COMMERCIAL INTERTECH CORP
DEFN14A, 1996-07-24
MISC INDUSTRIAL & COMMERCIAL MACHINERY & EQUIPMENT
Previous: COMMERCIAL INTERTECH CORP, DEFN14A, 1996-07-24
Next: COMPREHENSIVE CARE CORP, PRER14A, 1996-07-24



<PAGE>   1
 
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
                            ------------------------
 
                            SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION
 
   
                   PROXY STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 14(A)
    
                     OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
 
Filed by the Registrant  / /
Filed by a Party other than the Registrant  /X/
 
Check the appropriate box:
 
   
/ /  Preliminary Proxy Statement
    
 
   
/X/  Definitive Proxy Statement
    
 
/ /  Definitive Additional Materials
 
/ /  Soliciting Material Pursuant to Section 240.14a-11(c) or Section 240.14a-12
 
                           COMMERCIAL INTERTECH CORP.
                (Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)
 
                       UNITED DOMINION INDUSTRIES LIMITED

                                      and
 
                          OPUS ACQUISITION CORPORATION
                   (Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement)
                            ------------------------
 
Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):
 
/ /  $125 per Exchange Act Rules 0-11(c)(1)(ii), 14a-6(i)(1), or 14a-6(j)(2).
 
/ /  $500 per each party to the controversy pursuant to Exchange Act Rule
     14a-6(i)(3).
 
/X/  Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(4) and 0-11.
 
    (1)  Title of each class of securities to which transaction applies: Common
         Shares, par value $1.00 per share ("Common Shares"), including Common
         Shares issuable upon conversion of ESOP Convertible Preferred Stock
         Series B, without par value (the "Preferred Shares" and, together with
         the Common Shares, the "Shares")
 
   
    (2)  Aggregate number of securities to which transaction applies: 15,620,531
         Common Shares, consisting of 13,720,504 outstanding Common Shares,
         1,283,976 Common Shares issuable upon conversion of 1,039,657
         outstanding Preferred Shares and 617,051 Common Shares reserved for
         issuance upon exercise of outstanding options to acquire Common Shares
         (less 1,000 Common Shares owned by United Dominion Industries Limited
         or any of its affiliates)
    
 
   
    (3)  Per unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed
         pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (Set forth the amount on which the
         filing fee is calculated and state how it was determined): As provided
         by Rule 0-11(c), the filing fee is based upon 1/50th of 1% of $30, the
         amount to be paid per Common Share, multiplied by 15,620,531 Common
         Shares
    
 
   
    (4)  Proposed maximum aggregate value of transaction: $468,615,930
    
 
   
    (5)  Total fee paid: $93,724
    
 
/X/  Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act Rule
     0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was paid
     previously. Identify the previous filing by registration statement number,
     or the Form or Schedule and the date of its filing.
 
   
    (1)  Amount Previously Paid: $99,299
    
 
    (2)  Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No.: Schedule 14D-1
 
    (3)  Filing Party: Opus Acquisition Corporation and United Dominion
         Industries Limited
 
   
    (4)  Date Filed: July 15, 1996
    
 
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<PAGE>   2
 
   
                                      LOGO
    
 
                                PROXY STATEMENT
                                       OF
                       UNITED DOMINION INDUSTRIES LIMITED
                                      AND
                          OPUS ACQUISITION CORPORATION
                                    FOR THE
                        SPECIAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
                             UNDER SECTION 1701.831
                            OF THE OHIO REVISED CODE
                                       OF
                           COMMERCIAL INTERTECH CORP.
   
                         TO BE HELD ON AUGUST 30, 1996
    
 
   
     This Proxy Statement and the accompanying BLUE-STRIPED proxy card are being
furnished to holders of outstanding Common Shares, par value $1.00 per share
("Common Shares"), and ESOP Convertible Preferred Shares Series B, without par
value ("Preferred Shares" and, together with the Common Shares, the "Shares"),
of Commercial Intertech Corp., an Ohio corporation (the "Company"), in
connection with the solicitation of proxies to be used for the purposes
described herein at a Special Meeting of Shareholders of the Company to be held
on August 30, 1996, and at any adjournments or postponements thereof (the
"Control Share Meeting"). As used herein, unless the context otherwise requires,
the term "Common Shares" shall include the associated Rights (as defined below).
BLUE-STRIPED proxies are being solicited by United Dominion Industries Limited,
a Canadian corporation ("Parent"), and by Opus Acquisition Corporation (the
"Purchaser"), a Delaware corporation and an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of
Parent, for the purpose of considering and voting on the proposal described
below. This Proxy Statement and the accompanying BLUE-STRIPED Proxy card are
first being sent or given to shareholders on or about July 24, 1996. The record
date for the Special Meeting is the close of business on August 7, 1996 (the
"Record Date"). The principal executive offices of the Company are located at
1775 Logan Avenue, Youngstown, Ohio 44510.
    
 
     Parent and the Purchaser are soliciting proxies to authorize, in accordance
with Section 1701.831 (the "Ohio Control Share Acquisition Law") of the Ohio
Revised Code (the "ORC"), the acquisition by Parent and the Purchaser (or one or
more subsidiaries of Parent) of Common Shares that, when added to all other
Shares in respect of which Parent and the Purchaser may exercise or direct the
exercise of voting power in the election of the Company's directors, would
entitle Parent and the Purchaser to exercise at least a majority of such voting
power.
 
   
     The Purchaser has commenced a tender offer to purchase all outstanding
Common Shares (and associated Rights) for $30 per Common Share (and associated
Right), net to the seller in cash, without interest thereon, upon the terms and
subject to the conditions set forth in a Revised Offer to Purchase dated July
16, 1996 (the "Offer to Purchase") and related Revised Letter of Transmittal
(the "Letter of Transmittal") (which, as either may be amended from time to
time, together constitute the "Offer"). The Offer, which was announced on July
15, 1996, amended the terms of the Purchaser's original offer (the "Original
Offer") which the Purchaser commenced on July 12, 1996 at a price of $27 per
Common Share (and associated Right).
    
 
   
     As more fully described below under "OHIO CONTROL SHARE ACQUISITION LAW,"
the Ohio Control Share Acquisition Law requires shareholder authorization to be
obtained before any person may acquire any interest in Shares that would entitle
such person directly or indirectly to control 20% or more of the voting power of
the Company in the election of its directors. The Control Share Meeting of
shareholders of the Company has been called by the Company's Board of Directors
(the "Company's Board") pursuant to the
    
<PAGE>   3
 
   
Ohio Control Share Acquisition Law for the purpose of voting on the proposed
acquisition (the "Acquisition Proposal") of outstanding Common Shares by the
Purchaser and Parent (or one or more subsidiaries of Parent) as contemplated by
and in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Offer to Purchase. The
Special Meeting is scheduled to be held on August 30, 1996 in Youngstown, Ohio
at a time and place to be announced by the Company in the notice of the Control
Share Meeting to be sent by the Company to the Company's shareholders.
    
 
   
     COMMON SHARES WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED FOR PAYMENT PURSUANT TO THE OFFER
UNLESS, AMONG OTHER THINGS, (1) THE ACQUISITION BY THE PURCHASER OF COMMON
SHARES PURSUANT TO THE OFFER IS AUTHORIZED BY THE SHAREHOLDERS OF THE COMPANY AT
THE SPECIAL MEETING OR (2) THE PURCHASER, IN ITS SOLE DISCRETION, IS SATISFIED
THAT THE PROVISIONS OF THE OHIO CONTROL SHARE ACQUISITION LAW ARE INVALID OR
INAPPLICABLE TO SUCH ACQUISITION. ACCORDINGLY, IF YOU WANT THE OPPORTUNITY TO
RECEIVE $30 NET PER COMMON SHARE IN CASH PURSUANT TO THE OFFER, WE URGE YOU TO
SIGN, DATE AND MAIL PROMPTLY THE ENCLOSED BLUE-STRIPED PROXY IN FAVOR OF THE
ACQUISITION PROPOSAL.
    
 
     SHAREHOLDER AUTHORIZATION OF THE ACQUISITION PROPOSAL WILL NOT REQUIRE YOU
TO TENDER YOUR COMMON SHARES TO THE PURCHASER. CONSUMMATION OF THE OFFER,
HOWEVER, IS CONDITIONED UPON, AMONG OTHER THINGS, AUTHORIZATION BY SHAREHOLDERS
OF THE COMPANY OF THE ACQUISITION PROPOSAL (OR THE PURCHASER BEING SATISFIED, IN
ITS SOLE DISCRETION, THAT THE OHIO CONTROL SHARE ACQUISITION LAW IS INVALID OR
INAPPLICABLE TO SUCH ACQUISITION). ACCORDINGLY, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT
SHAREHOLDERS WHO WISH TO TENDER THEIR COMMON SHARES TO THE PURCHASER PURSUANT TO
THE OFFER VOTE FOR THE AUTHORIZATION OF THE ACQUISITION PROPOSAL ON THE ENCLOSED
BLUE-STRIPED PROXY CARD.
 
     Tendering Common Shares pursuant to the Offer will NOT constitute a vote in
favor of the Acquisition Proposal. Instead, you must vote by using the enclosed
BLUE-STRIPED proxy card or by voting in person at the Special Meeting.
 
   
     If you have any questions about the voting of Shares, the Offer or the
Acquisition Proposal, please contact MacKenzie Partners, Inc. ("MacKenzie
Partners") at 156 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10010, or by telephone at
212-929-5500 (call collect) or 800-322-2885 (toll free).
    
 
                         VOTING AT THE SPECIAL MEETING
 
   
     At the Control Share Meeting, shareholders of the Company will be asked (i)
to approve a resolution of the Company's shareholders authorizing the
Acquisition Proposal and (ii) to confer authority to the proxies named in the
accompanying proxy to initiate and vote for one or more proposals to adjourn the
Control Share Meeting for any reason, including to allow the solicitation of
additional votes, if necessary, to authorize the Acquisition Proposal under the
Ohio Control Share Acquisition Law (the "Adjournment Proposal").
    
