Exhibit 99
Contact:
At the Company
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401-233-0333
Walter Stepan/Philip B. Barr
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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December 15, 2000
EVALUATION OF STRATEGIC ALTERNATIVES
CONTINUING INTO JANUARY 2001
Smithfield, R.I., December 15, 2000 -- Bacou USA, Inc. (NYSE: BAU), a
leading manufacturer of personal protection equipment, today provided the
following forward-looking statements which update prior announcements about the
ongoing evaluation of strategic alternatives by Bacou S.A. and Bacou USA:
"We have continued to make progress in the evaluation of strategic
alternatives for Bacou S.A. and Bacou USA, " said Walter Stepan, who is
both Co-Chairman of Bacou USA and the person responsible for leading
the global process of reviewing strategic alternatives for Bacou S.A.
and Bacou USA. "However, it is now apparent that the Bacou family will
not complete their process of evaluating the various alternatives
before year end. Therefore, the process will continue into January
2001."
"We continue to expect that this process will result in a sale of the
businesses of Bacou S.A. and Bacou USA in their entireties to one
purchaser in a single transaction," continued Stepan. "Although we
cannot provide any assurances at this time whether or not a transaction
will occur, we would anticipate that any resulting transaction would be
consummated by the end of the first quarter of 2001."
Bacou S.A. is a leading manufacturer and distributor of personal
protective equipment and safety products with a distribution focus on the
European markets. The individuals who control the ownership of Bacou S.A. are
the immediate family members of the company's late founder, Henri Bacou. Bacou
S.A. owns 12.6 million shares of Bacou USA or approximately 71.6 percent of the
issued and outstanding shares.
Bacou USA, Inc. designs, manufactures and sells leading brands of
products that protect the sight, hearing, respiratory systems and hands of
workers, as well as related instrumentation including vision screeners, gas
monitors and test equipment for self-contained breathing apparatus.
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The company's products, marketed under Uvex(R), Howard Leight(R), Perfect
Fit(TM), Whiting + Davis(R), Survivair(R), Pro-Tech(R), Biosystems(TM),
Titmus(R), LaserVision(TM) and Lase-R Shield(TM) brand names, are sold
principally to industrial safety distributors, fire fighting equipment
distributors and optical laboratories. News and information about Bacou USA are
available on the Worldwide Web at www.bacouusa.com.
Statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts are
forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions
of the Private Securities and Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In addition, words
such as "believes," "anticipates," "expects" and similar expressions are
intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements
involve risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to the timely
development and acceptance of new products, the impact of competitive products
and pricing, changing market conditions, the successful integration of
acquisitions, continued availability and favorable pricing of raw materials, and
the other risks detailed in the company's prospectus filed March 27, 1996, and
from time to time in other filings. Actual results may differ materially from
those projected. These forward-looking statements represent the company's
judgment as of the date of this release. The company disclaims, however, any
intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
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