in this
Section  4.02(a)  shall  prevent  the  Board of  Directors  of  Parent  from (i)
considering,  negotiating,  approving and  recommending  to the  shareholders of
Parent a bona fide  Acquisition  Proposal  not  solicited  in  violation of this
Agreement,   (ii)  taking  and   disclosing  to  its   shareholders  a  position
contemplated  by Exchange Act Rule 14e-2 or (iii) making any  disclosure  to its
shareholders;  provided  that,  as to each of clauses (i),  (ii) and (iii),  the
Board  of  Directors  of  Parent  determines  in  good  faith  (upon  advice  of
independent  counsel)  such  action  is  necessary  for it to  act  in a  manner
consistent with its fiduciary duties under applicable law.

         (b) Parent  shall  promptly  notify the  Company  after  receipt of any
Acquisition  Proposal,  or any  modification  of or amendment to any Acquisition
Proposal,  or any request for nonpublic information relating to Parent or any of
its subsidiaries in connection with an Acquisition Proposal or for access to the
properties, books or records of Parent or any subsidiary by any person or entity
that  informs the Board of  Directors  of Parent or such  subsidiary  that it is
considering  making,  or has made, an Acquisition  Proposal.  Such notice to the
Company shall be made orally and in writing,  and shall indicate the identity of
the person making the  Acquisition  Proposal or intending to make an Acquisition
Proposal or requesting non-public information or access to the books and records
of  Parent,  the  terms of any such  Acquisition  Proposal  or  modification  or
amendment to an Acquisition Proposal, and whether Parent is providing or intends
to provide the person making the Acquisition Proposal with access to information
concerning Parent as provided in Section 4.02(c).

         (c) If the Board of Directors of Parent receives a request for material
nonpublic  information by a person who makes a bona fide  Acquisition  Proposal,
and the Board of  Directors  determines  in good  faith  and upon the  advice of
independent  counsel  that it is required to cause  Parent to act as provided in
this  Section  4.02(c)  in order for the Board of  Directors  to act in a manner
consistent  with its  fiduciary  duties,  then,  provided the person  making the
Acquisition Proposal has executed a confidentiality agreement substantially


                                      -39-


<PAGE>

similar to the one then in effect  between the  Company  and Parent,  Parent may
provide such person with access to information regarding Parent.

         (d)  Anything to the  contrary  in this  Section or  elsewhere  in this
Agreement  notwithstanding,  the  Board of  Directors  of  Parent  shall not (i)
withdraw or modify, or propose to withdraw or modify, in a manner adverse to the
Company,  the  approval  or  recommendation  by such Board of  Directors  of the
matters set forth in Section 5.03(b),  (ii) approve or recommend,  or propose to
approve or recommend,  any  Acquisition  Proposal or (iii) cause Parent to enter
into any agreement with respect to any Acquisition Proposal, except (x) upon the
advice of  independent  counsel  that it is required  to cause  Parent to act as
provided in this Section 4.02(d) in order for the Board of Directors to act in a
manner consistent with its fiduciary duties and (y) with respect to the approval
or  recommendation  of any  Acquisition  Proposal or entering into any agreement
with respect to any Acquisition Proposal, after the third business day following
the Company's  receipt of written notice of the information with respect to such
Acquisition  Proposal,  and, if  applicable,  the second  business day after the
Company's  receipt  of written  notice of the  information  with  respect to all
material  amendments or modifications  thereto,  in each case as contemplated by
Section 4.02(b) above.

         (e)  Parent  shall  immediately  cease and cause to be  terminated  any
existing  discussions or negotiations  with any persons (other than the Company)
conducted  heretofore  with  respect to any of the  foregoing.  Parent shall not
release   any  third   party  from  the   confidentiality   provisions   of  any
confidentiality  agreement  to  which  Parent  is a  party  in  respect  of  any
information delivered by Parent in connection with any Acquisition Proposal.

         (f) Parent shall ensure that the  officers,  directors and employees of
the Company and its subsidiaries  and any investment  banker or other advisor or
representative  retained by the Company are aware of the restrictions  described
in this Section 4.02.

         SECTION  4.03.  Conduct of Business by the Company  Pending the Merger.
During the  period  from the date of this  Agreement  and  continuing  until the
earlier of the  termination of this Agreement or the Effective Time, the Company
covenants and agrees that,  except as set forth in Section 4.03 of the Company's
Disclosure  Schedule or unless  Parent  shall  otherwise  agree in writing,  the
Company shall conduct its business, and cause the businesses of its subsidiaries
to be conducted,  in the ordinary  course of business and  consistent  with past
practice,  other  than  actions  taken by the  Company  or its  subsidiaries  in
contemplation of the Merger and acquisitions not prohibited by clause (b) below,
and shall not directly or indirectly  do, or propose to do, any of the following
without the prior written consent of Parent:

               (a)  amend  or  otherwise   change  the  Company's   Articles  of
          Organization or By-Laws;

               (b)  acquire or agree to  acquire,  by  merging or  consolidating
          with, by  purchasing an equity  interest in or a portion of the assets
          of,  or  by  any  other  manner,  any  business  or  any  corporation,
          partnership, association or other business organiza-


                                      -40-


<PAGE>

         tion or division thereof,  or otherwise acquire or agree to acquire any
         assets of any other person which,  in any such case,  would  materially
         delay or prevent the consummation of the  transactions  contemplated by
         this Agreement;

               (c)  declare,  set  aside,  make or pay  any  dividend  or  other
          distribution  (whether in cash,  stock or property or any  combination
          thereof) in respect of any of its capital stock,  except that a wholly
          owned  subsidiary of the Company may declare and pay a dividend to its
          parent, and except that the Company may declare and pay cash dividends
          of $0.05 per quarter consistent with past practice; or

               (d) take or agree in  writing  or  otherwise  to take any  action
          which  would  make any of the  representations  or  warranties  of the
          Company contained in this Agreement untrue or incorrect or prevent the
          Company  from  performing  or cause the  Company  not to  perform  its
          covenants hereunder.

         SECTION 4.04.  No  Solicitation  by the Company.  (a) The Company shall
not,  directly  or  indirectly,   through  any  officer,   director,   employee,
representative  or agent of the Company or any of its  subsidiaries,  solicit or
encourage the  initiation of any inquiries or proposals  regarding any Change of
Control  Proposal.  "Change  of  Control  Proposal"  means (i) any merger or any
acquisition of any capital stock of the Company (including without limitation by
way of a tender offer) or similar transactions involving the Company as a result
of which the shareholders of the Company  immediately  prior to the consummation
of such  transaction  would own less than 50% of the voting stock of the Company
or, if the Company is not the surviving  corporation,  the surviving corporation
immediately  following the  consummation of such transaction or (ii) the sale of
all or substantially all of the assets of the Company. Nothing contained in this
Section  4.04(a)  shall  prevent the Board of  Directors of the Company from (i)
considering,  negotiating, approving and recommending to the shareholders of the
Company a bona fide Change of Control  Proposal  not  solicited  in violation of
this  Agreement,  (ii)  taking and  disclosing  to its  shareholders  a position
contemplated  by Exchange Act Rule 14e-2 or (iii) making any  disclosure  to its
shareholders;  provided  that,  as to each of clauses (i),  (ii) and (iii),  the
Board of  Directors  of the Company  determines  in good faith  (upon  advice of
independent  counsel)  such  action  is  necessary  for it to  act  in a  manner
consistent with its fiduciary duties under applicable law.

         (b) The Company  shall  promptly  notify  Parent  after  receipt of any
Change of Control Proposal, or any modification of or amendment to any Change of
Control  Proposal,  or any request  for  nonpublic  information  relating to the
Company  or any of its  subsidiaries  in  connection  with a Change  of  Control
Proposal or for access to the properties, books or records of the Company or any
subsidiary  by any person or entity that  informs the Board of  Directors of the
Company or such subsidiary that it is considering  making, or has made, a Change
of Control  Proposal.  Such  notice to the  Company  shall be made orally and in
writing,  and shall  indicate  the  identity of the person  making the Change of
Control Proposal or intending to make a Change of Control Proposal or requesting
non-public  information  or access to the books and records of the Company,  the
terms of any such Change of Control  Proposal or  modification or amendment to a
Change of Control  Proposal,  and whether the Company is providing or intends to
provide the person making the Change


                                      -41-


<PAGE>

of  Control  Proposal  with  access to  information  concerning  the  Company as
provided in Section 4.04(c).

         (c) If the Board of  Directors  of the  Company  receives a request for
material  nonpublic  information  by a person  who makes a bona  fide  Change of
Control Proposal,  and the Board of Directors  determines in good faith and upon
the advice of  independent  counsel  that it is required to cause the Company to
act as provided in this  Section  4.04(c) in order for the Board of Directors to
act in a manner consistent with its fiduciary duties,  then, provided the person
making the Change of Control Proposal has executed a  confidentiality  agreement
substantially  similar to the one then in effect between the Company and Parent,
the Company may provide  such person with access to  information  regarding  the
Company.