 
   
     According to the Company's amended Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the
fiscal year ended October 31, 1995 (the "Company 1995 10-K/A"), as of July 15,
1996 there were 14,665,404 Common Shares outstanding and, according to the
Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended April 30, 1996
(the "Company Form 10-Q"), as of April 30, 1996 there were 1,039,657 Preferred
Shares outstanding. According to amendments filed by the Company through July
23, 1996 to the Solicitation Recommendation Statement on Schedule 14D-9
originally filed by the Company on July 12, 1996 (as amended from time to time,
the "Schedule 14D-9"), the Company repurchased 1,792,500 Common Shares pursuant
to its repurchase program first announced by the Company on July 12, 1996 (the
"Repurchase Program"), 944,900 of which were repurchased after July 15, 1996.
According to the Company's Proxy Statement for its 1996 Annual Meeting of
Shareholders (the "Annual Meeting Proxy Statement") and other documents publicly
filed by the Company under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the
"Exchange Act"), the Common Shares and the Preferred Shares vote together as a
single class, with each Common Share entitled to one vote and each Preferred
Share entitled to one and one-half votes. However, in litigation that has been
    
 
                                        2
<PAGE>   4
 
   
instituted by Parent and the Purchaser in the Ohio Federal District Court (as
defined below), and subsequently in the Company 1995 10-K/A, the Company
admitted that the Preferred Shares are entitled to only one vote per share.
Accordingly, Parent and the Purchaser believe that in any shareholder vote in
which the Common Shares and Preferred Shares vote together as a single class
(provided that, as described herein, votes of Shares which are "Interested
Shares" may be excluded for certain purposes), the Preferred Shares are entitled
to one vote per Preferred Share, notwithstanding the fact that since September
1994 all votes of the Company's shareholders have erroneously been tabulated on
the basis of one and one-half votes per Preferred Share. See "CERTAIN LEGAL
MATTERS" below.
    
 
   
     The Preferred Shares are held of record by Mellon Bank, N.A., as trustee
(the "ESOP Trustee") for the Company's Employee Stock Ownership Plan and
Retirement Stock Ownership and Savings Plan (the "ESOPs"). According to the
Annual Meeting Proxy Statement, the trusts for these plans (the "ESOP Trusts")
contain pass-through voting provisions for the participants of the ESOPs, with
Preferred Shares that are allocated to a participant's account voted by the ESOP
Trustee as instructed by the participant and Preferred Shares that either are
not allocated to any participant's account or are allocated but for which no
instruction from the participant has been received by the ESOP Trustee voted by
the ESOP Trustee proportionately as the allocated shares for which instructions
were received are voted. See "CERTAIN LEGAL MATTERS" below. PARTICIPANTS IN THE
ESOPS CAN ONLY VOTE SHARES HELD IN THE ESOPS ON THEIR BEHALF BY INSTRUCTING THE
ESOP TRUSTEE ON THE FORM THAT SHOULD BE PROVIDED TO PARTICIPANTS BY THE ESOP
TRUSTEE FOR THAT PURPOSE. ESOP PARTICIPANTS CANNOT VOTE SHARES ALLOCATED TO
THEIR ESOP ACCOUNT BY EXECUTING THE ACCOMPANYING BLUE-STRIPED PROXY CARD.
    
 
   
     Parent and the Purchaser believe that, notwithstanding the express terms of
the trust document, the ESOP Trustee has a fiduciary duty under the Employee
Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended ("ERISA"), to exercise its
discretion with respect to voting Shares held in the ESOP which are allocated to
any participant's account but for which no instructions are received by it and
for all Shares held in the ESOP which are not allocated to any participant's
account. Parent and the Purchaser also believe that the indemnification
provisions in favor of the ESOP Trustee contained in the ESOP trust documents,
which provide full indemnification for the ESOP Trustee only for actions taken
upon the written direction of the participants and in accordance with the terms
of the ESOP, violate ERISA. The United States Department of Labor (the "DOL")
has successfully advanced similar positions in a federal district court case,
which is currently on appeal, arising out of a tender offer in which the target
company's employee stock ownership plan provided that tendering decisions were
to be passed-through to participants with respect both to allocated and
unallocated shares, and that a failure to direct by a participant should be
interpreted by the trustee as an instruction not to tender. The court in Reich
v. NationsBank of Georgia, N.A. concluded that it is not appropriate for
participants in an employee stock ownership plan to make tendering decisions
with respect to unallocated shares (due to "an inherent conflict of interest").
The court also stated that "when a trustee receives no affirmative direction
regarding allocated shares, the trustee must take exclusive responsibility for
decisions regarding these shares." (Moreover, the DOL has taken the position
that, under the fiduciary requirements of ERISA, a trustee of an employee stock
ownership plan must override participant instructions if following them would be
imprudent.) In Martin v. NationsBank of Georgia, N.A., an earlier opinion in the
same federal district court proceeding, the court granted partial summary
judgment to the DOL on its claim that indemnification rights in favor of a
trustee of an employee stock option plan that differed depending on whether or
not the trustee followed participant voting and tendering instructions violated
ERISA. The court stated that the indemnification agreement, which created "a
financial incentive for the Trustee to breach its fiduciary obligations under
ERISA," compromised the trustee's independent judgment and thus violated ERISA.
    
 
   
     Certain Common Shares are held of record by National City Bank, N.E., as
trustee (the "Plan Trustee") for the Company's Non-Qualified Stock Purchase Plan
and the Employee Savings and Stock Purchase Plan (the "Plans"). The trusts for
these Plans (the "Plan Trusts") contain pass-through voting provisions for the
participants of the Plans, with Common Shares that are allocated to a
participant's account voted by the Plan Trustee as instructed by the participant
and Common Shares that either are not allocated to any participant's account or
are allocated but for which no instruction from the participant has been
received by the Plan
    
 
                                        3
<PAGE>   5
 
   
Trustee voted by the Plan Trustee, in its sole discretion. PARTICIPANTS IN THE
PLANS CAN ONLY VOTE COMMON SHARES HELD IN THE PLANS ON THEIR BEHALF BY
INSTRUCTING THE PLAN TRUSTEE ON THE FORM THAT SHOULD BE PROVIDED BY THE PLAN
TRUSTEE FOR THAT PURPOSE. PLAN PARTICIPANTS CANNOT VOTE COMMON SHARES ALLOCATED
TO THEIR PLAN ACCOUNT BY EXECUTING THE ACCOMPANYING BLUE-STRIPED PROXY CARD.
    
 
   
     Authorization of the Acquisition Proposal pursuant to the Ohio Control
Share Acquisition Law requires (i) the affirmative vote of the holders of a
majority of the voting power represented by Shares present at the Control Share
Meeting in person or by proxy, (ii) the affirmative vote of the holders of a
majority of the voting power represented by such Shares excluding Shares that
are "Interested Shares" (as such term is defined below) and (iii) the presence
of a quorum at the Control Share Meeting. The Ohio Control Share Acquisition Law
provides that a quorum shall be deemed to be present at the Control Share
Meeting if at least a majority of the voting power of the Shares, and a majority
of such voting power excluding the voting power of Shares that are "Interested
Shares," are represented at such meeting in person or by proxy.
    
 
   
     A VOTE IN FAVOR OF THE ACQUISITION PROPOSAL WILL NOT REQUIRE THAT YOU
TENDER COMMON SHARES IN THE OFFER. APPROVAL OF THE ACQUISITION PROPOSAL WILL
HELP MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DECIDE FOR YOURSELF
WHETHER TO ACCEPT THE OFFER AND RECEIVE $30 NET PER COMMON SHARE IN CASH. If you
are a shareholder of record on the Record Date, August 7, 1996, you will be
entitled to vote at the Control Share Meeting even if you subsequently tender
your Shares in the Offer.
    
 
   
     Whether or not you plan to attend the Control Share Meeting, we urge you to
vote FOR authorization of the Acquisition Proposal and FOR the Adjournment
Proposal by so indicating on the accompanying BLUE-STRIPED proxy card and
immediately mailing it in the enclosed envelope. You may revoke a proxy at any
time before it is voted by delivering a written notice of revocation or a later
dated proxy for the Control Share Meeting to Commercial Intertech Corp., 1775
Logan Avenue, Youngstown, Ohio 44510. Parent and the Purchaser request that you
send a copy of any revocation sent to the Company to United Dominion Industries
Limited, 2300 One First Union Center, Charlotte, North Carolina 28202-6039, c/o
B. Bernard Burns, Jr., Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary.
Proxies may also be revoked at the Special Meeting; however, attendance at the
Control Share Meeting will not in and of itself revoke a proxy. Unless revoked
in the manner set forth above, proxies in the form accompanying this Proxy
Statement will be voted at the Control Share Meeting in accordance with your
instructions. In the absence of such instructions, such proxies will be voted
FOR the Acquisition Proposal and FOR any Adjournment Proposal.
    
 
   
     Any abstention from voting on a proxy will count as a vote withheld, will
be included in computing the number of Shares present for purposes of
determining whether a quorum is present at the Control Share Meeting, and will
have the same practical effect as a vote AGAINST the Acquisition Proposal or any
Adjournment Proposal. If a broker indicates on a proxy that it does not have
discretionary authority as to certain Shares to vote on the Acquisition Proposal
or any Adjournment Proposal (a "broker non-vote"), those Shares will also be
considered present for purposes of determining the presence of a quorum but not
entitled to vote with respect to the applicable proposal and will also have the
same practical effect as a vote AGAINST the Acquisition Proposal or any
Adjournment Proposal.
    
 
                                   THE OFFER
 
   
     On July 12, 1996, the Purchaser commenced the Original Offer and on July
15, 1996 announced that it was increasing the price to be paid pursuant to the
Offer from $27 to $30 per Common Share, net to the seller in cash. The purpose
of the Offer and the Proposed Merger (as defined below) is to enable the
Purchaser to acquire control of, and the entire equity interest in, the Company.
The Offer, as the first step in the acquisition of the Company, is intended to
facilitate the acquisition of all outstanding Shares. Parent intends, following
the completion of the Offer, to seek to have the Company consummate a merger or
similar business combination with the Purchaser or another subsidiary of Parent
at the same price per Common Share to be paid in the Offer (the "Proposed
Merger"), subject to the terms and conditions described in the Offer to
Purchase. The Offer is subject to certain terms and conditions described in the
Offer to Purchase.
    
 
                                        4
<PAGE>   6
 
   
     A copy of the Tender Offer Statement on Schedule 14D-1 (the "Schedule
14D-1"), which was filed by the Purchaser and Parent with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (the "Commission") on July 12, 1996, and all amendments
thereto, including Amendment No. 2 thereto filed July 16, 1996, which includes
the Offer to Purchase and Letter of Transmittal, may be obtained from the
Commission, upon payment of the Commission's customary charges, by writing to
its principal office at 450 Fifth Street, N.W., Judiciary Plaza, Room 1024,
Washington, D.C. 20549. Such material is also available for inspection and
copying at the principal office of the Commission at the address set forth
immediately above, at the Commission's regional offices at Seven World Trade
Center, 13th Floor, New York, New York 10048 and Citicorp Center, 500 West
Madison Street, Suite 1400, Chicago, Illinois 60661, and at the offices of the
New York Stock Exchange, 20 Broad Street, New York, New York 10005. Such
material should also be available on-line through the Commission's EDGAR system.
    
 
   
     IF THE ACQUISITION PROPOSAL IS NOT AUTHORIZED BY THE SHAREHOLDERS OF THE
COMPANY AT THE CONTROL SHARE MEETING, THEN COMMON SHARES WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED
FOR PAYMENT PURSUANT TO THE OFFER UNLESS THE PURCHASER IS SATISFIED, IN ITS SOLE
DISCRETION, THAT THE PROVISIONS OF THE OHIO CONTROL SHARE ACQUISITION LAW ARE
INVALID OR INAPPLICABLE TO THE ACQUISITION BY THE PURCHASER OF COMMON SHARES
PURSUANT TO THE OFFER.
    
 
   
     BY VOTING IN FAVOR OF THE ACQUISITION PROPOSAL, A SHAREHOLDER IS NOT
REQUIRED TO TENDER COMMON SHARES IN THE OFFER AND WOULD NOT BE PROHIBITED FROM
LATER VOTING AGAINST ANY OTHER PROPOSED CONTROL SHARE ACQUISITION OR BUSINESS
COMBINATION INVOLVING THE COMPANY, PARENT OR THE PURCHASER. SHAREHOLDER
AUTHORIZATION OF THE ACQUISITION PROPOSAL WOULD HELP MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO
HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ELECT TO SELL YOUR COMMON SHARES TO THE PURCHASER
PURSUANT TO THE OFFER.
    
 
                       OHIO CONTROL SHARE ACQUISITION LAW
 
     The Ohio Control Share Acquisition Law provides that unless the articles of
incorporation or the regulations of an issuing public corporation provide
otherwise, any control share acquisition of such corporation shall be made only
with the prior authorization of the shareholders. An "issuing public
corporation" is a corporation organized for profit under the laws of Ohio, with
50 or more shareholders, that has its principal place of business, principal
executive offices or substantial assets in Ohio, and as to which there is no
close corporation agreement in existence. The Company is an issuing public
corporation, as so defined.
 
     THE FOLLOWING IS A SUMMARY OF THE OHIO CONTROL SHARE ACQUISITION LAW.
 
   
     A "control share acquisition" means the acquisition, directly or
indirectly, by any person of shares of an issuing public corporation that, when
added to all other shares of the issuing public corporation in respect of which
such person may exercise or direct the exercise of voting power, would entitle
such person, immediately after such acquisition, directly or indirectly, alone
or with others, to control any of the following ranges of voting power of such
issuing public corporation in the election of directors: (i) one-fifth or more
but less than one-third of such voting power, (ii) one-third or more but less
than a majority of such voting power, or (iii) a majority or more of such voting
power. An acquisition of shares of an issuing public corporation, however, does
not constitute a control share acquisition if, among other things, the
acquisition is consummated pursuant to a merger, consolidation or other
transaction effected in compliance with any of Sections 1701.78, 1701.781 or
1701.83 of the ORC if the issuing public corporation is the surviving or new
corporation in the merger or consolidation or is the acquiring corporation in
the combination or majority share acquisition.
    
 
   
     Any person who proposes to make a control share acquisition must deliver an
"acquiring person statement" to the issuing public corporation, which statement
shall include: (i) the identity of the acquiring person, (ii) a statement that
the acquiring person statement is given pursuant to the Ohio Control Share
    
 
                                        5
<PAGE>   7
 
   
Acquisition Law, (iii) the number of shares of the issuing public corporation
owned, directly or indirectly, by such acquiring person, (iv) the range of
voting power in the election of directors under which the proposed acquisition
would, if consummated, fall (i.e., in excess of 20%, 33 1/3% or 50%), (v) a
description of the terms of the proposed acquisition and (vi) representations of
the acquiring person that the acquisition will not be contrary to law and that
such acquiring person has the financial capacity to make the proposed
acquisition (including the facts upon which such representations are based). The
Purchaser and Parent delivered an acquiring person statement (the "Acquiring
Person Statement") to the Company on July 12, 1996.
    
 
     Within ten days of receipt of a qualifying acquiring person statement, the
directors of the issuing public corporation must call a special shareholders
meeting to vote on the proposed acquisition. Unless the acquiring person
otherwise agrees, the meeting must be held within 50 days of receipt of such
statement. However, the acquiring person may, and Parent and the Purchaser did,
request in the Acquiring Person Statement, that the meeting be held no sooner
than 30 days after the receipt of such statement. The Special Meeting cannot be
held later than certain other special meetings of shareholders called by the
issuing public corporation in compliance with the ORC after receipt of a
qualifying acquiring person statement.
 
     The issuing public corporation is required to send a notice of the special
meeting as promptly as reasonably practicable to all shareholders of record as
of the record date set for such meeting, together with a copy of the acquiring
person statement and a statement of the issuing public corporation, authorized
by its directors, of its position or recommendation, or that it is taking no
position, with respect to the proposed control share acquisition.
 
     The Ohio Control Share Acquisition Law provides that an acquiring person
may make the proposed control share acquisition only if, (a) at a meeting at
which a quorum is present, a majority of the voting power entitled to vote in
the election of directors represented (in person or by proxy) at such meeting
and a majority of such voting power excluding "Interested Shares," authorize the
control share acquisition and (b) such acquisition is consummated, in accordance
with the terms so authorized, within 360 days following such authorization.
"Interested Shares" is defined in the ORC to mean (x) shares as to which any of
the following may exercise or direct the exercise of voting power in the
election of directors: (i) an acquiring person, (ii) an officer of the issuing
public corporation elected or appointed by its directors or (iii) any employee
of the issuing public corporation who is also a director of such corporation and
(y) shares of the issuing public corporation acquired, directly or indirectly,
by any person or group for valuable consideration during the period beginning
with the date of the first public disclosure of a proposed control share
acquisition of the issuing public corporation or any proposed merger,
consolidation or other transaction which would result in a change in control of
the corporation or all or substantially all of its assets, and ending on the
date of any special meeting of the corporation's shareholders held thereafter
pursuant to the Ohio Control Share Acquisition Law for the purpose of voting on
a control share acquisition proposed by an acquiring person, if either of the
following apply: (i) the aggregate consideration paid or otherwise given by the
person who acquired the shares, and any other persons acting in concert with
such person, for all shares exceeds $250,000 or (ii) the number of shares
acquired by the person who acquired the shares, and any other persons acting in
concert with such person, exceeds 1/2 of 1% of the outstanding shares of the
corporation entitled to vote in the election of directors (the "Interested
Shares" described in this sentence are referred to herein as "Disqualified
Shares"). See "CERTAIN LEGAL MATTERS" below.
 
     Dissenters' rights are not available to shareholders of an issuing public
corporation in connection with the authorization of a control share acquisition.
 
     THE FOREGOING SUMMARY DOES NOT PURPORT TO BE A COMPLETE STATEMENT OF THE
PROVISIONS OF THE OHIO CONTROL SHARE ACQUISITION LAW AND THE RELATED PROVISIONS
OF THE ORC. THE FOREGOING SUMMARY IS QUALIFIED IN ITS ENTIRETY BY REFERENCE TO
THE OHIO CONTROL SHARE ACQUISITION LAW AND THE ORC.
 
                                        6
<PAGE>   8
 
                             CERTAIN LEGAL MATTERS
 
   
     On July 11, 1996, Parent and the Purchaser commenced an action (the "Ohio
Action") in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio,
Eastern Division (the "Ohio Federal District Court") against the Company, the
directors of the Company, the Acting Commissioner of Securities of the Ohio
Division of Securities, the Director of Commerce of the Ohio Department of
Commerce and the State of Ohio seeking, among other things, that the Court
declare unconstitutional and enjoin application of Sections 1707.041, 1707.042,
1707.23 and 1707.26 of the ORC (collectively, the "Ohio Take-Over Act") and
certain provisions of the Ohio Control Share Acquisition Law that impair the
voting rights of the Disqualified Shares. In March, 1995, in Luxottica Group
S.p.A. v. The United States Shoe Corporation, the Ohio Federal District Court
issued an order declaring invalid the provisions of the Ohio Control Share
Acquisition Law that impair the voting rights of the Disqualified Shares.
Without prejudice to its position that the Ohio Take-Over Act is
unconstitutional, on July 12, 1996, Parent and the Purchaser submitted Form 041
under the Ohio Take-Over Act, including a copy of the Schedule 14D-1 relating to
the Offer, to the Ohio Division of Securities.
    
 
   
     The complaint also alleges that refusal by the directors of the Company to
redeem the preferred share purchase rights associated with the Common Shares
(the "Rights") constitutes a breach of the directors' fiduciary duties. The
complaint seeks, among other things, that the Court enjoin the Company and its
directors from taking any steps to enforce or amend the Rights, and require that
the Rights be redeemed and that the provisions in the Rights that purport to
prohibit persons elected to the Company's Board who were not nominated by the
current directors of the Company from redeeming the Rights (or otherwise
rendering the Rights inapplicable to the Offer) for 180 days (the "180-Day
Restriction") be deleted.
    
 
   
     The complaint further alleged that the Preferred Shares held of record by
the trustee for the Company's ESOPs are not entitled to one and one-half votes
per share under Ohio law and the Company's Amended Articles of Incorporation and
Code of Regulations, but rather that each Preferred Share is entitled to one
vote. The complaint sought, among other things, a declaratory judgment that the
Preferred Shares are entitled to only one vote per share and an injunction
against the recognition of any altered or increased voting rights for the
Preferred Shares. In its answer and counterclaims to the complaint filed by the
Company on July 18, 1996 (the "Company Answer"), the Company admitted that the
Preferred Shares are entitled to only one vote per share, notwithstanding that
since September 1994 the Company's Board has recognized one and one-half votes
per Preferred Share.
    