         (d)  Anything to the  contrary  in this  Section or  elsewhere  in this
Agreement  notwithstanding,  the Board of Directors of the Company shall not (i)
withdraw or modify, or propose to withdraw or modify, in a manner adverse to the
Company,  the  approval or  recommendation  by such Board of  Directors  of this
Agreement, the Merger or any of the other transactions contemplated hereby, (ii)
approve or recommend, or propose to approve or recommend,  any Change of Control
Proposal or (iii) cause the Company to enter into any agreement  with respect to
any  Change of  Control  Proposal,  except  (x) upon the  advice of  independent
counsel  that it is  required  to cause the  Company to act as  provided in this
Section  4.04(d)  in  order  for  the  Board  of  Directors  to act in a  manner
consistent  with its  fiduciary  duties and (y) with  respect to the approval or
recommendation  of any Change of Control Proposal or entering into any agreement
with  respect to any Change of Control  Proposal,  after the third  business day
following  Parent's receipt of written notice of the information with respect to
such Change of Control  Proposal,  and, if applicable,  the second  business day
after Parent's  receipt of written notice of the information with respect to all
material  amendments or modifications  thereto,  in each case as contemplated by
Section 4.04(b) above.

         (e) The Company shall ensure that the officers, directors and employees
of the Company and its subsidiaries  and any investment  banker or other advisor
or  representative  retained  by the  Company  are  aware  of  the  restrictions
described in this Section 4.04.


                                    ARTICLE V

                              ADDITIONAL AGREEMENTS


         SECTION 5.01. Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus; Registration Statement.
As promptly as practicable  after the execution of this  Agreement,  the Company
and Parent shall prepare and file with the SEC preliminary proxy materials which
shall  constitute  the Joint  Proxy  Statement/Prospectus  and the  Registration
Statement.  As promptly as practicable  after comments are received from the SEC
thereon and after the  furnishing  by the Company and Parent of all  information
required to be contained therein, the Company and Parent shall


                                      -42-


<PAGE>

file with the SEC a combined proxy and Registration Statement on Form S-4 (or on
such  other  form as shall be  appropriate)  relating  to the  adoption  of this
Agreement  and  approval  of  the  transactions   contemplated   hereby  by  the
shareholders of the Company pursuant to this Agreement,  and the approval by the
shareholders  of Parent of the Reverse  Stock Split,  the Share  Amendment,  the
issuance of Parent  Common  Stock in the Merger,  the Parent Name Change and the
New Parent Director Election,  and shall use all reasonable efforts to cause the
Registration  Statement to become  effective as soon  thereafter as practicable.
The Joint Proxy  Statement/Prospectus  shall include the  recommendation  of the
Boards of  Directors  of the  Company  and Parent in favor of the Merger and the
other  transactions  contemplated  hereby,  as  applicable,  subject to the last
sentence of Section 5.02 and Section 5.03(d).

         SECTION 5.02. Company Shareholders  Meeting. The Company shall call the
Company  Shareholders  Meeting as  promptly  as  practicable  for the purpose of
voting upon the approval of the Merger, and the Company shall use its reasonable
best  efforts to hold the Company  Shareholders  Meeting as soon as  practicable
after the date on which the Registration  Statement  becomes  effective.  Unless
otherwise required under the applicable fiduciary duties of the directors of the
Company,  as determined by such directors in good faith after  consultation with
and based  upon the advice of  independent  legal  counsel,  the  Company  shall
solicit from its shareholders proxies in favor of adoption of this Agreement and
approval  of the  transactions  contemplated  thereby,  and shall take all other
action  necessary or advisable to secure the vote or consent of  stockholders to
obtain such approvals.

         SECTION 5.03. Parent  Shareholders  Meeting.  (a) Parent shall call the
Parent Shareholders Meeting as promptly as practicable, and Parent shall use its
reasonable  best  efforts  to hold the  Parent  Shareholders  Meeting as soon as
practicable  after  the  date  on  which  the  Registration   Statement  becomes
effective.

         (b) The Parent  Shareholders  Meeting shall be called for the following
purposes:

               (i) to approve a  consolidation  of the Parent  Common Stock (the
          "Reverse   Stock  Split")  such  that,   immediately   prior  to  (but
          conditioned  upon the occurrence of) the Effective Time, each share of
          Parent Common Stock,  par value $.10 per share,  shall be consolidated
          in the ratio (the  "Reverse  Stock Split  Ratio") equal to (subject to
          Section  7.01(n)) one share of Parent Common Stock, par value $.20 per
          share,  for each 2.0776 shares of Parent Common Stock,  par value $.10
          per share  (with  the  resulting  number of shares of each  registered
          holder being  rounded  down to the nearest  whole number and with each
          registered  holder being entitled to receive from Parent in respect of
          any  fractional  shares  of  Parent  Common  Stock an  amount  in cash
          (without  interest)  equal to such fraction  multiplied by the closing
          price per share of Parent  Common Stock on the NYSE on the date of the
          Effective Time);

               (ii) to  approve  (A) an  increase  in or  reorganization  of the
          authorized  number  of  shares  of Parent  Common  Stock  (the  "Share
          Amendment"),  immediately  following the Reverse Stock Split and prior
          to (but conditioned


                                      -43-


<PAGE>

          upon the occurrence of) the Effective Time, in an amount not less than
          is  required  to issue the  Parent  Common  Stock,  par value $.20 per
          share, in the Merger, as contemplated by this Agreement, either by (x)
          the creation of additional  authorized  shares of Parent Common Stock,
          par value $.20 per share, or (y) the sub-division and consolidation of
          Parent  Convertible   Preference  Stock  and/or  Parent   Exchangeable
          Preference  Stock into shares of Parent Common  Stock,  par value $.20
          per share,  and (B) any  changes to  Parent's  Bye-Laws  necessary  to
          reflect such increase;

               (iii) to  authorize  and  approve  the  issuance by Parent of the
          Parent Common Stock in the Merger, as contemplated by this Agreement;

               (iv)  to  approve  a  change  in  the  name  of  Parent  to  Tyco
          International Ltd., effective upon the Effective Time of the Merger or
          as soon thereafter as practicable (the "Parent Name Change"); and

               (v)  to  remove  all  of  the   directors  of  Parent  in  office
          immediately  prior to the Effective  Time and to elect as directors of
          Parent, to take office as of the Effective Time, the persons set forth
          on or designated in accordance with Annex A to this Agreement to serve
          until the next annual shareholders  meeting of Parent (the "New Parent
          Director Election");

provided,  that none of the  matters  set  forth in the  foregoing  clauses  (i)
through (v) shall be deemed  approved by the  shareholders  of the Parent unless
all of them are so approved.

         (c) Parent  shall take all action  required for the  nomination  of the
persons set forth on or designated  in  accordance  with Annex A for election as
directors of Parent at the Parent Shareholders Meeting.

         (d) Unless otherwise required under the applicable  fiduciary duties of
the directors of Parent,  as  determined  by such  directors in good faith after
consultation with and based upon the advice of independent legal counsel, Parent
shall solicit from its shareholders proxies in favor of the Reverse Stock Split,
the Share  Amendment,  the issuance of Parent  Common  Stock in the Merger,  the
Parent  Name  Change and the New Parent  Director  Election,  and shall take all
other  action   necessary  or  advisable  to  secure  the  vote  or  consent  of
shareholders to obtain such approvals.

         SECTION 5.04. Access to Information;  Confidentiality.  Upon reasonable
notice and subject to restrictions  contained in  confidentiality  agreements to
which such party is subject (from which such party shall use reasonable  efforts
to be  released),  the  Company  and Parent  shall each (and shall cause each of
their subsidiaries to) afford to the officers, employees,  accountants,  counsel
and other  representatives of the other,  reasonable  access,  during the period
prior  to  the  Effective  Time,  to  all  its  properties,   books,  contracts,
commitments  and records and,  during such  period,  the Company and Parent each
shall (and shall cause each of their  subsidiaries  to) furnish  promptly to the
other all information concerning its business,  properties and personnel as such
other party may reasonably request, and each


                                      -44-


<PAGE>

shall  make  available  to the  other  the  appropriate  individuals  (including
attorneys,  accountants and other  professionals)  for discussion of the other's
business,  properties  and  personnel  as  either  Parent  or  the  Company  may
reasonably  request.  Each party  shall keep such  information  confidential  in
accordance with the terms of the respective confidentiality letters, dated March
5, 1997 (the "Confidentiality Letter"), between Parent and the Company.