 
   
     On July 15, 1995, the Ohio Federal District Court scheduled a hearing for
July 29, 1996 with respect to claims made by Parent and the Purchaser in the
Ohio Action seeking that such court declare unconstitutional and enjoin certain
provisions of the Ohio Control Share Acquisition Law that impair the voting
rights of Disqualified Shares.
    
 
   
     Also on July 15, 1996, Parent and the Purchaser filed a First Amended
Complaint in the Ohio Action alleging that the Company's proposed spin-off to
shareholders of 100% of its wholly owned Cuno Incorporated filtration subsidiary
(the "Spin-Off") and the Repurchase Program constitute violations of the
directors' duties under Ohio law, that the Company's Schedule 14D-9 is false and
misleading and that the Repurchase Program violates federal securities laws.
    
 
   
     On July 18, 1996, the Company filed the Company Answer. Among other things,
the counterclaims asserted by the Company in the Company Answer request that if
Parent and the Purchaser obtain proxies representing more than 10% of the voting
power of the Common Shares to elect directors nominated by Parent at the Special
Meeting (as described below), Parent and the Purchaser be declared "interested
shareholders" under the Ohio Business Combination Law described in the Offer to
Purchase with the effect that Parent and the Purchaser would be prohibited from
consummating the Proposed Merger for a period of three years. Parent and the
Purchaser believe the Company's position is an incorrect reading of the law and
is without merit. In either case, the prohibitions of the Ohio Business
Combination Law will not apply as the result of the solicitation of proxies in
connection with the Control Share Meeting, which will not involve the election
or removal of directors.
    
 
   
     On July 19, 1996, Parent and the Purchaser moved to file their Second
Amended Complaint in the Ohio Action seeking to enjoin the Company and the
Company's Board from taking any steps to effectuate the Spin-
    
 
                                        7
<PAGE>   9
 
   
Off until the Company's shareholders have the opportunity to vote at the Control
Share Meeting and the Special Meeting (as described below).
    
 
   
     In addition, the ESOP Trusts contain certain pass-through voting provisions
described under "VOTING AT THE SPECIAL MEETING" above. Parent and the Purchaser
believe that, notwithstanding the express terms of the trust document, the ESOP
Trustee has a fiduciary duty under ERISA to exercise its discretion with respect
to voting Shares held in the ESOPs which are allocated to any participant's
account but for which no instructions are received by it and for all Shares held
in the ESOPs which are not allocated to any participant's account. Parent and
the Purchaser also believe that the indemnification provisions in favor of the
ESOP Trustee contained in the ESOP Trust documents, which provide full
indemnification for the ESOP Trustee only for actions taken upon the written
direction of the participants and in accordance with the terms of the ESOPs,
violate ERISA. The DOL has successfully advanced similar positions in a federal
district court case. See "VOTING AT THE SPECIAL MEETING" above.
    
 
                                 OTHER MATTERS
 
   
     Except as set forth herein, neither Parent nor the Purchaser is aware of
any other substantive matter to be considered at the Control Share Meeting.
However, if any other matter properly comes before the Control Share Meeting,
the proxies also confer authority to the persons named in the accompanying proxy
to vote the Shares to which the proxy relates on such matter at their
discretion.
    
 
   
     A copy of the Acquiring Person Statement (without attachments) delivered to
the Company by the Purchaser and Parent accompanies this Proxy Statement as
Annex I. The Acquiring Person Statement and the Offer to Purchase contain
important information and should be read by shareholders before any decision is
made with respect to voting on the Acquisition Proposal.
    
 
   
     Only holders of record of Shares as of the close of business on the Record
Date will be entitled to vote. If you are a shareholder of record on the Record
Date, you will retain your voting rights for the Control Share Meeting even if
you sell such Shares after the Record Date or if you tender such Shares pursuant
to the Offer, whether before or after the Record Date. The tender of Common
Shares pursuant to the Offer does not constitute the grant to Parent or the
Purchaser of a proxy or any voting rights with respect to the tendered Common
Shares until such time as such Common Shares are accepted for payment by the
Purchaser. Accordingly, it is important that you vote the Common Shares held by
you on the Record Date, or grant a proxy to vote such Common Shares on the
BLUE-STRIPED proxy card even if you sell such Common Shares after the Record
Date or tender such Common Shares pursuant to the Offer.
    
 
     If any of your Shares are held in the name of a brokerage firm, bank, bank
nominee or other institution on the Record Date, only it can execute a proxy for
such Shares and will do so only upon receipt of your specific instructions.
Accordingly, please contact the person responsible for your account and instruct
that person to execute the BLUE-STRIPED proxy card.
 
   
     Participants in the ESOPs and the Plans can only vote Shares held in the
ESOPs or Plans on their behalf by instructing the ESOP Trustee or the Plan
Trustee, as applicable, on the form that should be provided to participants by
the ESOP Trustee or the Plan Trustee, as applicable, for that purpose. ESOP and
Plan participants cannot vote Shares allocated to their accounts by executing
the accompanying BLUE-STRIPED proxy card.
    
 
     PLEASE SIGN, DATE AND MAIL THE ACCOMPANYING BLUE-STRIPED PROXY CARD
PROMPTLY. NO POSTAGE IS REQUIRED IF MAILED IN THE UNITED STATES. BY SIGNING AND
MAILING THE ACCOMPANYING BLUE-STRIPED PROXY CARD, ANY PROXY PREVIOUSLY SIGNED BY
YOU WITH RESPECT TO THE ACQUISITION PROPOSAL WILL BE AUTOMATICALLY REVOKED.
 
                            SOLICITATION OF PROXIES
 
     Proxies may be solicited by mail, telephone, telecopier or the Internet and
in person. Solicitations may be made by directors, officers, investor relations
personnel and other employees of Parent or the Purchaser, none of whom will
receive additional compensation for such solicitations. Parent has requested
banks, brokerage houses and other custodians, nominees and fiduciaries to
forward all of its solicitation materials to the
 
                                        8
<PAGE>   10
 
beneficial owners of the Shares they hold of record. Parent will reimburse these
record holders for customary clerical and mailing expenses incurred by them in
forwarding these materials to their customers.
 
   
     Parent has retained MacKenzie Partners for solicitation and advisory
services in connection with (i) this solicitation, (ii) the solicitation of
agent designations to call a special meeting of the Company's shareholders (the
"Special Meeting") to, among other things, remove the Company's incumbent
directors and elect replacement directors, all as further described in the Offer
to Purchase and (iii) the solicitation of proxies for the Special Meeting.
Parent has also retained MacKenzie Partners to act as Information Agent in
connection with the Offer. Parent will pay MacKenzie Partners usual and
customary compensation for all such services, including up to $100,000 as
compensation for this solicitation, and will reimburse MacKenzie Partners for
reasonable out-of-pocket expenses in connection therewith. Parent has agreed to
indemnify MacKenzie Partners against certain liabilities and expenses in
connection with the Offer, including, without limitation, certain liabilities
under the federal securities laws. MacKenzie Partners will solicit proxies from
individuals, brokers, bank nominees and other institutional holders.
    
 
     Schroder Wertheim & Co. Incorporated ("Schroder Wertheim") is acting as
Dealer Manager in connection with the Offer and as Parent's financial advisor
with respect to the Offer and the Proposed Merger. As compensation for such
services, Parent has agreed to pay or cause to be paid to Schroder Wertheim a
fee of $500,000 upon commencement of the Offer. Parent has agreed to pay or
cause to be paid to Schroder Wertheim an additional fee of $3,500,000 contingent
upon consummation of a Transaction. "Transaction" has been defined as an
acquisition by Parent of the Company by way of (i) merger, (ii) purchase of all
or a portion of the assets or stock of the Company, (iii) obtaining 50% or more
voting control of the common stock of the Company or effective control of the
Board of Directors of the Company through a proxy or similar solicitation, or
(iv) otherwise. Parent has also agreed that, in the event a Transaction is not
consummated, Parent will pay to Schroder Wertheim 10% of any profits Parent
receives upon its disposition of, or otherwise received in respect of,
securities of the Company acquired by it, or 10% of any break-up fee Parent
receives from the Company (in each case, less any fees paid to Schroder Wertheim
at the commencement of the Offer). In addition, Parent has agreed to reimburse
Schroder Wertheim for certain reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in
connection with the Offer and the Proposed Merger or otherwise arising out of
Schroder Wertheim's engagement, and has also agreed to indemnify Schroder
Wertheim (and certain affiliated persons) against certain liabilities and
expenses, including, without limitation, certain liabilities under the federal
securities laws.
 
     Schroder Wertheim may from time to time in the future render various
investment banking services to Parent and its affiliates, for which it is
expected it would be paid customary fees. In the ordinary course of business,
Schroder Wertheim and its affiliates may actively trade the securities of Parent
and the Company for their own account and for the account of customers and
accordingly may, at any time, hold long or short positions in such securities.
 
   
     In connection with Schroder Wertheim's engagement as financial advisor,
Parent anticipates that certain employees of Schroder Wertheim may communicate
in person, by telephone or otherwise with a limited number of institutions,
brokers or other persons who are Company shareholders for the purpose of
assisting in the solicitation of proxies for the Control Share Meeting, as well
as for the solicitation of agent designations to call the Special Meeting and
proxies for the Special Meeting. Schroder Wertheim will not receive any fee for
or in connection with such solicitation activities apart from the fees which it
is otherwise entitled to receive as described above.
    
 
   
     The entire expense of soliciting proxies for the Control Share Meeting is
being borne by Parent or a subsidiary of Parent. Neither Parent nor any such
subsidiary will seek reimbursement for such expenses from the Company. Costs
incidental to these proxies include expenditures for printing, postage, legal
and related expenses and are expected to be approximately $350,000. Total costs
incurred to date in furtherance of or in connection with these proxies are
approximately $50,000.
    
 
   
     If the Purchaser should terminate, or materially amend the terms of, the
Offer prior to the Control Share Meeting, Parent or the Purchaser will
disseminate such information regarding such changes to the Company shareholders
and, in appropriate circumstances, will provide the Company shareholders with a
reasonable opportunity to revoke their proxies prior to the Control Share
Meeting.
    
 
                                        9
<PAGE>   11
 
                             SHAREHOLDER PROPOSALS
 
     According to the Annual Meeting Proxy Statement, the deadline for receipt
of shareholders' proposals for inclusion in the Company's 1997 proxy material is
October 1, 1996.
 