         SECTION 5.05.  Consents;  Approvals.  The Company and Parent shall each
use  their   best   efforts  to  obtain  all   consents,   waivers,   approvals,
authorizations or orders (including,  without limitation,  all United States and
foreign governmental and regulatory rulings and approvals),  and the Company and
Parent shall make all filings (including,  without limitation,  all filings with
United  States and foreign  governmental  or  regulatory  agencies)  required in
connection with the  authorization,  execution and delivery of this Agreement by
the  Company  and  Parent  and the  consummation  by  them  of the  transactions
contemplated  hereby.  The Company  and Parent  shall  furnish  all  information
required  to be  included  in  the  Joint  Proxy  Statement/Prospectus  and  the
Registration  Statement,  or for any  application  or  other  filing  to be made
pursuant  to  the  rules  and  regulations  of  any  United  States  or  foreign
governmental  body in  connection  with the  transactions  contemplated  by this
Agreement.

         SECTION 5.06.  Agreements  with Respect to Affiliates.  (a) The Company
shall  deliver  to  Parent,  as soon as  practicable,  a  letter  (the  "Company
Affiliate  Letter")  identifying  all persons who are  anticipated to be, at the
time of the  Company  Shareholders  Meeting,  "affiliates"  of the  Company  for
purposes  of Rule 145 under the  Securities  Act  ("Rule  145") or the rules and
regulations of the SEC relating to pooling of interests accounting treatment for
merger  transactions  (the  "Pooling  Rules").  The  Company  shall use its best
efforts to cause each person who is identified as an  "affiliate" in the Company
Affiliate Letter to deliver to Parent, no less than 35 days prior to the date of
the Company  Shareholders  Meeting,  a written  agreement (a "Company  Affiliate
Agreement") in connection  with  restrictions  on affiliates  under Rule 145 and
pooling of interests  accounting  treatment,  in form mutually  agreeable to the
Company and Parent.

         (b) Parent shall  deliver to the  Company,  as soon as  practicable,  a
letter  (the  "Parent  Affiliate  Letter")   identifying  all  persons  who  are
anticipated to be, at the time of the Parent Shareholders Meeting,  "affiliates"
of Parent for purposes of the Pooling  Rules.  Parent shall use its best efforts
to cause each person who is identified as an "affiliate" in the Parent Affiliate
Letter to deliver to the Company,  no less than 35 days prior to the date of the
Parent   Shareholders   Meeting,   a  written  agreement  (a  "Parent  Affiliate
Agreement")  in connection  with  restrictions  on  affiliates  under pooling of
interests  accounting  treatment,  in form mutually agreeable to the Company and
Parent.

         SECTION 5.07. Indemnification and Insurance.

         (a)  Company  Indemnification  and  Insurance.  (i) The  By-Laws of the
Surviving   Corporation   shall   contain  the   provisions   with   respect  to
indemnification set forth in the By-Laws of the Company,  which provisions shall
not be amended,  repealed or  otherwise  modified for a period of six years from
the Effective Time in any manner that would


                                      -45-


<PAGE>

adversely affect the rights  thereunder of individuals who at the Effective Time
were  directors,  officers,  employees  or agents of the  Company  or any of its
subsidiaries, unless such modification is required by law.

         (ii) The Surviving  Corporation  shall, to the fullest extent permitted
under  applicable  law  or  under  the  Surviving   Corporation's   Articles  of
Organization  or ByLaws,  indemnify and hold  harmless,  each present and former
director or officer of the Company or any of its subsidiaries (collectively, the
"Indemnified  Parties")  against  any costs or  expenses  (including  attorneys'
fees), judgments,  fines, losses, claims, damages,  liabilities and amounts paid
in  settlement  in  connection  with any  claim,  action,  suit,  proceeding  or
investigation,  whether civil,  criminal,  administrative or investigative,  (x)
arising out of or pertaining to the transactions  contemplated by this Agreement
or (y) otherwise with respect to any acts or omissions  occurring at or prior to
the Effective  Time,  to the same extent as provided in the  Company's  Restated
Articles of Organization  or By-Laws or any applicable  contract or agreement as
in effect on the date  hereof,  in each case for a period of six years after the
date  hereof.  In the  event of any such  claim,  action,  suit,  proceeding  or
investigation  (whether  arising  before or after the Effective  Time),  (A) any
counsel retained by the Indemnified Parties shall be reasonably  satisfactory to
the  Surviving  Corporation,   (B)  after  the  Effective  Time,  the  Surviving
Corporation shall pay the reasonable fees and expenses of such counsel, promptly
after statements therefor are received,  and (C) the Surviving  Corporation will
cooperate  in the  defense  of any  such  matter;  provided,  however,  that the
Surviving  Corporation  shall not be liable for any settlement  effected without
its written  consent (which  consent shall not be  unreasonably  withheld);  and
provided,   further,   that,   in  the  event  that  any  claim  or  claims  for
indemnification  are asserted or made within such six-year period, all rights to
indemnification  in respect of any such claim or claims shall continue until the
disposition of any and all such claims.  The Indemnified  Parties as a group may
retain only one law firm to  represent  them with  respect to any single  action
unless there is, under applicable standards of professional  conduct, a conflict
on any  significant  issue between the positions of any two or more  Indemnified
Parties,  in which  case each  Indemnified  Person  with  respect to whom such a
conflict  exists (or group of  Indemnified  Persons  who among them have no such
conflict) may retain one separate law firm.

         (iii) For a period of six years after the Effective Time,  Parent shall
cause the Surviving Corporation to maintain in effect, if available,  directors'
and  officers'  liability  insurance  covering  those  persons who are currently
covered by the Company's  directors' and officers' liability insurance policy (a
copy of which has been made  available to Parent) on terms  comparable  to those
now  applicable  to  directors  and  officers  of  the  Company  or  any  of its
subsidiaries;  provided, however, that in no event shall Parent or the Surviving
Corporation  be  required  to expend in  excess  of 200% of the  annual  premium
currently paid by the Company for such coverage;  and provided further,  that if
the premium for such  coverage  exceeds  such  amount,  Parent or the  Surviving
Corporation  shall  purchase a policy with the greatest  coverage  available for
such 200% of the annual premium.

         (iv) From and after the  Effective  Time,  Parent shall  guarantee  the
obligations of the Surviving Corporation under this Section.


                                      -46-


<PAGE>

         (v) This Section  shall survive the  consummation  of the Merger at the
Effective  Time, is intended to benefit the Company,  the Surviving  Corporation
and the Indemnified  Parties,  shall be binding on all successors and assigns of
the Surviving Corporation and shall be enforceable by the Indemnified Parties.

         (b) Parent  Indemnification  and Insurance.  (i) The Bye-Laws of Parent
which  contain  the  provisions  with  respect to  indemnification  shall not be
amended,  repealed  or  otherwise  modified  for a period of six years  from the
Effective Time in any manner that would adversely  affect the rights  thereunder
of individuals who at the Effective Time were directors,  officers, employees or
agents  of  Parent  or any of its  Subsidiaries,  unless  such  modification  is
required by law.

         (ii) Parent shall, to the fullest extent permitted under applicable law
or under  Parent's  Memorandum of  Association  or Bye-Laws,  indemnify and hold
harmless,  each  present and former  director or officer of Parent or any of its
subsidiaries  (collectively,  the  "Indemnified  Parties")  against any costs or
expenses (including attorneys' fees), judgments, fines, losses, claims, damages,
liabilities and amounts paid in settlement in connection with any claim, action,
suit, proceeding or investigation,  whether civil,  criminal,  administrative or
investigative, (x) arising out of or pertaining to the transactions contemplated
by this  Agreement  or (y)  otherwise  with  respect  to any  acts or  omissions
occurring at or prior to the  Effective  Time, to the same extent as provided in
Parent's  Memorandum of Association  or Bye-Laws or any  applicable  contract or
agreement  as in  effect  on the date  hereof,  in each case for a period of six
years  after the date  hereof.  In the event of any such  claim,  action,  suit,
proceeding  or  investigation  (whether  arising  before or after the  Effective
Time), (A) any counsel  retained by the Indemnified  Parties shall be reasonably
satisfactory  to Parent,  (B) after the  Effective  Time,  Parent  shall pay the
reasonable fees and expenses of such counsel, promptly after statements therefor
are received,  and (C) Parent will  cooperate in the defense of any such matter;
provided,  however,  that Parent shall not be liable for any settlement effected
without its written consent (which consent shall not be unreasonably  withheld);
and  provided,  further,  that,  in the  event  that  any  claim or  claims  for
indemnification  are asserted or made within such six-year period, all rights to
indemnification  in respect of any such claim or claims shall continue until the
disposition of any and all such claims.  The Indemnified  Parties as a group may
retain only one law firm to  represent  them with  respect to any single  action
unless there is, under applicable standards of professional  conduct, a conflict
on any  significant  issue between the positions of any two or more  Indemnified
Parties,  in which  case each  Indemnified  Person  with  respect to whom such a
conflict  exists (or group of  Indemnified  Persons  who among them have no such
conflict) may retain one separate law firm.