                               OTHER INFORMATION
 
     Parent is a corporation organized under the Canada Business Corporations
Act and is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. Parent's businesses
manufacture proprietary engineered products for industrial and building
customers worldwide. Parent's Industrial Products Segment serves selected
markets with engineered equipment for heating, air drying and purification,
fluid handling, heat exchange, compaction, food processing and aerospace
applications. Parent's Building Products Segment manufactures a variety of
complementary products, ranging from steel doors to loading dock equipment to
complete pre-engineered metal buildings systems, primarily for the
non-residential construction market.
 
   
     The Purchaser is a newly incorporated Delaware corporation and an indirect
wholly owned subsidiary of Parent which to date has not conducted any business
other than in connection with the Offer and the Proposed Merger. The principal
executive offices of Parent and the Purchaser are located at 2300 One First
Union Center, 301 South College Street, Charlotte, North Carolina 28202. United
Dominion Industries, Inc., a Delaware corporation and a direct wholly owned
subsidiary of Parent, owns all the outstanding shares of the Purchaser. William
R. Holland, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Parent, owns 1,000 Common
Shares that he acquired in 1994.
    
 
     Certain information about the directors and executive officers of Parent
and the Purchaser and certain employees and other representatives of Parent who
may also assist MacKenzie Partners in soliciting proxies is set forth in the
attached Schedule I. Schedule II sets forth certain information relating to
Common Shares owned by Parent, the Purchaser, and other representatives.
Schedule III sets forth certain information, as made available in public
documents, regarding Shares held by the Company's principal shareholders and its
management.
 
     THIS PROXY STATEMENT IS NEITHER A REQUEST FOR THE TENDER OF SHARES NOR AN
OFFER WITH RESPECT THERETO. THE PURCHASER'S OFFER IS BEING MADE ONLY BY MEANS OF
THE OFFER TO PURCHASE AND THE LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. FOR ADDITIONAL COPIES OF
THE OFFER TO PURCHASE AND THE LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL, CALL THE INFORMATION AGENT
FOR THE OFFER, MACKENZIE PARTNERS, AT 212-929-5500 (CALL COLLECT) or
800-322-2885 (TOLL FREE).
 
     PLEASE INDICATE YOUR SUPPORT OF THE PURCHASER'S OFFER BY COMPLETING,
SIGNING AND DATING THE ENCLOSED BLUE-STRIPED PROXY CARD AND RETURNING IT
PROMPTLY TO UNITED DOMINION INDUSTRIES LIMITED, C/O B. BERNARD BURNS, JR., 2300
ONE FIRST UNION CENTER, CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA 28202-6039, IN THE ENCLOSED
ENVELOPE. NO POSTAGE IS NECESSARY IF THE ENVELOPE IS MAILED IN THE UNITED
STATES.
 
     YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT! PLEASE SIGN, DATE AND MAIL THE ACCOMPANYING
BLUE-STRIPED PROXY CARD PROMPTLY.
 
                                        United Dominion Industries Limited
                                        Opus Acquisition Corporation
 
   
July 24, 1996
    
 
                                       10
<PAGE>   12
 
                                                                      SCHEDULE I
 
                        DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
                          OF PARENT AND THE PURCHASER
 
                                     PARENT
 
     The following table sets forth the name, business or residence address,
principal occupation or employment at the present time and during the last five
years, and the name, principal business and address of any corporation or other
organization in which such employment is conducted or was conducted of each
director and executive officer of Parent. Except for Messrs. Crossgrove, Grant,
MacKay, McDonald, Scott, Stinson, Allan Taylor and George Taylor, who are
citizens of Canada, each of the Parent's directors and executive officers is a
citizen of the United States. The business address of each executive officer of
Parent is 2300 One First Union Center, Charlotte, North Carolina 28202. Each
occupation set forth opposite a person's name, unless otherwise indicated,
refers to employment with Parent. Directors are indicated by an asterisk.
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                  PRINCIPAL OCCUPATION OR
                                                                       EMPLOYMENT AND
                                                               MATERIAL OCCUPATIONS FOR PAST
                                                                        FIVE YEARS,
                                                                NAME, PRINCIPAL BUSINESS AND
                               BUSINESS (b) OR RESIDENCE (r)             ADDRESS OF
             NAME                         ADDRESS               PRINCIPAL OFFICE OF EMPLOYER
- ------------------------------ ------------------------------  ------------------------------
<S>                            <C>                             <C>
James E. Courtney*............ (r)1779 Venus Dr.               Chairman of the Board, First
                               Sanibel, Florida                Independence Bank of Fort
                               33957-3427                      Myers, Jan. 1, 1996.
                                                               President, The Mariner Group,
                                                               Inc., a real estate management
                                                               and development company, 12800
                                                               University Drive, Suite 350,
                                                               Fort Myers, Florida 33907,
                                                               from 1992 to 1995.

Peter A. Crossgrove*.......... (b)141 Adelaide Street West     President and CEO, Southern
                               Suite 1703                      Africa Minerals Corporation, a
                               Toronto, Ontario M5H 3L5        diamond exploration company,
                               Canada                          141 Adelaide Street West,
                                                               Suite 1703, Toronto, Ontario
                                                               M5H 3L5, Canada, from 1994 to
                                                               present. Chairman and Chief
                                                               Executive Officer of Brush
                                                               Creek Corporation, an
                                                               investment holding company,
                                                               250 Yonge Street, Toronto,
                                                               Ontario M5B 1C8, Canada, from
                                                               1993 to present. Acting CEO,
                                                               Placer Dome Inc., an
                                                               international mining company,
                                                               Suite 3500, IBM Tower,
                                                               Toronto-Dominion Ctr.,
                                                               Toronto, Ontario M5K 1N3,
                                                               Canada, from 1992 to 1993.
                                                               President and Chief Executive
                                                               Officer of Itco Properties
                                                               Ltd., a wholly owned
                                                               subsidiary of Starlaw Holdings
                                                               Limited, a company that
                                                               develops, purchases and holds
                                                               real estate in Canada and the
                                                               U.S., from 1982 to 1992.
</TABLE>
 
                                       S-1
<PAGE>   13
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                  PRINCIPAL OCCUPATION OR
                                                                       EMPLOYMENT AND
                                                               MATERIAL OCCUPATIONS FOR PAST
                                                                        FIVE YEARS,
                                                                NAME, PRINCIPAL BUSINESS AND
                               BUSINESS (b) OR RESIDENCE (r)             ADDRESS OF
             NAME                         ADDRESS               PRINCIPAL OFFICE OF EMPLOYER
- ------------------------------ ------------------------------  ------------------------------
<S>                            <C>                             <C>
R. Stuart Dickson*............ (b)2000 Two First Union Center  Chairman of the Executive
                               Charlotte, NC 28282             Committee, Ruddick
                                                               Corporation, an industrial
                                                               thread, regional supermarket
                                                               and venture capital company,
                                                               2000 Two First Union Center,
                                                               Charlotte, NC 28282, from 1994
                                                               to present. Chairman, Ruddick
                                                               Corporation, from 1968 to
                                                               1994.

James A. Grant*............... (b)Suite 3900                   Partner of Stikeman, Elliott,
                               1155 Rene Levesque Blvd. W.     a law firm, Commerce Court
                               Montreal, Quebec H3B 3V2        West, Suite 5300, Toronto,
                               Canada                          Ontario M5L IB9, Canada, from
                                                               1970 to present. Chairman of
                                                               Executive Committee of
                                                               Stikeman, Elliott since 1988.

William R. Holland*...........                                 Chairman since 1987 and Chief
                                                               Executive Officer since 1986.

Russell C. King, Jr.*......... (r)2376E Dunwoody Crossing      Retired since May 30, 1994.
                               Atlanta, GA 30338               President and Chief Operating
                                                               Officer, Sonoco Products
                                                               Company, an international
                                                               manufacturer of packaging
                                                               products, 1 North Second
                                                               Street, P.O. Box 160,
                                                               Hartsville, SC 29551, from
                                                               1990 to 1994.

H. John McDonald*............. (b)Suite 2800, 2 Bloor St.      Chairman, Black & McDonald
                               East                            Limited, an international
                               Toronto, Ontario M4W 1A8        mechanical and electrical
                               Canada                          contracting company, Suite
                                                               2800, 2 Bloor St. East,
                                                               Toronto, Ontario M4W 1A8,
                                                               Canada, since 1984.

Dalton D. Ruffin*............. (r)2841 Galsworthy Dr.          Retired since January 1, 1989.
                               Winston-Salem, NC 27106

I. Barry Scott*............... (r)96 Churchill Road Baie       Retired since February 28,
                               d'Urfe, Quebec H9X 2Y3          1995. Chairman and Chief
                               Canada                          Executive Officer of CP Rail
                                                               System, a transportation
                                                               division of Canadian Pacific
                                                               Limited, 910 Peel Street, Room
                                                               215, P.O. Box 6042, Station
                                                               Centre-ville, Montreal, Quebec
                                                               H3C 3E4, Canada, from 1985 to
                                                               1995.

William W. Stinson*........... (b)Suite 800, Place du Canada   Retired since May 1, 1996.
                               P.O. Box 6042,                  Chairman of Canadian Pacific
                               Station Centre-ville            Limited, a transportation,
                               Montreal, Quebec H3C 3E4        energy, real estate and hotel
                               Canada                          company, Suite 800, Place du
                                                               Canada,
                                                               P.O. Box 6042, Station
                                                               Centre-ville, Montreal, Quebec
                                                               H3C 3E4, Canada from 1989 to
                                                               1996. Chief Executive Officer
                                                               of Canadian Pacific Limited
                                                               from 1985 to 1996.
</TABLE>
 
                                       S-2
<PAGE>   14
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                  PRINCIPAL OCCUPATION OR
                                                                       EMPLOYMENT AND
                                                               MATERIAL OCCUPATIONS FOR PAST
                                                                        FIVE YEARS,
                                                                NAME, PRINCIPAL BUSINESS AND
                               BUSINESS (b) OR RESIDENCE (r)             ADDRESS OF
             NAME                         ADDRESS               PRINCIPAL OFFICE OF EMPLOYER
- ------------------------------ ------------------------------  ------------------------------
<S>                            <C>                             <C>
Allan R. Taylor, O.C.*........ (r)The Chedington Manor         Retired since January 31,
                               1 Chedington Place, Suite 2A    1995. Chairman, Royal Bank of
                               North York, Ontario M4N 3R4     Canada, a financial
                               Canada                          institution, Royal Bank Plaza,
                                                               Toronto, Ontario M5J 2J5,
                                                               Canada, from 1986 to 1995.