         (iii) For a period of six years after the Effective Time,  Parent shall
maintain in effect, if available,  directors' and officers'  liability insurance
covering  those persons who are  currently  covered by Parent's  directors'  and
officers' liability insurance policy (a copy of which has been made available to
the  Company) on terms  comparable  to those now  applicable  to  directors  and
officers of Parent or any of its  Subsidiaries;  provided,  however,  that in no
event shall Parent be required to expend in excess of 200% of the annual premium
currently paid by Parent for such coverage;  and provided  further,  that if the
premium for


                                      -47-


<PAGE>

such  coverage  exceeds  such amount,  Parent  shall  purchase a policy with the
greatest coverage available for such 200% of the annual premium.

         (iv) This Section shall survive the  consummation  of the Merger at the
Effective Time, is intended to benefit Parent and the Indemnified Parties, shall
be binding on all  successors  and assigns of Parent and shall be enforceable by
the Indemnified Parties.

         SECTION 5.08.  Notification of Certain Matters.  The Company shall give
prompt notice to Parent, and Parent shall give prompt notice to the Company,  of
(i) the occurrence or nonoccurrence of any event the occurrence or nonoccurrence
of which would be likely to cause any  representation  or warranty  contained in
this Agreement to be materially untrue or inaccurate, or (ii) any failure of the
Company,  Parent or Merger Sub, as the case may be, materially to comply with or
satisfy any covenant, condition or agreement to be complied with or satisfied by
it hereunder;  provided,  however,  that the delivery of any notice  pursuant to
this  Section  shall  not  limit or  otherwise  affect  the  remedies  available
hereunder to the party receiving such notice;  and provided further that failure
to give  such  notice  shall not be  treated  as a breach  of  covenant  for the
purposes of Sections  6.02(a) or 6.03(a)  unless the failure to give such notice
results in material prejudice to the other party.

         SECTION  5.09.  Further  Action.  Upon the  terms  and  subject  to the
conditions  hereof,  each of the parties hereto shall use all reasonable efforts
to take, or cause to be taken,  all actions and to do, or cause to be done,  all
other things necessary,  proper or advisable to consummate and make effective as
promptly as practicable the  transactions  contemplated  by this  Agreement,  to
obtain in a timely manner all necessary  waivers,  consents and approvals and to
effect all  necessary  registrations  and filings,  and  otherwise to satisfy or
cause to be satisfied all  conditions  precedent to its  obligations  under this
Agreement.  The  foregoing  covenant  shall not  include any  obligation  by the
Company or Parent to agree to divest,  abandon,  license or take similar  action
with respect to any assets (tangible or intangible) of Parent or the Company.

         SECTION  5.10.  Public  Announcements.  Parent  and the  Company  shall
consult  with each other  before  issuing any press  release with respect to the
Merger or this  Agreement and shall not issue any such press release or make any
such public statement without the prior consent of the other party,  which shall
not be unreasonably withheld;  provided,  however, that a party may, without the
prior  consent of the other party,  issue such press release or make such public
statement  as may upon the advice of counsel be required by law or the rules and
regulations of the NYSE or as Parent or the Company  determines to be reasonably
necessary or appropriate in connection with any competing  Acquisition  Proposal
or  competing  proxy  solicitation,  if it has used all  reasonable  efforts  to
consult with the other party.

         SECTION 5.11.  Listing of Shares of Parent  Common Stock.  Parent shall
use its best efforts to cause the shares of Parent  Common Stock to be issued in
the Merger to be listed, upon official notice of issuance,  on the NYSE prior to
the Effective Time.


                                      -48-


<PAGE>

         SECTION 5.12.  Conveyance Taxes. Parent and the Company shall cooperate
in  the  preparation,  execution  and  filing  of all  returns,  questionnaires,
applications,  or other documents regarding any real property transfer or gains,
sales, use, transfer, value added, stock transfer and stamp taxes, any transfer,
recording,  registration  and other  fees,  and any similar  taxes which  become
payable  in  connection  with  the  transactions  contemplated  hereby  that are
required  or  permitted  to be filed on or before the  Effective  Time,  and the
Surviving Corporation shall be responsible for the payment of all such taxes and
fees.

         SECTION 5.13.  Accountant's  Letters.  Upon reasonable  notice from the
other,  the  Company  shall use its best  efforts to cause  Coopers & Lybrand to
deliver to  Parent,  and Parent  shall use its best  efforts to cause  Coopers &
Lybrand  to  deliver  to the  Company,  a letter  covering  such  matters as are
requested by Parent or the Company,  as the case may be, and as are  customarily
addressed in accountant's "comfort" letters.

         SECTION 5.14. Pooling Accounting Treatment. Parent and the Company each
agrees not to take any action that would  reasonably  be  expected to  adversely
affect the  ability  of Parent to account  for the  business  combination  to be
effected  by the Merger as a pooling of  interests,  and Parent and the  Company
each  agrees to take such  action as may be  reasonably  required  to negate the
impact of any past actions by Parent, the Company or their respective affiliates
which would  reasonably be expected to adversely impact the ability of Parent to
treat the Merger as a pooling of interests.  The taking by Parent or the Company
of any action prohibited by the previous  sentence,  or the failure of Parent or
the Company to take any action required by the previous sentence,  if the Merger
is not able to be accounted for as a pooling of interests because of such action
or failure to take action,  shall  constitute a breach of this Agreement by such
party for the purposes of Section 7.01(i).

         SECTION 5.15. Company Stock Options. The Company shall take such action
as may be required under the Tyco  International  Ltd. Company 1995 Stock Option
Plan and all other stock options  plans of the Company such that,  following the
Effective  Time,  each Stock Option shall be treated in the manner  described in
Section 1.06(c).

         SECTION  5.16 Parent  Stock  Options and  Severance  Arrangements.  (a)
Parent  and the  Company  agree that at the  Effective  Time  outstanding  stock
options ("Parent  Options")  listed on Section 2.11(c) of the Parent  Disclosure
Schedule  shall be fully  exercisable  and that  Parent  shall  take any and all
action prior to the Effective Time as may be required to effectuate such result;
provided that this shall not apply to any New Parent Options.

         (b) Parent and the  Company  further  agree  that  consummation  of the
Merger  shall  constitute  a "change of control"  of Parent for  purposes of the
severance  and other  similar  agreements  which  contain  "change  of  control"
provisions (the "Severance  Agreements")  and that, prior to the Effective Time,
Parent and the Company agree to take any and all such actions as may be required
to effectuate such result.

         Notwithstanding  anything to the  contrary  contained  in this  Section
5.16, no transaction  contemplated by this Section 5.16 shall be effected if any
such transaction would


                                      -49-


<PAGE>

reasonably be expected to adversely  affect the ability of Parent to account for
the business combination to be effected by the Merger as a pooling of interests.

         SECTION 5.17.  Rights.  Prior to the Effective Time, at the election of
the Company  communicated to Parent not less than fifteen business days prior to
the Parent  Shareholders  Meeting,  Parent  shall  take such  action as shall be
required  to either  (i)  amend the  Shareholder  Rights  Plan to  affirmatively
provide that no  Distribution  Date (as such term is defined in the  Shareholder
Rights Plan) shall occur and no person shall become an Acquiring Person (as such
term is defined in the Shareholder Rights Plan), by reason or as a result of the
consummation  of the  Merger  or any  other  transactions  contemplated  by this
Agreement or (ii) redeem or otherwise  terminate all  outstanding  Rights,  such
that all such Rights shall be of no further  force and effect,  and none of such
Rights shall entitle any holder thereof to any rights,  payments,  distributions
or other  benefits  whatsoever by reason or as a result of the  consummation  of
Merger or any  other  transactions  contemplated  by this  Agreement;  provided,
however,  that if the Company shall communicate to Parent no such election,  the
Company  shall be deemed to have  communicated  to Parent the election in clause
(i) above.