George S. Taylor*............. (b)120 Adelaide St. W           Retired since December 31,
                               Suite 1850                      1995. President and Chief
                               Toronto, Ontario M5J 2T3        Executive Officer, John Labatt
                               Canada                          Limited, a brewing company,
                                                               Labatt House BCE Place, P.O.
                                                               Box 811, Suite 200-181 Bay
                                                               St., Toronto, Ontario M5J 2T3,
                                                               Canada, from 1992 to 1995.
                                                               Executive Vice President, John
                                                               Labatt Limited, from 1985 to
                                                               1992.

Jan K. Ver Hagen*.............                                 President and Chief Operating
                                                               Officer since 1994. Vice
                                                               Chairman, Emerson Electric
                                                               Co., a manufacturer of a broad
                                                               range of electrical and
                                                               electronic products, 8000 W.
                                                               Florissant Ave., St. Louis,
                                                               Missouri 63136, from 1988 to
                                                               1994.

Robert E. Drury...............                                 Executive Vice President and
                                                               Chief Administrative Officer
                                                               since 1995. Chief Financial
                                                               Officer from 1992 to 1995, and
                                                               Senior Vice President from
                                                               1993 to 1995. Vice President
                                                               from 1987 to 1993.

Richard A. Bearse.............                                 Senior Vice President since
                                                               1996. President and Chief
                                                               Executive Officer, Flair
                                                               Corporation, a manufacturer of
                                                               air filtration and dehydration
                                                               equipment, 4647 S.W. 40th
                                                               Avenue, Ocala, Florida 34474,
                                                               from 1992 to 1995. President
                                                               and Chief Executive Officer,
                                                               Pneumatic Products
                                                               Corporation, a subsidiary of
                                                               Flair, from 1991 to 1992.

B. Bernard Burns, Jr..........                                 General Counsel and Secretary
                                                               since 1992, and Senior Vice
                                                               President since 1993. Vice
                                                               President from 1989 to 1993.

Glenn A. Eisenberg............                                 Senior Vice President and
                                                               Chief Financial Officer since
                                                               1995. Vice President of
                                                               Planning and Development from
                                                               1992 to 1995. Director of
                                                               Corporate Finance and Investor
                                                               Relations since 1991. Manager
                                                               of Treasury Analysis and
                                                               Services from 1990 to 1991.

John G. MacKay................                                 Senior Vice President since
                                                               1995. Various positions with
                                                               Parent since 1990, including
                                                               President-- Industrial
                                                               Products segment.
</TABLE>
 
                                       S-3
<PAGE>   15
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                  PRINCIPAL OCCUPATION OR
                                                                       EMPLOYMENT AND
                                                               MATERIAL OCCUPATIONS FOR PAST
                                                                        FIVE YEARS,
                                                                NAME, PRINCIPAL BUSINESS AND
                               BUSINESS (b) OR RESIDENCE (r)             ADDRESS OF
             NAME                         ADDRESS               PRINCIPAL OFFICE OF EMPLOYER
- ------------------------------ ------------------------------  ------------------------------
<S>                            <C>                             <C>
Irvin B. Prude................                                 Senior Vice President since
                                                               1995. Various positions since
                                                               1968, including
                                                               President--Building Products
                                                               segment.

J. Milton Childress II........                                 Vice President since 1996.
                                                               Assistant Vice President from
                                                               1995 to 1996. Director of
                                                               corporate development from
                                                               1992 to 1995. Ernst & Young
                                                               prior to 1992.

William Dries.................                                 Vice President and Controller
                                                               since 1990.

June P. Hassett...............                                 Vice President since 1996.
                                                               Assistant Vice President from
                                                               1995 to 1996. Director of
                                                               taxes from 1991 to 1995.

Richard L. Magee..............                                 Vice President since 1996.
                                                               Assistant Vice President from
                                                               1995 to 1996. Associate
                                                               General Counsel since 1993,
                                                               and Assistant General Counsel
                                                               from 1989 to 1993.

Robert L. Shaffer.............                                 Vice President of Corporate
                                                               Communications since 1990.

Thomas J. Snyder..............                                 Vice President and Treasurer
                                                               since 1993, and Treasurer
                                                               since 1991. Various positions
                                                               with Parent since 1977.

Timothy J. Verhagen...........                                 Vice President since 1993.
                                                               Vice President and Associate
                                                               General Counsel, The Marley
                                                               Company, a manufacturer of
                                                               engineered equipment for
                                                               heating, fluid handling and
                                                               heat exchange applications,
                                                               1900 Shawnee Mission Parkway,
                                                               Mission, Kansas 66205, from
                                                               1985 to 1993.
</TABLE>
 
                                       S-4
<PAGE>   16
 
                                 THE PURCHASER
 
     The name and position with the Purchaser of each director and executive
officer of the Purchaser are set forth below. The business address, present
principal occupation or employment, five-year employment history and citizenship
of each person is set forth above. Directors are indicated by an asterisk.
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                              NAME                         POSITION WITH THE PURCHASER
        ------------------------------------------------  ------------------------------
        <S>                                               <C>
        B. Bernard Burns, Jr.* .........................  Vice President and Secretary
        Robert E. Drury* ...............................  President
        Glenn A. Eisenberg* ............................  Vice President and Treasurer
        Richard L. Magee................................  Assistant Secretary
</TABLE>
 
                            SOLICITATIONS OF PROXIES
 
     The following individuals are the representatives of the Dealer Manager who
may solicit proxies:
 
<TABLE>
            <S>                                <C>
            Michael Grad.....................  Managing Director
              Schroder Wertheim & Co.
              Incorporated
              Equitable Center
              787 Seventh Avenue
              New York, New York 10019-6016
            Henry Aboodi.....................  Vice President
              Schroder Wertheim & Co.
              Incorporated
              Equitable Center
              787 Seventh Avenue
              New York, New York 10019-6016
</TABLE>
 
                                       S-5
<PAGE>   17
 
                                                                     SCHEDULE II
 
                    SHARES HELD BY PARENT AND THE PURCHASER
 
     As of the date hereof, the Purchaser holds of record 500 Common Shares and
no Preferred Shares and Parent holds of record 500 Common Shares and no
Preferred Shares.
 
   
     In the ordinary course of its business, Schroder Wertheim may trade the
securities of the Company for its own account and the accounts of its customers
and, accordingly, may at any time hold a long or short position in such
securities. As of the date hereof, Schroder Wertheim held no Shares.
    
 
   
     The following table sets forth the dates within the past two years on which
Schroder Wertheim purchased or sold Common Shares for its own account, and the
amount purchased or sold on each such date:
    
 
   
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                         DATE                       TRANSACTION                AMOUNT
    ----------------------------------------------  -----------         --------------------
    <S>                                             <C>                 <C>
    September 18, 1995............................   purchase              600 Common Shares
    September 19, 1995............................   sale                  600 Common Shares
    February 4, 1996..............................   purchase            2,000 Common Shares
    February 15, 1996.............................   sale                  500 Common Shares
    February 16, 1996.............................   purchase              500 Common Shares
    March 5, 1996.................................   sale                2,000 Common Shares
</TABLE>
    
 
                                       S-6
<PAGE>   18
 
                                                                    SCHEDULE III
 
                     PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS OF THE COMPANY
                 AND SHAREHOLDINGS OF THE COMPANY'S MANAGEMENT
 
     Set forth below is information regarding Shares owned by (i) those persons
owning more than 5% of the outstanding Shares and (ii) directors and executive
officers of the Company as a group. Such information is obtained from the
Company's proxy statement for its 1996 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.
 
                SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS
 
     The name of any person or "group" (as that term is used in the Exchange
Act) disclosed by the Company in its proxy statement for its 1996 Annual Meeting
of Shareholders to be the beneficial owner of more than five percent (5%) of any
class of the Company's voting securities as of December 31, 1995 is set forth
below:
 
   
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                          AMOUNT AND NATURE     PERCENT   PERCENT OF
  TITLE                                                     OF BENEFICIAL         OF      ALL VOTING
 OF CLASS      NAME AND ADDRESS OF BENEFICIAL OWNER           OWNERSHIP          CLASS      SHARES
- ----------   -----------------------------------------    -----------------     -------   ----------
<S>          <C>                                          <C>                   <C>       <C>
Common       National City Bank, N.E.                         1,219,766(1)        7.91%      7.40%
             P.O. Box 450
             Youngstown, OH 44501
Common       Norwest Corporation                              1,163,153(2)        7.55%      7.06%
             6th and Marquette
             Minneapolis, MN 55479
Series B     Mellon Bank N.A.                                 1,053,508(3)      100.00%      6.39%
Preferred    P.O. Box 444
             Pittsburgh, PA 15230
</TABLE>
    
 
     (1)  This figure includes 175,250 Common Shares held in trust by National
City Bank, N.E. (trustee) for the benefit of participants in the Commercial
Intertech Corp. Employee Savings and Stock Purchase Plan.
 
     This figure includes 3,109 Common Shares held in trust by National City
Bank (trustee) for the benefit of participants in the Non-Qualified Stock
Purchase Plan of Commercial Intertech Corp.
 
     National City Bank has sole voting power over 873,878 Shares and shared
voting power over 172,029 Shares. National City Bank has sole investment power
over 328,589 Shares and shared investment power over 891,177 Shares.
 
     (2)  Norwest Corporation holds Common Shares in a fiduciary capacity for
various institutional and personal accounts.
 
     Norwest Corporation has sole voting power over 950,703 Shares and shared
voting power over 600 Shares. Norwest Corporation has sole investment power over
1,163,003 Shares and shared investment power over 150 Shares.
 
     (3)  This figure represents all of the outstanding Preferred Shares held of
record by Mellon Bank N.A. (trustee) for the benefit of participants in the
Commercial Intertech Employee Stock Ownership Plan and the Commercial Intertech
Retirement Stock Ownership and Savings Plan. The trust for these plans contains
provisions for pass-through voting rights to the employee participants in the
plans.
 
     Mellon Bank has shared voting power and shared investment power over all
Preferred Shares.
 