                                      -50-


<PAGE>

                                   ARTICLE VI

                            CONDITIONS TO THE MERGER


         SECTION  6.01.  Conditions  to  Obligation  of Each Party to Effect the
Merger.  The respective  obligations of each party to effect the Merger shall be
subject to the  satisfaction  at or prior to the Effective Time of the following
conditions:

               (a) Effectiveness of the Registration Statement. The Registration
          Statement  shall  have been  declared  effective  by the SEC under the
          Securities  Act. No stop order  suspending  the  effectiveness  of the
          Registration  Statement  shall  have  been  issued  by the  SEC and no
          proceedings  for that purpose and no similar  proceeding in respect of
          the Joint  Proxy  Statement/Prospectus  shall have been  initiated  or
          threatened by the SEC;

               (b)  Shareholder  Approval.  This  Agreement and the Merger shall
          have  been  approved  and  adopted  by  the  requisite   vote  of  the
          shareholders  of the Company,  and the Reverse Stock Split,  the Share
          Amendment,  the  issuance of Parent  Common  Stock in the Merger,  the
          Parent Name Change and the New Parent  Director  Election,  shall have
          been approved by the requisite vote of the shareholders of Parent;

               (c) Reverse  Stock Split and Share  Amendment.  All actions shall
          have  been  taken  such  that the  Reverse  Stock  Split and the Share
          Amendment shall become effective immediately prior to (but conditioned
          upon the occurrence of) the Effective Time;

               (d) Listing.  The shares of Parent  Common Stock  issuable in the
          Merger  shall  have  been  authorized  for  listing  on the NYSE  upon
          official notice of issuance;

               (e) HSR Act. All waiting periods  applicable to the  consummation
          of the Merger under the HSR Act shall have expired or been terminated;

               (f) Governmental  Actions.  There shall not have been instituted,
          pending or threatened any action or proceeding  (or any  investigation
          or other inquiry that might result in such an action or proceeding) by
          any  governmental   authority  or  administrative  agency  before  any
          governmental  authority,  administrative  agency or court of competent
          jurisdiction,  domestic or  foreign,  nor shall there be in effect any
          judgment,   decree   or   order   of   any   governmental   authority,
          administrative agency or court of competent jurisdiction, or any other
          legal  restraint (i) preventing or seeking to prevent  consummation of
          the Merger or the  effectiveness of the Reverse Stock Split, the Share
          Amendment or the New Parent  Director  Election,  (ii)  prohibiting or
          seeking to  prohibit  or  limiting  or seeking  to limit  Parent  from
          exercising  all  material  rights  and  privileges  pertaining  to its
          ownership of the Surviving  Corporation  or the ownership or operation
          by Parent or any of its  subsidiaries of all or a material  portion of
          the business or assets of Parent or any of its subsidiaries,  or (iii)
          compelling or


                                      -51-


<PAGE>

         seeking to compel  Parent or any of its  subsidiaries  to dispose of or
         hold separate all or any material  portion of the business or assets of
         Parent or any of its subsidiaries  (including the Surviving Corporation
         and its  subsidiaries),  in each case as a result of the  Merger or the
         transactions contemplated by this Agreement;

               (g) Illegality.  No statute,  rule,  regulation or order shall be
          enacted,  entered,  enforced or deemed  applicable to the Merger which
          makes  the  consummation  of the  Merger or the  effectiveness  of the
          Reverse Stock Split,  the Share  Amendment or the New Parent  Director
          Election illegal; and

               (h) Pooling Opinion. The Company and Parent shall have received a
          written opinion of Coopers & Lybrand, in form and substance reasonably
          satisfactory  to each of them,  to the  effect  that the  Merger  will
          qualify for  accounting  treatment as a pooling of  interests.  To the
          extent such a legal  opinion is requested by Coopers & Lybrand,  Davis
          Polk & Wardwell,  counsel to Parent, shall have delivered its opinion,
          in form and substance  reasonably  satisfactory  to Coopers & Lybrand,
          that Western Resources, Inc. is not an affiliate of Parent. Each party
          agrees to make reasonable and necessary  representations and covenants
          in connection  with the rendering of the opinion of Coopers & Lybrand,
          and Parent shall make  reasonable  and  necessary  representations  in
          connection with the rendering of the opinion of Davis Polk & Wardwell.

         SECTION 6.02. Additional Conditions to Obligations of Parent and Merger
Sub.  The  obligations  of Parent  and  Merger Sub to effect the Merger are also
subject to the following conditions:

               (a)  Representations  and  Warranties.  The  representations  and
          warranties of the Company  contained in this  Agreement  shall be true
          and correct in all respects on and as of the  Effective  Time,  except
          for  (i)  changes   contemplated   by  this   Agreement,   (ii)  those
          representations  and  warranties  which  address  matters only as of a
          particular  date  (which  shall have been true and  correct as of such
          date, subject to clause (iii)), and (iii) where the failure to be true
          and  correct  would not  reasonably  be  expected  to have a  Material
          Adverse Effect, with the same force and effect as if made on and as of
          the  Effective  Time,  and Parent and Merger Sub shall have received a
          certificate to such effect signed by the Chief  Executive  Officer and
          the Chief Financial Officer of the Company;

               (b) Agreements and Covenants. The Company shall have performed or
          complied in all material  respects with all  agreements  and covenants
          required by this  Agreement to be performed or complied  with by it on
          or prior to the Effective  Time,  and Parent and Merger Sub shall have
          received a certificate  to such effect  signed by the Chief  Executive
          Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of the Company;

               (c) Consents Obtained. All material consents, waivers, approvals,
          authorizations  or orders  required  to be  obtained,  and all filings
          required to be made, by the Company for the  authorization,  execution
          and delivery of this Agreement and


                                                      -52-


<PAGE>

          the consummation by it of the transactions  contemplated  hereby shall
          have been  obtained and made by the Company,  except where the failure
          to receive such  consents,  etc.  would not  reasonably be expected to
          have a Material Adverse Effect on the Company or Parent; and

               (d) Company Affiliate Agreements. Parent shall have received from
          each person who is  identified in the Company  Affiliate  Letter as an
          "affiliate"  of the Company a Company  Affiliate  Agreement,  and such
          Company Affiliate Agreement shall be in full force and effect.

         SECTION 6.03.  Additional  Conditions to Obligation of the Company. The
obligation  of the Company to effect the Merger is also subject to the following
conditions:

               (a)  Representations  and  Warranties.  The  representations  and
          warranties of Parent and Merger Sub contained in this Agreement  shall
          be true and correct in all respects on and as of the  Effective  Time,
          except for (i)  changes  contemplated  by this  Agreement,  (ii) those
          representations  and  warranties  which  address  matters only as of a
          particular  date  (which  shall have been true and  correct as of such
          date, subject to clause (iii)), and (iii) where the failure to be true
          and  correct  would not  reasonably  be  expected  to have a  Material
          Adverse Effect, with the same force and effect as if made on and as of
          the Effective  Time, and the Company shall have received a certificate
          to such  effect  signed by the Chief  Executive  Officer and the Chief
          Financial Officer of Parent;

               (b) Agreements  and  Covenants.  Parent and Merger Sub shall have
          performed or complied in all material respects with all agreements and
          covenants  required by this Agreement to be performed or complied with
          by them on or prior to the Effective  Time, and the Company shall have
          received a certificate  to such effect  signed by the Chief  Executive
          Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of Parent;

               (c) Consents Obtained. All material consents, waivers, approvals,
          authorizations  or orders  required  to be  obtained,  and all filings
          required to be made,  by Parent and Merger Sub for the  authorization,
          execution and delivery of this Agreement and the  consummation by them
          of the transactions  contemplated  hereby shall have been obtained and
          made by Parent and Merger  Sub,  except  where the  failure to receive
          such  consents,  etc.  would  not  reasonably  be  expected  to have a
          Material Adverse Effect on the Company or Parent;

               (d) Parent Affiliate Agreements.  The Company shall have received
          from each person who is identified in the Parent  Affiliate  Letter as
          an "affiliate" of Parent a Parent Affiliate Agreement, and such Parent
          Affiliate Agreement shall be in full force and effect; and

               (e) Rights.  The Shareholder  Rights Plan shall have been amended
          or the Rights  shall have been  redeemed or otherwise  terminated,  as
          provided in Section 5.17.


                                      -53-


<PAGE>


                                   ARTICLE VII

                                   TERMINATION


         SECTION 7.01. Termination. This Agreement may be terminated at any time
prior  to  the  Effective  Time,  notwithstanding  approval  hereof  or  of  the
transactions contemplated hereby by the shareholders of the Company or Parent:

               (a) by mutual  written  consent duly  authorized by the Boards of
          Directors of Parent and the Company; or

               (b) by either  Parent or the Company if the Merger shall not have
          been  consummated  by  August  15,  1997  (provided  that the right to
          terminate  this  Agreement  under this  Section  7.01(b)  shall not be
          available to any party whose failure to fulfill any  obligation  under
          this Agreement has been the cause of or resulted in the failure of the
          Merger to occur on or before such date); or

               (c) by  either  Parent  or the  Company  if a court of  competent
          jurisdiction or governmental,  regulatory or administrative  agency or
          commission  shall have issued a nonappealable  final order,  decree or
          ruling or taken any other  action  having  the  effect of  permanently
          restraining,  enjoining  or  otherwise  prohibiting  the  Merger,  the
          Reverse Stock Split,  the Share  Amendment,  the Parent Name Change or
          the New Parent Director Election (provided that the right to terminate
          this  Agreement  under this Section  7.01(c) shall not be available to
          any party who has not complied with its obligations under Section 5.09
          and such noncompliance  materially  contributed to the issuance of any
          such order, decree or ruling or the taking of such action); or

               (d) by Parent,  if the requisite vote of the  shareholders of the
          Company  shall not have been  obtained by August 15,  1997,  or by the
          Company, if the requisite vote of the shareholders of Parent shall not
          have been obtained by August 15, 1997; or