                                       S-7
<PAGE>   19
 
   
                        SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF MANAGEMENT
    
 
     The directors, nominees for the office of director, the Chief Executive
Officer, the four other highly-compensated executive officers, a former
executive officer and all directors and executive officers as a group were the
beneficial owners of the Company's voting shares, as of December 31, 1995, as
disclosed in the Company's proxy statement for its 1996 Annual Meeting of
Shareholders, as set forth below:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                    AMOUNT AND NATURE                    PERCENT
                NAME OF BENEFICIAL                    OF BENEFICIAL                     OF VOTING
                      OWNER                             OWNERSHIP                        SHARES
- --------------------------------------------------  -----------------                   ---------
<S>                                                 <C>                                 <C>
William J. Bresnahan..............................            300                         *
Charles B. Cushwa III.............................        206,770(1)(4)(5)                 1.3%
                                                                 (8)(12)(16)
William W. Cushwa.................................        226,250(1)(2)(3)(4)(6)(7)        1.4%
                                                                 (8)(10)(13)
                                                                 (14)(16)
John M. Galvin....................................          3,000(8)                      *
John Gilchrist....................................         33,227(8)(9)(10)(14)           *
Richard J. Hill...................................          9,535(8)(9)                   *
Neil D. Humphrey..................................          5,829(8)(9)                   *
Hubert Jacobs van Merlen..........................         13,410(17)                     *
Mark G. Kachus....................................         25,026                         *
William E. Kassling...............................              0                         -
Gerald C. McDonough...............................          3,750(8)                      *
C. Edward Midgley.................................         10,000                         *
John Nelson.......................................         14,573(1)(8)                   *
Paul J. Powers....................................        322,424(2)(8)(10)(14)            1.9%
George M. Smart...................................          2,000                         *
Don E. Tucker.....................................        137,724(1)(2)(11)(14)           *
Bruce C. Wheatley.................................         30,301(8)(15)                  *
Philip N. Winkelstern.............................        176,518(1)(2)(3)(8)              1.1%
                                                                 (10)(14)
All Directors and Executive Officers as a Group
  (21 people).....................................      1,329,534                          7.9%
</TABLE>
 
- ------------------
 
*less than 1%
 
     (1)  Does not include Common Shares owned by the members of the
above-mentioned directors' families who share their homes, as follows: of Mr.
Charles Cushwa -- 2,147 Shares; of Mr. William Cushwa -- 26,548 Shares; of Mr.
Nelson -- 28,675 Shares; of Mr. Tucker -- 1,146 Shares; of Mr.
Winkelstern -- 5,479 Shares. Beneficial ownership thereof is disclaimed by the
respective directors.
 
     (2)  Includes the beneficial interest in Common Shares (fractional shares
not shown) credited to the accounts of the above-mentioned beneficial owners by
the Trustee acting under the provisions of the Company's Employee Savings and
Stock Purchase Plan, as follows: Mr. William Cushwa -- 4,254 Shares; Mr.
Powers -- 1,595 Shares; Mr. Tucker -- 9,243 Shares; and Mr. Winkelstern -- 8,529
Shares.
 
     (3)  Includes Common Shares held by the directors as custodians for their
minor children as follows: minor children of Mr. William Cushwa -- 4,011 Shares;
and minor grandchildren as follows: minor grandchild of Mr. Winkelstern -- 750
Shares.
 
     (4)  Charles B. Cushwa III and William W. Cushwa are two of three
beneficiaries of a trust, of which they are not trustees, which consists of
294,000 Common Shares, the income from which will be paid to the beneficiaries
equally during their lives. These Shares are not included in the amounts shown
in the table.
 
                                       S-8
<PAGE>   20
 
     (5)  Includes 46,500 Common Shares held in trust, in which the children of
Charles B. Cushwa III have a remainder interest, and of which National City
Bank, N.E. and Charles B. Cushwa III are co-trustees. Beneficial ownership
thereof is disclaimed by Mr. Charles B. Cushwa III.
 
     (6)  Does not include 11,250 Common Shares held in trust, of which William
W. Cushwa is not a trustee, for the benefit of his child and of which beneficial
ownership is disclaimed by Mr. William W. Cushwa.
 
     (7)  Includes 44,000 Common Shares held in trust, in which the children of
William W. Cushwa have a remainder interest, and of which National City Bank,
N.E. and William W. Cushwa are co-trustees. Beneficial ownership thereof is
disclaimed by Mr. William W. Cushwa.
 
     (8)  Includes Common Shares acquirable within 60 days of December 31, 1995
upon exercise of options issued under the Company's Stock Option and Award Plans
as follows: Mr. Charles Cushwa -- 1,500 Shares; Mr. William Cushwa -- 10,125
Shares; Mr. Galvin -- 1,500 Shares; Mr. Gilchrist -- 12,612 Shares; Mr.
Hill -- 1,500 Shares; Mr. Humphrey -- 1,500 Shares; Mr. McDonough -- 10,500
Shares; Mr. Nelson -- 1,500 Shares; Mr. Powers -- 134,250 Shares; Mr.
Wheatley -- 7,500 Shares; and Mr. Winkelstern -- 60,000 Shares.
 
     (9)  Includes Common Shares (fractional shares not shown) credited to the
accounts of the above-mentioned beneficial owners by the administrator of the
Company's Automatic Dividend Reinvestment Plan, as follows: Mr.
Gilchrist -- 1,448 Shares; Mr. Hill -- 3,035 Shares; and Mr. Humphrey -- 12,429
Shares.
 
     (10)  Includes in each case 232 Preferred Shares (fractional shares not
shown) and the following number of Common Shares (fractional shares not shown)
credited to the accounts of the above-mentioned beneficial owners by the Trustee
acting under the provisions of the Company's 401(k) plan: Mr. William
Cushwa -- 762 Shares; Mr. Gilchrist -- 270 Shares; Mr. Powers -- 4,432 Shares;
and Mr. Winkelstern -- 270 Shares.
 
     (11)  Includes 190 Preferred Shares (fractional shares not shown) and 4,919
Common Shares (fractional shares not shown) credited by the Trustee acting under
the provisions of the Company's 401(k) plan.
 
     (12) Includes 39,244 Common Shares held in trust, in which the children of
Charles B. Cushwa III have a remainder interest, and of which National City
Bank, N.E. and Charles B. Cushwa III are co-trustees. Beneficial ownership
thereof is disclaimed by Mr. Charles B. Cushwa III.
 
     (13) Includes 61,000 Common Shares held in trust, in which the children of
William W. Cushwa have a remainder interest, and of which National City Bank,
N.E. and William W. Cushwa are co-trustees. Beneficial ownership thereof is
disclaimed by Mr. William W. Cushwa.
 
     (14) Includes in each case one Common Share (fractional shares not shown)
as a result of participation in the Commercial Intertech Employee Stock
Ownership Plan and the following number of Preferred Shares (fractional shares
not shown) as a result of participation in the Commercial Intertech Employee
Stock Ownership Plan: Mr. William Cushwa -- 266 Shares; Mr. Gilchrist -- 323
Shares; Mr. Powers -- 619 Shares; Mr. Tucker -- 464 Shares; and Mr.
Winkelstern -- 604 Shares.
 
     (15) Includes 11 Preferred Shares (fractional shares not shown) and 1,364
Common Shares (fractional shares not shown) held under the provisions of the
Company's 401(k) plan. Includes 58 Preferred Shares (fractional shares not
shown) as a result of participation in the Commercial Intertech Employee Stock
Ownership Plan.
 
     (16) Charles B. Cushwa III and William W. Cushwa are two of three
beneficiaries of a trust, of which they are not trustees, containing 482,625
Shares distribution of which is dependent upon the resolution of certain probate
estate matters. The shares are not included in the amounts shown in the table.
 
     (17) Includes the beneficial interest in 123 Common Shares (fractional
shares not shown) credited by the Trustee acting under the provisions of the
Company's Non-Qualified Stock Purchase Plan.
 
                                       S-9
<PAGE>   21
 
   
                                                                         ANNEX I
    
 
   
                           ACQUIRING PERSON STATEMENT
    
 
   
                        PURSUANT TO SECTION 1701.831 OF
    
   
                             THE OHIO REVISED CODE*
    
 
   
                           COMMERCIAL INTERTECH CORP.
    
   
                      (NAME OF ISSUING PUBLIC CORPORATION)
    
 
   
                               1775 LOGAN AVENUE
    
   
                             YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO 44510
    
   
                    (ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICES)
    
 
   
                          OPUS ACQUISITION CORPORATION
    
   
                                      AND
    
 
   
                       UNITED DOMINION INDUSTRIES LIMITED
    
   
                              (ACQUIRING PERSONS)
    
 
   
     This Acquiring Person Statement is being delivered to Commercial Intertech
Corp., an Ohio corporation (the "Company"), pursuant to Section 1701.831 of the
Ohio Revised Code by United Dominion Industries Limited, a Canadian company
("Parent"), and Opus Acquisition Corporation, a Delaware corporation and an
indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Parent (the "Purchaser"), and relates to the
transactions contemplated by the tender offer by the Purchaser to purchase all
outstanding Common Shares, par value $1.00 per share (including the associated
preferred share purchase rights), of the Company ("Common Shares") (including
Common Shares issuable upon conversion of shares of ESOP Convertible Preferred
Stock Series B, without par value, of the Company ("Preferred Shares")), upon
the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Offer to Purchase dated
July 12, 1996 (as the same may hereafter be amended from time to time, the
"Offer to Purchase"), a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit A and
incorporated herein by reference.
    
 
   
ITEM 1.  IDENTITY OF THE ACQUIRING PERSON.
    
 
   
     The acquiring persons are United Dominion Industries Limited ("Parent") and
Opus Acquisition Corporation (the "Purchaser"). The address of the principal
executive offices of the Purchaser and Parent are 2300 One First Union Center,
Charlotte, North Carolina 28202-6039.
    
 
   
     The information set forth in the Introduction and in the section entitled
"Certain Information Concerning Parent and the Purchaser" of the Offer to
Purchase is incorporated herein by reference.
    
 
   
ITEM 2.  DELIVERY OF ACQUIRING PERSON STATEMENT.
    
 
   
     This Acquiring Person Statement is given pursuant to Section 1701.831 of
the Ohio Revised Code.
    