               (e) by the Company, if (i) the Board of Directors of Parent shall
          withdraw,  modify or change its  approval  or  recommendation  of this
          Agreement, the Merger or the other transactions contemplated hereby in
          a manner  adverse to the Company or shall have resolved to do so; (ii)
          the  Board of  Directors  of  Parent  shall  have  recommended  to the
          shareholders  of Parent an  Alternative  Transaction  (as  hereinafter
          defined); or (iii) a tender offer or exchange offer for 25% or more of
          the outstanding shares of Parent Common Stock is commenced (other than
          by the  Company  or an  affiliate  of the  Company)  and the  Board of
          Directors of Parent  recommends that the shareholders of Parent tender
          their shares in such tender or exchange offer; or

               (f)  by  Parent,  if the  Board  of  Directors  of  Parent  shall
          withdraw,  modify or change its  approval  or  recommendation  of this
          Agreement or the Merger in a


                                      -54-


<PAGE>

          manner adverse to the Company or shall have resolved to do so, in each
          case in compliance with the provisions of Section 4.02; or

               (g) by Parent or the Company,  if any  representation or warranty
          of the Company or Parent,  respectively,  set forth in this  Agreement
          shall be  untrue  when  made,  such that the  conditions  set forth in
          Sections  6.02(a)  or  6.03(a),  as the  case  may  be,  would  not be
          satisfied (a "Terminating Misrepresentation"); provided, that, if such
          Terminating  Misrepresentation  is curable prior to August 15, 1997 by
          the Company or Parent, as the case may be, through the exercise of its
          reasonable  best efforts and for so long as the Company or Parent,  as
          the case may be,  continues to exercise such  reasonable best efforts,
          neither  Parent nor the  Company,  respectively,  may  terminate  this
          Agreement under this Section 7.01(g); or

               (h) by Parent,  if any  representation or warranty of the Company
          shall have become  untrue such that the condition set forth in Section
          6.02(a)   would  not  be  satisfied,   or  by  the  Company,   if  any
          representation  or  warranty of Parent  shall have become  untrue such
          that  the  condition  set  forth  in  Section  6.03(a)  would  not  be
          satisfied, in either case other than by reason of a Terminating Breach
          (as  hereinafter  defined);  provided  that  if any  such  Terminating
          Misrepresentation  is curable  prior to August 15, 1997 by the Company
          or Parent,  as the case may be, through the exercise of its reasonable
          best  efforts,  and for so long as the Company or Parent,  as the case
          may be,  continues to exercise such reasonable  best efforts,  neither
          Parent nor the Company,  respectively,  may terminate  this  Agreement
          under this Section 7.01(h); or

               (i) by Parent or the  Company,  upon a breach of any  covenant or
          agreement  on the part of the  Company  or Parent,  respectively,  set
          forth  in this  Agreement,  such  that  the  conditions  set  forth in
          Sections  6.02(b)  or  6.03(b),  as the  case  may  be,  would  not be
          satisfied  (a   "Terminating   Breach");   provided,   that,  if  such
          Terminating  Breach is curable prior to August 15, 1997 by the Company
          or Parent,  as the case may be, through the exercise of its reasonable
          best efforts and for so long as the Company or Parent, as the case may
          be, continues to exercise such reasonable best efforts, neither Parent
          nor the Company, respectively, may terminate this Agreement under this
          Section 7.01(i);

               (j) by Parent,  if the Board of  Directors  of the Company  shall
          withdraw,  modify or change its  approval  or  recommendation  of this
          Agreement, the Merger or the other transactions contemplated hereby in
          a manner adverse to Parent or shall have resolved to do so; or

               (k) by the  Company,  if the Board of  Directors  of the  Company
          shall  withdraw,  modify or change its approval or  recommendation  of
          this  Agreement  or the Merger in a manner  adverse to Parent or shall
          have resolved to do so, in each case in compliance with the provisions
          of Section 4.04; or

               (l) by Parent or the Company,  if the 10-Day  Reference Price (as
          defined below) for any 10 consecutive trading day period commencing on
          or after April 8,


                                      -55-


<PAGE>

          1997  shall  be below  $56;  provided,  however,  that  such  right to
          terminate  pursuant to this  subsection  (l) may only be  exercised in
          respect of any such 10-day period within three trading days  following
          the  expiration of such 10-day period;  and provided  further that the
          right  of  Parent  or  the  Company  to  terminate  pursuant  to  this
          subsection  (l) shall be a continuing  one and may be exercised at any
          time that the  conditions  set forth in this  subsection are satisfied
          notwithstanding  that the  Company or Parent,  as the case may be, has
          not  exercised its right to terminate  pursuant to this  subsection at
          any prior time that such conditions were satisfied;

               (m) by the  Company,  if the  10-Day  Reference  Price for the 10
          consecutive trading days ending on the fourth trading day prior to the
          Parent  Shareholders  Meeting (the "Final 10-Day Reference  Price") is
          less than $56,  and the  Company  has not agreed to change the Reverse
          Stock Split Ratio as provided in clause (y) of  subsection  (n) below;
          or

               (n) by Parent,  if (x) the Final 10-Day  Reference  Price is less
          than $56 and (y) on or before the second trading day prior to the date
          of the Parent  Shareholders  Meeting,  the  Company  has not agreed by
          notice to Parent in writing to change the Reverse Stock Split Ratio so
          that each  share of Parent  Common  Stock,  par value  $.10 per share,
          shall be  consolidated  in the  ratio of one  share of  Parent  Common
          Stock,  par  value  $.20 per  share,  for a number of shares of Parent
          Common  Stock,  par value $.10 per share,  not greater than the number
          determined  by  dividing  the  Final  10-Day  Reference  Price by $27;
          provided that, the Reverse Stock Split Ratio shall thereafter, for all
          purposes of this Agreement, be deemed to be such ratio.

         "10-Day  Reference  Price"  means  the  average  of the Daily Per Share
Prices (as hereinafter defined) for any ten consecutive trading days. The "Daily
Per Share Price" for any trading day means the weighted average of the per share
selling  prices on the NYSE of Company  Common  Stock (as  reported  in the NYSE
Composite Transactions) for that day.

         As  used  herein,   "Alternative   Transaction"  means  any  of  (i)  a
transaction  pursuant to which any person (or group of  persons)  other than the
Company or its affiliates (a "Third Party")  acquires or would acquire more than
25% of the outstanding  shares of any class of equity securities of Parent,  or,
in the case of any person (or group of persons  other than the  Company  and its
affiliates)  which has filed a statement  on Schedule 13D as of the date of this
Agreement  indicating  that it is the  beneficial  owner of more than 25% of the
outstanding  shares of Parent  Common  Stock,  would acquire an additional 5% or
more of such  securities,  whether  from Parent or pursuant to a tender offer or
exchange  offer or  otherwise,  (ii) a  merger  or  other  business  combination
involving Parent pursuant to which any Third Party acquires more than 25% of the
outstanding  equity  securities of Parent or the entity surviving such merger or
business combination, or (iii) any other transaction pursuant to which any Third
Party  acquires or would acquire  control of assets  (including for this purpose
the  outstanding  equity  securities  of  subsidiaries  of Parent and the entity
surviving any merger or business  combination  including any of them) of Parent,
or any of its  subsidiaries  having a fair market  value (as  determined  by the
Board of  Directors  of the Company in good faith) equal to more than 25% of the
fair market value of all the assets of


                                      -56-


<PAGE>

Parent  and its  subsidiaries,  taken  as a  whole,  immediately  prior  to such
transaction;  provided, however, that the term Alternative Transaction shall not
include any  acquisition  of securities by a broker dealer in connection  with a
bona fide public offering of such securities.

         SECTION 7.02. Effect of Termination. In the event of the termination of
this Agreement  pursuant to Section 7.01, this Agreement shall forthwith  become
void and there shall be no  liability  on the part of any party hereto or any of
its affiliates,  directors,  officers or stockholders except (i) as set forth in
Section 7.03 and Section 8.01 hereof,  and (ii) nothing herein shall relieve any
party from liability for any breach hereof.

         SECTION  7.03.  Fees and  Expenses.  (a)  Except  as set  forth in this
Section 7.03, all fees and expenses  incurred in connection  with this Agreement
and the  transactions  contemplated  hereby shall be paid by the party incurring
such expenses, whether or not the Merger is consummated; provided, however, that
Parent and the  Company  shall share  equally  all SEC filing fees and  printing
expenses  incurred in connection with the printing and filing of the Joint Proxy
Statement/Prospectus  (including any preliminary  materials related thereto) and
the Registration Statement (including financial statements and exhibits) and any
amendments or supplements thereto.

         (b) Parent  shall pay the Company a fee of $150  million  (the  "Fee"),
plus the Company's  actual,  documented  and reasonable  out-of-pocket  expenses
relating to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement (including,  but not
limited to,  fees and  expenses of counsel  and  accountants  and  out-of-pocket
expenses  (but not fees) of financial  advisers)  ("Expenses"),  but in no event
shall such  Expenses  exceed  $7,500,000,  upon the first to occur of any of the
following events;  provided that no Fee or Expenses shall be payable pursuant to
this Section 7.03(b) if this Agreement has been  previously  terminated and such
previous  termination  did not entitle the Company to receive a Fee  pursuant to
this Section 7.03(b):

               (i) the Final 10-Day  Reference Price is equal to or greater than
          $56 and either (x) the  shareholders of Parent shall not have approved
          each of the Reverse Stock Split, the Share Amendment,  the issuance of
          Parent Common Stock in the Merger,  the Parent Name Change and the New
          Parent  Director  Election  on or before  August  15,  1997 or (y) the
          shareholders  of Parent shall have  affirmatively  disapproved  any of
          such actions at any time on or before August 15, 1997; or

               (ii)  the   shareholders   of  Parent  shall  have   approved  an
          Acquisition  Proposal  (other than with the Company or its affiliates)
          on or before August 15, 1997; or

               (iii) if  following  the  termination  of this  Agreement  by the
          Company  pursuant  to  Section   7.01(l),   Parent  shall  accept  and
          consummate  an  Acquisition  Proposal  at a price  per share of Parent
          Common Stock in excess of $29, which Acquisition  Proposal is publicly
          announced within 60 days of such termination; or


                                      -57-


<PAGE>

               (iv) the termination of this Agreement by the Company pursuant to
          Section 7.01(e); or

               (v) the  termination  of this  Agreement  by Parent  pursuant  to
          Section 7.01(f); or

               (vi) the termination of this Agreement by the Company pursuant to
          Section 7.01(i).

         (c) The Company  shall pay Parent a fee of $150  million  (the  "Fee"),
plus Parent's actual,  documented and reasonable out-of-pocket expenses relating
to the transactions  contemplated by this Agreement (including,  but not limited
to, fees and expenses of counsel and accountants and out-of-pocket expenses (but
not  fees) of  financial  advisers)  ("Expenses"),  but in no event  shall  such
Expenses  exceed  $7,500,000,  upon the  first to occur of any of the  following
events;  provided  that no Fee or  Expenses  shall be payable  pursuant  to this
Section  7.03(c)  if this  Agreement  has been  previously  terminated  and such
previous  termination  did not entitle  Parent to receive a Fee pursuant to this
Section 7.03(c):

         (i) the  shareholders of Parent shall have approved each of the Reverse
Stock Split,  the Share  Amendment,  the issuance of Parent  Common Stock in the
Merger, the Parent Name Change and the New Parent Director Election on or before
August 15, 1997 and either (x) the  shareholders  of the Company  shall not have
approved and adopted this  Agreement by August 15, 1997 or (y) the  shareholders
of the Company shall have  affirmatively  disapproved this Agreement at any time
on or before August 15, 1997; or

               (ii) the  termination  of this  Agreement  by Parent  pursuant to
          Section 7.01(j); or

               (iii) the  termination of this Agreement by the Company  pursuant
          to Section 7.01(k); or

               (vi) the  termination  of this  Agreement  by Parent  pursuant to
          Section 7.01(i).

         (d) Upon a termination of this Agreement by Parent  pursuant to Section
7.01(g),  the Company shall pay to Parent the Expenses of Parent relating to the
transactions  contemplated  by  this  Agreement,  but  in  no  event  more  than
$7,500,000.  Upon a  termination  of this  Agreement by the Company  pursuant to
Section  7.01(g),  Parent  shall pay to the Company the  Expenses of the Company
relating to the  transactions  contemplated by this  Agreement,  but in no event
more than $7,500,000.

         (e) The Fee  and/or  Expenses  payable  pursuant  to  Section  7.03(b),
Section  7.03(c) or Section  7.03(d)  shall be paid within three  business  days
after the first to occur of any of the  events  described  in  Section  7.03(b),
Section 7.03(c) or Section 7.03(d); provided


                                      -58-


<PAGE>

that,  in no event shall Parent or the Company,  as the case may be, be required
to pay such Fee and/or Expenses to the other party if,  immediately prior to the
termination  of this  Agreement,  the party  entitled to receive such Fee and/or
Expenses was in material breach of its obligations under this Agreement.


                                  ARTICLE VIII

                               GENERAL PROVISIONS


         SECTION  8.01.   Effectiveness  of   Representations,   Warranties  and
Agreements;  Knowledge,  Etc. (a) Except as  otherwise  provided in this Section
8.01, the representations,  warranties and agreements of each party hereto shall
remain  operative and in full force and effect  regardless of any  investigation
made by or on behalf of any other party hereto,  any person controlling any such
party or any of their  officers  or  directors,  whether  prior to or after  the
execution of this Agreement.  The representations,  warranties and agreements in
this Agreement  shall terminate at the Effective Time or upon the termination of
this  Agreement  pursuant to Section  7.01,  as the case may be, except that the
agreements  set forth in Article I and Article VIII and Section 5.07 and Section
5.16  shall  survive  the  Effective  Time  indefinitely  and those set forth in
Section 7.03 shall survive termination indefinitely.  The Confidentiality Letter
shall survive termination of this Agreement as provided therein.

         (b) Any  disclosure  made with reference to one or more Sections of the
Company  Disclosure  Schedule or the Parent Disclosure  Schedule shall be deemed
disclosed with respect to each other section therein as to which such disclosure
is relevant provided that such relevance is reasonably apparent.

         SECTION 8.02. Notices.  All notices and other  communications  given or
made  pursuant  hereto shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly
given or made if and when  delivered  personally or by overnight  courier to the
parties at the  following  addresses or sent by  electronic  transmission,  with
confirmation received, to the telecopy numbers specified below (or at such other
address or telecopy number for a person as shall be specified by like notice):

               (a) If to Parent or Merger Sub:

                   ADT Limited
                   Cedar House
                   41 Cedar House
                   Hamilton HM 12 Bermuda
                   Attention:  John D. Campbell, Esq.

                   Telecopier No.:  (441) 292-8666
                   Telephone No.:  (441) 295-2244


                                      -59-


<PAGE>

               With a copy to:

                   Davis Polk & Wardwell
                   450 Lexington Avenue
                   New York, New York  10017
                   Telecopier No.:  (212) 450-4800
                   Telephone No.:  (212) 450-4000
                   Attention:  J.J. McCarthy, Esq.

               (b) If to the Company:

                           Tyco International Ltd.
                           One Tyco Park
                           Exeter, NH  03833

                           Telecopier No.:  (603) 778-7330
                           Telephone No.:  (603) 778-9700
                           Attention:  Chairman

                  With a copy to:

                  Kramer, Levin, Naftalis & Frankel
                  919 Third Avenue
                  New York, NY  10022
                  Telecopier No.:  (212) 715-8000
                  Telephone No.:  (212) 715-9100
                  Attention:  Joshua M. Berman, Esq.

         SECTION 8.03. Certain Definitions.  For purposes of this Agreement, the
term:

               (a)  "affiliates"  means a person that  directly  or  indirectly,
          through one or more intermediaries,  controls, is controlled by, or is
          under common  control with,  the first  mentioned  person;  including,
          without  limitation,  any  partnership  or joint  venture in which the
          Company   (either  alone,  or  through  or  together  with  any  other
          subsidiary) has, directly or indirectly, an interest of 5% or more;

               (b)  "beneficial  owner"  with  respect  to any shares of Company
          Common  Stock means a person who shall be deemed to be the  beneficial
          owner of such shares (i) which such person or any of its affiliates or
          associates (as such term is defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act)
          beneficially owns,  directly or indirectly,  (ii) which such person or
          any of its affiliates or associates has,  directly or indirectly,  (A)
          the right to acquire (whether such right is exercisable immediately or
          subject  only to the  passage  of time),  pursuant  to any  agreement,
          arrangement  or  understanding  or upon the exercise of  consideration
          rights, exchange rights, warrants or options, or otherwise, or (B) the
          right to vote pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understand-


                                      -60-


<PAGE>

          ing, or (iii) which are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by
          any other  persons with whom such person or any of its  affiliates  or
          associates has any agreement,  arrangement  or  understanding  for the
          purpose of acquiring, holding, voting or disposing of any shares;

               (c) "business  day" means any day other than a day on which banks
          in the  City  of New  York,  Borough  of  Manhattan  are  required  or
          authorized to be closed;

               (d) "control"  (including  the terms  "controlled  by" and "under
          common control with") means the possession,  directly or indirectly or
          as trustee or executor,  of the power to direct or cause the direction
          of the  management  or  policies  of a  person,  whether  through  the
          ownership  of stock,  as trustee or  executor,  by  contract or credit
          arrangement or otherwise;

               (e)  "person"  means  an  individual,  corporation,  partnership,
          association, trust, unincorporated organization, other entity or group
          (as defined in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act); and

               (f) "subsidiary" or "subsidiaries" of the Company,  the Surviving
          Corporation,  Parent  or  any  other  person  means  any  corporation,
          partnership, joint venture or other legal entity of which the Company,
          the Surviving  Corporation,  Parent or such other person,  as the case
          may  be  (either   alone  or  through  or  together   with  any  other
          subsidiary),  owns, directly or indirectly, more than 50% of the stock
          or other equity interests the holders of which are generally  entitled
          to vote for the election of the board of directors or other  governing
          body of such corporation or other legal entity.