 
   
     The Purchaser and Parent hereby request that a special meeting of the
shareholders of the Company, which is required to be called by the directors of
the Company pursuant to division (C) of Section 1701.831 of the Ohio Revised
Code as a result of the delivery of this Acquiring Person Statement, be held no
sooner than thirty (30) days after the Company's receipt of this Acquiring
Person Statement.
    
 
- ---------------
 
   
* Notwithstanding the making and delivery of this Statement, all rights are
reserved (i) to challenge the constitutionality, validity and/or legality of all
or any part of Section 1701.831 and related provisions of the Ohio Revised Code
and their application to the Offer to Purchase and/or (ii) to seek an amendment
to the Code of Regulations of the Company to provide that Section 1701.831 and
related provisions of the Ohio Revised Code do not apply to control share
acquisitions of Common Shares, including pursuant to the Offer to Purchase.
    
<PAGE>   22
 
   
ITEM 3.  OWNERSHIP OF SHARES BY ACQUIRING PERSON.
    
 
   
     On the date of this Acquiring Person Statement, the Purchaser owns 500
Common Shares and no Preferred Shares, and Parent owns 1,000 Common Shares (500
directly and 500 indirectly through the Purchaser) and no Preferred Shares.
    
 
   
ITEM 4.  RANGE OF VOTING POWER.
    
 
   
     The Purchaser and Parent propose to acquire all of the outstanding Common
Shares in accordance with and as contemplated by the terms of the Offer to
Purchase. The proposed control share acquisition, if consummated, would result
in the acquisition of a majority or more of the voting power as described in
subparagraph (c) of paragraph (Z)(1) of Section 1701.01 of the Ohio Revised
Code.
    
 
   
ITEM 5.  TERMS OF THE PROPOSED CONTROL SHARE ACQUISITION.
    
 
   
     The offer price is $     per Common Share (and associated Right), net to
the seller in cash without interest thereon, subject to change as described in
the section entitled "Terms of the Offer" of the Offer to Purchase incorporated
herein by reference. Other information is set forth in the Offer to Purchase is
incorporated herein by reference. For a description of the terms of the proposed
control share acquisition, reference is made in particular to the information
set forth in the Introduction, and in the sections entitled "Terms of the
Offer", "Procedures for Tendering Shares", "Withdrawal Rights", "Acceptance for
Payment and Payment", "Source and Amount of Funds", "Purpose of the Offer; Plans
for the Company", "Dividends and Distributions", "Certain Conditions of the
Offer" and "Certain Legal Matters" of the Offer to Purchase.
    
 
   
ITEM 6.  REPRESENTATIONS OF LEGALITY; FINANCIAL CAPACITY.
    
 
   
     The Purchaser and Parent represent that the proposed control share
acquisition will not be contrary to law and that they have the financial
capacity to make such proposed control share acquisition. The facts upon which
these representations are based are set forth in reasonable detail in the
sections entitled "Certain Information Concerning Parent and the Purchaser",
"Certain Legal Matters" and "Source and Amount of Funds" of the Offer to
Purchase and such information is incorporated herein by reference.
    
 
   
                                          OPUS ACQUISITION CORPORATION
    
 
   
                                          By:  /s/  B. BERNARD BURNS, JR.
                                            ------------------------------------
    

   
                                            Name: B. Bernard Burns, Jr.
    
   
                                            Title: Vice President and Secretary
    
 
   
Dated: July 12, 1996
    
 
   
                                          UNITED DOMINION INDUSTRIES LIMITED
    
 
   
                                          By: /s/  B. BERNARD BURNS, JR.
                                            ------------------------------------
    

   
                                            Name: B. Bernard Burns, Jr.
    
   
                                            Title: Senior Vice President,
    
   
                                                 General Counsel and Secretary
    
 
   
Dated: July 12, 1996
    
 
                                        2
<PAGE>   23
 
   
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                   IMPORTANT

If your shares are registered in your own name, you may mail or fax your
BLUE-STRIPED proxy card (both sides) to MacKenzie Partners, Inc. at the address
or fax number listed below.

If your shares are held in "street name" -- held by your brokerage firm or bank
- -- immediately instruct your broker or bank representative to sign United
Dominion's BLUE-STRIPED proxy card on your behalf. If you have any questions on
voting your shares, please call.

PARTICIPANTS IN THE COMPANY'S EMPLOYEE STOCK OWNERSHIP PLAN AND RETIREMENT STOCK
OWNERSHIP AND SAVINGS PLAN (THE "ESOPS") AND THE COMPANY'S NON-QUALIFIED STOCK
PURCHASE PLAN AND EMPLOYEE SAVINGS AND STOCK PURCHASE PLAN (THE "PLANS")
DESIRING TO VOTE THEIR SHARES HELD THROUGH THE ESOPS OR PLANS IN FAVOR OF THE
ACQUISITION PROPOSAL SHOULD SO INSTRUCT THE ESOP TRUSTEE OR THE PLAN TRUSTEE, AS
APPLICABLE, BY COMPLETING THE FORM WHICH SHOULD BE PROVIDED BY THE ESOP TRUSTEE
OR THE PLAN TRUSTEE, AS APPLICABLE, TO PARTICIPANTS FOR THAT PURPOSE. ESOP AND
PLAN PARTICIPANTS CANNOT VOTE SHARES ALLOCATED TO THEIR ESOP OR PLAN ACCOUNT BY
EXECUTING THE ACCOMPANYING BLUE-STRIPED PROXY CARD.
    
                                     [LOGO]
                                156 Fifth Avenue
                               New York, NY 10010
                         CALL TOLL-FREE (800) 322-2885
                              FAX: (212) 929-0308
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    
<PAGE>   24
 
                                     PROXY
 
                           THIS PROXY IS SOLICITED BY
                       UNITED DOMINION INDUSTRIES LIMITED
                                      AND
                          OPUS ACQUISITION CORPORATION
                           FOR THE SPECIAL MEETING OF
                   SHAREHOLDERS OF COMMERCIAL INTERTECH CORP.
                             TO BE HELD PURSUANT TO
                   SECTION 1701.831 OF THE OHIO REVISED CODE.
 
   
     The undersigned hereby appoints Daniel H. Burch, Stanley J. Kay, Jr., and
Mark H. Harnett, and each of them, with full power of substitution, the proxies
of the undersigned to vote all of the outstanding Common Shares, par value $1.00
per share ("Common Shares"), of Commercial Intertech Corp. (the "Company") that
the undersigned is entitled to vote at the Special Meeting of Shareholders of
the Company to be held on August 30, 1996 pursuant to Section 1701.831 of the
Ohio Revised Code (the "Control Share Meeting"), or at any adjournment or
postponement of the Control Share Meeting, on the following matters:
    
 
   
     1. Acquisition of Shares of the Company.  A resolution of the Company's
shareholders authorizing the acquisition of Common Shares representing a
majority or more of the voting power of the Company by Opus Acquisition
Corporation or United Dominion Industries Limited (or one or more subsidiaries
of United Dominion Industries Limited) as contemplated by and in accordance with
the terms and conditions of the Offer to Purchase of Opus Acquisition
Corporation dated July 16, 1996, as the same may be amended from time to time.
    
 
/ /  FOR          / /  AGAINST          / /  ABSTAIN
 
     2. Adjournment of Meeting.  To initiate and vote for a proposal to adjourn
the Special Meeting to solicit additional votes, if necessary, to authorize the
acquisition of Common Shares.
 
/ /  FOR          / /  AGAINST          / /  ABSTAIN
 
                     UNITED DOMINION INDUSTRIES LIMITED AND
                     OPUS ACQUISITION CORPORATION RECOMMEND
                       THAT YOU VOTE "FOR" ITEMS 1 AND 2.
 
   
     The proxies of the undersigned named above are authorized to vote, in their
discretion, upon such other matters as may properly come before the Control
Share Meeting and any adjournment or postponement thereof.
    
 
                          [Proxy Continued On Reverse]
<PAGE>   25
 
   
     THIS PROXY WHEN PROPERLY EXECUTED WILL BE VOTED AS DIRECTED ON THE REVERSE
SIDE. IF NO DIRECTION IS MADE, THIS PROXY WILL BE VOTED "FOR" THE ACQUISITION OF
SHARES AND "FOR" THE ADJOURNMENT OF THE CONTROL SHARE MEETING, IF NECESSARY. THE
UNDERSIGNED HEREBY ACKNOWLEDGES RECEIPT OF THE PROXY STATEMENT OF UNITED
DOMINION INDUSTRIES LIMITED AND OPUS ACQUISITION CORPORATION DATED JULY 24,
1996, SOLICITING PROXIES FOR THE CONTROL SHARE MEETING.
    
 
   
     All previous proxies given by the undersigned to vote at the Control Share
Meeting or at any adjournment or postponement thereof are hereby revoked.
    
                                        Dated:                            , 1996
                                               --------------------------- 


                                        ----------------------------------------
                                                      (Signature)
 

                                        ----------------------------------------
                                              (Signature, if jointly held)

                                        Title:

 
                                        ----------------------------------------
 
                                        Please sign exactly as name appears
                                        hereon. When shares are held by joint
                                        tenants, both should sign. When signing
                                        as an attorney, executor, administrator,
                                        trustee or guardian, give full title as
                                        such. If a corporation, sign in full
                                        corporate name by President or other
                                        authorized officer. If a partnership,
                                        sign in partnership name by authorized
                                        person.
 
   
     PLEASE PROMPTLY COMPLETE, SIGN, DATE AND FAX OR MAIL IN THE ENCLOSED
ENVELOPE TO MACKENZIE PARTNERS, INC., 156 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK, NEW YORK
10010, FAX: (212) 929-0308.
    
 
   
     PARTICIPANTS IN THE ESOPS AND THE PLANS CAN ONLY VOTE SHARES HELD IN THE
ESOPS OR THE PLANS ON THEIR BEHALF BY INSTRUCTING THE ESOP TRUSTEE OR THE PLAN
TRUSTEE, AS APPLICABLE, ON THE FORM THAT SHOULD BE PROVIDED TO PARTICIPANTS BY
THE ESOP TRUSTEE OR THE PLAN TRUSTEE, AS APPLICABLE, FOR THAT PURPOSE. ESOP
PARTICIPANTS AND PLAN PARTICIPANTS CANNOT VOTE SHARES ALLOCATED TO THEIR ACCOUNT
BY EXECUTING THE ACCOMPANYING BLUE-STRIPED PROXY CARD.
    


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