         SECTION 8.04.  Amendment.  This Agreement may be amended by the parties
hereto by action taken by or on behalf of their  respective  Boards of Directors
at any time prior to the Effective Time; provided, however, that, after approval
of the Merger by the stockholders of the Company, no amendment may be made which
by law  requires  further  approval by such  stockholders  without  such further
approval.  This  Agreement may not be amended except by an instrument in writing
signed by the parties hereto.

         SECTION  8.05.  Waiver.  At any time prior to the Effective  Time,  any
party  hereto may with respect to any other party hereto (a) extend the time for
the  performance  of any  of the  obligations  or  other  acts,  (b)  waive  any
inaccuracies in the  representations  and warranties  contained herein or in any
document  delivered  pursuant  hereto,  or (c) waive  compliance with any of the
agreements or conditions contained herein. Any such extension or waiver shall be
valid if set forth in an instrument in writing signed by the party or parties to
be bound thereby.

         SECTION 8.06.  Headings.  The headings  contained in this Agreement are
for  reference  purposes  only and shall not  affect in any way the  meaning  or
interpretation of this Agreement.


                                      -61-


<PAGE>

         SECTION 8.07. Severability.  (a) If any term or other provision of this
Agreement is invalid, illegal or incapable of being enforced by any rule of law,
or public policy,  all other  conditions and provisions of this Agreement  shall
nevertheless  remain in full force and effect so long as the  economic  or legal
substance of the transactions  contemplated hereby is not affected in any manner
adverse to any party. Upon such  determination  that any term or other provision
is invalid,  illegal or incapable of being  enforced,  the parties  hereto shall
negotiate  in good faith to modify this  Agreement  so as to effect the original
intent of the parties as closely as possible in an acceptable  manner to the end
that transactions contemplated hereby are fulfilled to the extent possible.

         (b) The  Company  and Parent  agree that the Fees  provided  in Section
7.03(b) and 7.03(c) are fair and reasonable in the circumstances.  If a court of
competent jurisdiction shall nonetheless,  by a final,  non-appealable judgment,
determine that the amount of any such Fee exceeds the maximum  amount  permitted
by law,  then the  amount of such Fee shall be  reduced  to the  maximum  amount
permitted by law in the circumstances,  as determined by such court of competent
jurisdiction.

         SECTION 8.08. Entire Agreement.  This Agreement  constitutes the entire
agreement and supersedes all prior agreements and  undertakings  (other than the
Confidentiality  Letter),  both written and oral,  among the parties,  or any of
them, with respect to the subject matter hereof.

         SECTION  8.09.  Assignment;  Merger Sub.  This  Agreement  shall not be
assigned by operation of law or otherwise,  except that all or any of the rights
of Merger Sub hereunder may be assigned to any direct,  wholly-owned  subsidiary
of Parent provided that no such assignment  shall relieve the assigning party of
its obligations  hereunder.  Parent guarantees the full and punctual performance
by  Merger  Sub of all the  obligations  hereunder  of  Merger  Sub or any  such
assignees.

         SECTION 8.10. Parties in Interest. This Agreement shall be binding upon
and inure  solely to the  benefit  of each  party  hereto,  and  nothing in this
Agreement,  express or implied,  is  intended to or shall  confer upon any other
person any right,  benefit or remedy of any nature whatsoever under or by reason
of this Agreement,  including, without limitation, by way of subrogation,  other
than  Section  5.07 (which is intended to be for the benefit of the  Indemnified
Parties and may be enforced by such Indemnified Parties) and Section 5.16 (which
is  intended  to be for the benefit of the persons who are parties to the Parent
Options and the Severance Agreements and may be enforced by such persons).

         SECTION 8.11. Failure or Indulgence Not Waiver; Remedies Cumulative. No
failure or delay on the part of any party  hereto in the  exercise  of any right
hereunder  shall  impair  such  right  or be  construed  to be a waiver  of,  or
acquiescence in, any breach of any representation, warranty or agreement herein,
nor shall any single or partial  exercise  of any such right  preclude  other or
further exercise thereof or of any other right. All rights and remedies existing
under this  Agreement  are  cumulative  to, and not  exclusive of, any rights or
remedies otherwise available.


                                      -62-


<PAGE>

         SECTION 8.12. Governing Law; Jurisdiction.  (a) This Agreement shall be
governed by, and construed in accordance with, the internal laws of the State of
New York applicable to contracts  executed and fully performed  within the State
of New York.

         (b)  Each  of  the  parties   hereto   submits  to  the   non-exclusive
jurisdiction  of the federal  courts of the United  States and the courts of the
State of New York located in the City of New York,  Borough of Manhattan  solely
with  respect to any claim or cause of action  arising out of this  Agreement or
the transactions contemplated hereby.

         SECTION 8.13.  Counterparts.  This  Agreement may be executed in one or
more counterparts, and by the different parties hereto in separate counterparts,
each of which when  executed  shall be deemed to be an original but all of which
taken together shall constitute one and the same agreement.

         SECTION 8.14. WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL. EACH OF PARENT,  MERGER SUB AND THE
COMPANY HEREBY  IRREVOCABLY  WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, ALL
RIGHTS TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY  ACTION,  PROCEEDING,  OR  COUNTERCLAIM  (WHETHER
BASED UPON  CONTRACT,  TORT OR  OTHERWISE)  ARISING  OUT OF OR  RELATING TO THIS
AGREEMENT OR ANY OF THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY.







                     [This space intentionally left blank.]


                                      -63-


<PAGE>

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Parent, Merger Sub and the Company have caused this
Agreement to be executed as of the date first written above by their  respective
officers thereunto duly authorized.


                                            ADT LIMITED


                                            By
                                               -----------------------------
                                                   Name:
                                                   Title:



                                            LIMITED APACHE, INC.


                                            By
                                               -----------------------------
                                                   Name:
                                                   Title:


                                            TYCO INTERNATIONAL LTD.


                                            By
                                               -----------------------------
                                                   Name:
                                                   Title:


<PAGE>



         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Parent, Merger Sub and the Company have caused this
Agreement to be executed as of the date first written above by their  respective
officers thereunto duly authorized.


                               ADT LIMITED


                               By   /s/ Stephen J. Ruzika
                                 -----------------------------
                                  Name:   Stephen J. Ruzika
                                  Title:  Chief Financial Officer and
                                          Executive Vice President



                                LIMITED APACHE, INC.


                               By   /s/ Stephen J. Ruzika
                                 -----------------------------
                                  Name:   Stephen J. Ruzika
                                  Title:  Vice President



                               TYCO INTERNATIONAL LTD.


                               By   /s/ Barbara S. Miller
                                 -----------------------------
                                  Name:   Barbara S. Miller
                                  Title:  Vice President-Treasurer


                                      -65-


<PAGE>


                                                                         ANNEX A

         The following persons shall be nominated for election pursuant to the
New Parent Director Election (as defined in Section 5.03):

               (i) The current Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer
          of the Company and each other  member of the Board of Directors of the
          Company  serving on the date of this  Agreement,  or any other  person
          selected by the Company and reasonably acceptable to Parent, such that
          the total number of directors nominated in accordance with this clause
          (i) shall be eight (8); and

               (ii) The  current  Chairman  of the  Board  and  Chief  Executive
          Officer  of Parent  and any two  independent  members  of the Board of
          Directors  of Parent  serving  on the date of this  Agreement,  or any
          other  person  selected  by Parent and  reasonably  acceptable  to the
          Company,  such  that  the  total  number  of  directors  nominated  in
          accordance with this clause (ii) shall be three (3).


                                      -66-


<PAGE>

                                                                         ANNEX B



ADT Holdings, Inc.
ADT Operations, Inc.
ADT Security Services, Inc.
ADT Automotive Holdings, Inc.
ADT Automotive, Inc.
ADT Security Services Canada, Inc.
ADT Group N.V.
ADT Holdings B.V.
ADT Services AG
ADT Monitoring Services AG
ADT Franchising AG
ADT (UK) Holdings plc
ADT Finance plc
Electric Protection Services Limited
Modern Security Systems Ltd.
Sandalwood
ADT Luxembourg SA


                                      -67-


<PAGE>


                                                                         ANNEX C


Carlisle Plastics, Inc.
The Earth Technology Corporation (USA)
Grinnell Corporation
Allied Tube & Conduit Corp.
Ludlow Corporation
Mueller Co.
Simplex Technologies
Water Holdings Corp.
Ansul, Incorporated


                                      -68-




© 2022 IncJournal is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission