DETREX CORPORATION
8-K, EX-99, 2000-10-16
CHEMICALS & ALLIED PRODUCTS
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                                                                      EXHIBIT 99





                        ASSET PURCHASE AND SALE AGREEMENT


                                  BY AND AMONG


                             SEIBERT-OXIDERMO, INC.
                               DETREX CORPORATION


                                       AND


                       RED SPOT PAINT & VARNISH CO., INC.



                            DATED: SEPTEMBER 1, 2000




<PAGE>   2



                        ASSET PURCHASE AND SALE AGREEMENT

         THIS ASSET PURCHASE AND SALE AGREEMENT (the "Agreement") is made and
entered into this 1st day of September, 2000, by and among Seibert-Oxidermo,
Inc., a Michigan corporation (hereinafter referred to as "Seller"), Detrex
Corporation, a Michigan corporation (hereinafter referred to as "Detrex"), and
Red Spot Paint & Varnish Co., Inc., an Indiana corporation (hereinafter referred
to as "Purchaser").

         In consideration of the mutual promises of the parties contained
hereinbelow, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and
adequacy of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties agree as follows:

         1. Assets Being Acquired. Subject to the terms and conditions hereof,
and except for the Excluded Assets, as hereinafter defined, Seller hereby agrees
to sell, assign, transfer, convey and deliver to Purchaser at the Closing (as
hereinafter defined), and Purchaser hereby agrees to purchase at the Closing all
of Seller's right, title and interest in and to all of the assets, properties
and rights of Seller, tangible and intangible, used in connection with the
operation of its principal business located at 16255 Wahrman Road, Romulus,
Michigan 48174, including without limitation the following (collectively, the
"Property"):

                  (a) all machinery and equipment and other tangible personal
         property (hereinafter referred to as the "Personal Property"),
         including but not by way of limitation the items more particularly
         described in Exhibit "A" attached hereto and incorporated herein by
         this reference;

                  (b) all of Seller's inventories, raw materials, intermediate
         materials, finished goods, manufacturing supplies, work in progress,
         and work-off inventory agreed upon by the parties in the manner set
         forth in paragraph 4 of this Agreement (hereinafter referred to as
         "Inventory");

                  (c) any and all franchises, licenses, permits (but not
         including air permits), consents and certificates of any regulatory,
         administrative or other government agencies or body issued to or held
         by Seller necessary or incidental to the conduct of Seller's business
         (to the extent the same are transferable), including but not limited to
         those described in Exhibit "B" attached hereto and incorporated herein
         by reference;

                  (d) the business telephone numbers used in the operation of
         Seller's business, to extent these are transferable at no cost to
         Seller;

                  (e) all of the rights of Seller in and to the leases and
         contracts described in Exhibit "C" attached hereto and incorporated
         herein by reference (the "Assumed Leases and Contracts"), complete
         copies of which, together with any and all amendments or modifications
         thereto, are attached hereto and are incorporated as a part of said
         Exhibit "C";






<PAGE>   3



                  (f) all trade secrets, confidential business information,
         proprietary rights, proprietary knowledge (including, without
         limitation, product formulae and specifications), goodwill, customer
         lists (including without limitation Seller's records regarding customer
         addresses, phone numbers, contact persons, and business requirements),
         OEM approvals including Seller's records thereof, software, trade
         marks, trade names, symbols, service marks, logos, patents, and
         copyrights, and all applications therefor, registrations thereof and
         licenses in respect thereof relating to or associated with Seller's
         business, including but not limited to the trade name
         "Seibert-Oxidermo" and any other intellectual property rights of
         Seller, including, without limitation, those described in Exhibit "D"
         attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference (collectively,
         "Intellectual Property Rights"). Seller shall deliver all documentation
         relating to the Intellectual Property Rights in whatever form possessed
         by Seller on the Closing Date, including correspondence, magnetic disks
         and any other information storage media, drawings, blueprints, manuals,
         lists, letters, notes, notebooks, reports, flow-charts, formulas,
         programs, proposals, documents concerning Seller's customers, documents
         concerning products or processes used by Seller or its customers, and
         all other documents, writings, and materials, together with any copies
         or other reproductions thereof, in the possession of Seller;

                  (g) the accounts receivable of the Seller as of the date of
         Closing, whether or not such amounts have been recorded on the books of
         the Seller as a receivable. If, following the Closing, any payments are
         made to Seller with respect to an account receivable which has been
         purchased by Purchaser, Seller shall immediately notify the Purchaser
         of such payment and shall forward such payment to Purchaser at the end
         of the week in which the payment is received;

                  (h) all confidentiality agreements and non-competition
         agreements executed by any former or current employee or agent of
         Seller to the extent that such agreements can be assigned;

                  (i) personnel files with respect to any employee of Seller
         hired by Purchaser after the Closing;

                  (j) all credit files with respect to Seller's customers;

                  (k) Seller's standard cost files, pricing files, and
         outstanding quotes;

                  (l) all rights to research in process;

                  (m) all quality control records; and

                  (n) all MSDS records;


<PAGE>   4

provided, however, there shall be excluded from the assets and properties to be
conveyed, sold, transferred, assigned, and delivered to Purchaser under this
Agreement the following assets (collectively, the "Excluded Assets"):
                  i)       all cash assets of Seller, including, without
                           limitation, cash on hand, savings deposits and other
                           bank accounts, tax deposits, certificates of deposit
                           and other direct obligations of the United States
                           Government and its agencies;

                  ii)      all insurance policies;

                  iii)     all prepaid expenses of Seller;

                  iv)      the real estate, building and fixtures of Seller
                           located in Romulus, Michigan, and Detroit, Michigan,
                           except to the extent that any such fixtures are
                           specifically included in the list of Personal
                           Property being acquired;

                  v)       Seller's tank farm and leased telephone system;

                  vi)      Seller's ball mills, only if Purchaser does not
                           remove them from Seller's premises by March 15, 2001.
                           Purchaser will notify Seller of the ball mills
                           Purchaser intends to remove no later than January 31,
                           2001;

                  vii)     Seller's corporate records, corporate seals, minute
                           books, stock books, other records pertaining solely
                           to the corporate organization of Seller, tax records
                           and checkbooks, copies of all of which (if and to the
                           extent possessed by Seller) will be provided to
                           Purchaser upon Purchaser's demonstration of good
                           reason therefor and at Purchaser's expense;

                  viii)    the assets of Detrex or any of its affiliates other
                           than those used exclusively by Seller, none of which
                           are located at Seller's facility;

                  ix)      Doug Church's personal computer and leased vehicle;

                  x)       all accounts receivable owed to Seller by Cambridge
                           Industries (the "Cambridge Receivable");

                  xi)      the remaining goodwill obtained by Seller in
                           connection with Seller's purchase of Seibert-Oxidermo
                           in 1986, as reflected in Seller's balance sheet; and

                  xii)     any hazardous material of Seller, except the
                           Inventory.

         2. Assumption of Certain Obligations. Upon the Closing and subject to
the terms and conditions of this Agreement, Purchaser shall assume
responsibility for the obligations and liabilities of Seller under the
agreements set forth in Exhibit "C" attached hereto and incorporated herein by


<PAGE>   5

reference only to the extent arising after the Closing Date except as otherwise
indicated on Exhibit "C" (the "Assumed Liabilities"), and no other liabilities
whatsoever.

         3. Liabilities Not Assumed. With the exception of the Assumed
Liabilities, Purchaser shall not by the execution and consummation of this
Agreement, or otherwise, assume or otherwise be responsible for any liability or
obligation of any nature of Seller, or claims of such liability or obligation,
matured or unmatured, liquidated or unliquidated, fixed or contingent, or known
or unknown, including, without limitation:

                  (a) any liability or obligation under any lease, contract or
         other instrument or agreement of Seller, including but not limited to
         any forward purchase agreements or any accrued customer rebates or
         discounts;

                  (b) any injury (physical or otherwise) to or death of any
         person or damage to or destruction of any property, whether based on
         negligence, invasion of privacy, breach of warranty, product liability,
         strict liability or any other theory, and including but not limited to
         any such injury, death, damage, or destruction relating to or caused by
         products manufactured by Seller or services rendered by Seller to a
         third party;

                  (c) any violation by Seller of the requirements of any
         governmental authority or of the rights of any third person, including,
         without limitation, requirements relating to the reporting or payment
         (or both) of federal, state, local or foreign income, personal
         property, withholding, sales and use, or other taxes;

                  (d) any claim, liability or obligation of Seller relating to
         any collective bargaining agreement between Seller and Teamsters Local
         Union No. 283 (Seller and Detrex hereby acknowledge that Purchaser will
         not operate any part of Seller's facilities, and shall not assume, by
         agreement, by operation of law, or otherwise, any liability or
         obligation whatsoever with respect to any such collective bargaining
         agreement, including but not limited to any liability as an alleged
         successor of Seller, it being acknowledged that Purchaser intends to
         conduct Purchaser's operations at Purchaser's existing facilities in
         either Evansville, Indiana, where employees are represented by Local
         833C of the International Chemical Workers Counsel of the United Food
         and Commercial Workers, or in Westland, Michigan, where employees are
         represented by the Westside Local 174 of the United Automobile
         Workers);

                  (e) any claim, liability or obligation of Seller relating to
         any other collective bargaining agreements or other contracts,
         agreements, or other obligations to which Seller is a party or by which
         Seller is bound: for the employment of any officer, individual,
         employee or group of employees; for the processing and payment of any
         worker's compensation claims with respect to any injury or condition
         incurred by any employee of Seller; for the payment of any wages,
         bonuses, commissions, vacation pay, or severance pay; for the
         furnishing of any benefits, including but not limited to group
         insurance benefits, profit sharing benefits, pension or other employee
         benefits (including but not limited to any liability for unfunded or


<PAGE>   6

         under-funded pension liability); or any obligations under the
         Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 ("COBRA"); or
         any employment policy of Seller relating to payment upon dismissal or
         termination of employment, including without limitation, with respect
         to any employee of Seller not hired by Purchaser after Closing;
                  (f) any liability or penalty of Seller resulting from a
         violation of, or noncompliance or non-conformance with, any law,
         judgment, order, decree, regulation or rule of any court or
         governmental authority, including, without limitation, the provisions
         of all anti-pollution and environmental protection laws, including but
         not limited to any liability with respect to off-site contamination and
         third party liability (including but not limited to any potential
         liability disclosed on Exhibit "I"), all anti-trust laws other than
         those that may be applicable to the transaction contemplated herein,
         all employment discrimination or other employment or labor related
         laws, all safety and health laws, and all rules and regulations
         promulgated under such laws, and whether any claim related to any such
         violation or non-compliance or non-conformance is filed before or
         after the time of Closing;

                  (g) any claim, liability, penalty, fine, or other obligation,
         whether assessed against Seller or Purchaser, resulting from failure to
         give any notice contemplated by the Worker Adjustment and Retraining
         Notification Act with respect to this transaction, or any comparable
         state law, if applicable;

                  (h) any claim, liability, or obligation of Seller related to
         any products manufactured or services rendered by Seller, whether such
         claim is based on breach of contract, breach of warranty, negligence,
         strict liability, products liability, or otherwise;

                  (i) accruals for material returns, customer claims, or
         rebates; and

                  (j) any other liability or obligation of Seller.

         4. Purchase Price. The purchase price for the Property to be acquired
pursuant to paragraph 1 hereinabove, subject to such adjustments as may
hereinafter be provided for, shall be Eleven Million Three Hundred Seventy-Five
Thousand Dollars ($11,375,000.00) (the "Purchase Price"), which shall be paid to
Seller at the Closing in cash or immediately available funds, adjusted as
follows:

                  The sum of the accounts receivable of Seller transferred to
         Purchaser on the date of Closing (which shall not include the Cambridge
         Receivable) and the value of the Inventory of Seller transferred to
         Purchaser on the Closing Date shall equal not less than Four Million
         Three Hundred Eighty-Five Thousand Dollars ($4,385,000) (the "Balance
         Sheet Amount"). To the extent that the sum of the accounts receivable
         and the Inventory at the time of Closing is (i) less than the Balance
         Sheet Amount, Purchaser shall be entitled to a dollar for dollar
         reduction in the Purchase Price, or (ii) greater than the Balance Sheet
         Amount, Seller shall be entitled to a dollar for dollar increase in the
         Purchase Price. In the event any settlement is required pursuant to
         this Paragraph, such settlement shall be made by the parties on October
         20, 2000.


<PAGE>   7

                  On the 8th day of September, 2000, or on such other day
         mutually agreed by the parties, Seller shall conduct a physical count
         of its Inventory, and shall thereafter track all changes to its
         Inventory from such date through the Effective Date (as hereinafter
         defined) of Closing. Representatives of Purchaser shall be permitted to
         observe the taking of such physical inventory and shall be permitted to
         take reasonable actions which shall not interfere with Seller's
         operations to confirm the results of said physical count.
         Representatives of Seller and Purchaser shall mutually agree upon the
         value of the Inventory, valued in accordance with this paragraph. The
         Inventory of Seller being acquired by Purchaser shall be valued on a
         FIFO cost basis. The parties shall mutually agree upon which items of
         inventory, including but not limited to work-off inventory, shall be
         included in the Inventory following the taking of the physical count,
         and the dollar value thereof. In the event of a dispute between the
         parties hereto regarding the valuation of the Inventory, including the
         work-off inventory, any such dispute may be resolved, at the request of
         either party, by binding arbitration with an arbitrator to be mutually
         agreed upon by the parties, or if they fail to agree, then with an
         arbitrator selected by the American Arbitration Association upon the
         request of either party.

                  On the six month anniversary date of Closing, Purchaser shall
         be entitled to payment from Seller in an amount equal to the balance of
         any uncollected accounts receivable, and such uncollected accounts
         receivable shall be transferred and assigned by Purchaser to Seller,
         together with all applicable documents relating thereto. Purchaser
         shall have no obligation to file suit to collect any such accounts
         receivable during such six month period, but shall only be required to
         send billing statements to said customers and make commercially
         reasonable efforts to collect said accounts receivable in accordance
         with its ordinary business practices.

                  Following the Closing, if Purchaser receives any refunds,
         credits, rebates, discounts, or other amounts from a supplier
         (collectively, "Rebates") based on the purchases of products from such
         supplier made by Seller during 2000, Purchaser shall remit to Seller an
         amount equal to Seller's pro-rata portion of the Rebates calculated as
         follows: the sum of all Rebates from such Supplier multiplied by a
         fraction, the numerator of which shall be the total dollars paid by
         Seller to such supplier during 2000 (the "Seller's Purchases") and the
         denominator of which shall be the sum of the Seller's Purchases and the
         total dollars paid by Purchaser to such supplier during 2000
         ("Purchaser's Purchases"). Purchaser shall remit Seller's pro- rata
         portion of the Rebates within ten business days of receipt of a Rebate,
         less any Rebate received by Seller. Seller shall have the opportunity
         to review all of Purchaser's records with respect to Purchaser's
         Purchases in the event a dispute arises relating to the Rebates.

         5. Allocation of Purchase Price. The parties hereto agree that the
purchase price shall be allocated among the assets being acquired in accordance
with an IRS Form 8594-Asset Acquisition Statement, to be completed and mutually
agreed upon by the parties no later than November 30, 2000, or a date mutually
agreed by the parties. The parties further agree to use such allocation for

<PAGE>   8

tax purposes and to furnish to each other, upon request, such data and
documentation as may be available to support such allocations.

         6. Representations and Warranties of Purchaser. Purchaser hereby
represents and warrants to Seller that:

                  (a) Organization. Purchaser is a corporation duly organized
         and validly existing under the laws of the State of Indiana.

                  (b) Authorization of Purchaser. Purchaser has all requisite
         power and authority (corporate and other) to enter into this Agreement
         and all of the other contracts, documents and instruments contemplated
         hereby, and to perform its obligations hereunder and thereunder, and to
         consummate the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, including,
         without limitation, the execution and delivery of this Agreement and
         all of the other contracts, documents and instruments contemplated
         hereby. All necessary and appropriate action has been taken by
         Purchaser with respect to the execution and delivery of this Agreement
         and such other contracts, documents and instruments, and this Agreement
         and such other contracts, documents and instruments, constitute a valid
         and binding obligation of Purchaser, enforceable against it in
         accordance with their terms.

                  (c) No Conflict or Default. The execution and delivery of this
         Agreement by Purchaser, and compliance by Purchaser with the terms and
         provisions hereof, including, without limitation, the consummation of
         the transactions contemplated hereby, will not violate in any material
         respect any statute, regulation or ordinance of any governmental
         authority, or conflict with or result in the breach of any term,
         condition or provision of the Certificate or Articles of Incorporation
         or By-laws of Purchaser or of any agreement, deed, contract, mortgage,
         indenture, writ, order, decree, legal obligation or instrument to which
         Purchaser is a party or by which it or any of its properties are or may
         be bound, or constitute a material default (or any event which, with
         the lapse of time or the giving of notice, or both, would constitute a
         material default) thereunder, or result in the creation or imposition
         of any lien, charge or encumbrance, or restriction of any nature
         whatsoever with respect to any of its properties. The granting by
         Purchaser of a security interest in any of the Property or in any of
         its properties, in order to secure financing for this transaction,
         shall not be deemed to be a breach of the representations and
         warranties contained in this paragraph.

                  (d) Litigation. There is no claim, litigation, action, suit,
         proceeding, investigation or inquiry, administrative or judicial,
         pending or, to the knowledge of Purchaser, threatened against
         Purchaser, at law or in equity, before any federal, state or local
         court or regulatory agency, or other governmental authority, which
         might have an adverse affect on Purchaser's ability to perform any of
         its obligations under this Agreement or any of the other documents to
         be executed and delivered by Purchaser pursuant to the terms of this
         Agreement, upon the consummation of the transactions contemplated by
         this Agreement.


<PAGE>   9

                  (e) Broker and Finders. Neither Purchaser nor any of its
         officers, directors or employees, has employed any broker or finder or
         incurred any liability for any brokerage fees, commissions, finder's
         fees or similar fees or expenses and no broker or finder has acted
         directly or indirectly for Purchaser in connection with this Agreement
         or the transactions contemplated hereby.

                  (f) Employee Benefits. With respect to Purchaser's health
         plans, Purchaser covenants, represents and warrants that individuals
         who were employed by Seller immediately prior to the Closing Date and
         who participated in Seller's health insurance plans and who are hired
         by Purchaser within six months after the Closing Date will, as of their
         date of hire by Purchaser, become eligible for participation, without
         any preexisting condition limitations, in a group health plan (as
         defined for purposes of Section 4980B of the Internal Revenue Code of
         1986, as amended) established and maintained by Purchaser for the
         general benefit of its employees and their dependents.

         7. Representations and Warranties of Seller. Seller and Detrex hereby
jointly and severally represent and warrant to Purchaser that:

                  (a) Corporate Organization; Authority to Conduct Business.
         Seller is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and in good
         standing under the laws of the State of Michigan and has all requisite
         power and authority (corporate and other) to own, lease and operate its
         properties and conduct its business as now being conducted.

                  (b) Authorization of Seller and Detrex. Seller and Detrex each
         have all requisite power and authority (corporate and other) to enter
         into this Agreement and all of the other contracts, documents and
         instruments contemplated hereby, and to perform their obligations
         hereunder and thereunder, and consummate the transactions contemplated
         hereby and thereby, including, without limitation, the execution and
         delivery of this Agreement and all of the other contracts, documents
         and instruments contemplated hereby. All necessary and appropriate
         corporate action has been taken by Seller and Detrex with respect to
         the execution and delivery of this Agreement and such other contracts,
         documents and instruments, and this Agreement and such other contracts,
         documents and instruments, constitute a valid and binding obligation of
         Seller and Detrex, enforceable against them in accordance with their
         terms. Seller is a wholly owned subsidiary of Detrex, and Detrex will
         receive a direct financial benefit from the consummation of this
         Agreement, and Detrex has entered into this Agreement in order to
         induce Purchaser to enter into this Agreement.

                  (c) No Conflict or Default. Except as set forth in Exhibit
         "E-1" attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference, neither the
         execution and delivery of this Agreement by Seller and/or Detrex, nor
         compliance by Seller and/or Detrex with the terms and provisions
         hereof, including, without limitation, the consummation of the
         transactions contemplated hereby, will violate in any material respect
         any statute, regulation or ordinance


<PAGE>   10

         of any governmental authority, or conflict with or result in the breach
         of any term, condition or provision of the Articles of Incorporation or
         By-laws of Seller and/or Detrex or of any material agreement, deed,
         contract, mortgage, indenture, writ, order, decree, legal obligation or
         instrument to which Seller and/or Detrex is a party or by which either
         of them or any of their properties are bound, or constitute a material
         default (or any event which, with the lapse of time or the giving of
         notice, or both, would constitute a material default) thereunder, or
         result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or
         encumbrance, or material restriction of any nature whatsoever with
         respect to any of the Property.

                  (d) Title to the Property; Leases and Contracts. Upon the
         occurrence of each of the conditions precedent to Closing, and upon the
         consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, Purchaser will
         obtain good and marketable title to all of the Property free and clear
         of all liens, encumbrances, and adverse claims. The Property and the
         Excluded Assets constitute all of the tangible and intangible assets
         and contract rights used in the business of the Seller as it is
         presently conducted. To Seller's Knowledge, all of the Assumed Leases
         and Contracts are currently in full force and effect, and there does
         not exist, nor will there exist at the time of Closing, an event of
         default on the part of Seller, or, to Seller's Knowledge, on the part
         of the other party to any of the Assumed Leases or Contracts, nor, to
         Seller's Knowledge, is there any fact or circumstance which, with the
         passage of time or the giving of notice, or both, would constitute an
         event of default.

                  (e) Condition of Property. The Personal Property is being sold
         as-is, where-is. Seller shall provide reasonable assistance to
         Purchaser in locating and recovering the paint totes that are not at
         Seller's premises on the Closing Date.

                  (f) Books and Records. The books and records of Seller are
         reasonably complete and correct in all material respects and Seller has
         made available to Purchaser for examination the originals or true and
         correct copies of all documents material to the business of the Seller
         as conducted prior to the Closing.

                  (g) Accounts Receivable. Seller has provided Purchaser with a
         complete and accurate accounts receivable aging report dated as of July
         31, 2000. The accounts receivable of Seller have arisen from bona fide
         transactions in the ordinary course of business and are good and
         collectible in the ordinary course of business, without off-set or
         credit of any kind. Except as disclosed in Exhibit "E-2," attached
         hereto and incorporated herein by reference, Seller does not give any
         rebates or discounts to its customers on sales of Seller's products.

                  (h) Inventory. The Inventory shall not include any damaged,
         defective, slow moving, work-off, or obsolete merchandise, except to
         the extent expressly agreed-upon by the parties in writing. Except for
         the work-off inventory included in the Inventory, all Inventory of
         finished goods held for resale, stocks of raw materials, intermediate
         materials, or goods in process shall be usable or saleable in the
         ordinary course of business on the Closing Date.



<PAGE>   11

                  (i) Intentionally omitted.

                  (j) Financial Statements. Attached hereto as Exhibit "F-1" and
         incorporated herein by reference are Seller's financial statements for
         the years ended December 31, 1999, and the six month period ended June
         30, 2000, which are true and correct in all material respects, present
         fairly the financial condition of the Seller as of the dates stated
         therein, and, except as set forth in Schedule "F-1", were prepared in
         accordance with generally accepted accounting principles consistently
         applied.

                  (k) Absence of Material Changes. Except as disclosed in
         Exhibit"F-2", since January 1, 2000, there has not been, and at the
         time of Closing there shall not be:

                           i) any damage, destruction or loss, whether or not
                  covered by insurance, materially and adversely affecting the
                  Property, except any such damage, destruction or loss
                  disclosed in writing to Purchaser by Seller prior to Closing;
                  or

                           ii) any labor dispute or disturbances materially
                  affecting in an adverse manner the business or financial
                  condition of Seller, including, without limitation, the filing
                  of any charge of unfair labor practices with the National
                  Labor Relations Board; or

                           iii) any change in the financial condition, assets,
                  liabilities, or business of the Seller, other than changes in
                  the ordinary course of business, none of which has been
                  materially adverse; or

                           iv) any transaction entered into or carried out by
                  Seller other than in the ordinary and usual course of its
                  business; or

                           v) any mortgage, pledge, lien, security interest,
                  charge or other encumbrance imposed or agreed to be imposed on
                  or with respect to any of the Property; or

                           vi) any sale, lease, or other distribution of, or any
                  agreement to sell, lease, or otherwise dispose of any of the
                  properties of Seller, except for the sale of finished goods in
                  the usual and ordinary course of business; or

                           vii) any material loss of the business of a material
                  customer of Seller, or any indication that any material
                  customer intends to significantly reduce the volume of
                  products purchased from Seller; or

                           viii) any claim or notice from any customer of any
                  material defect in any product; or


<PAGE>   12

                           ix) any other event or condition of any character
                  which materially or adversely affects the business operations,
                  assets, properties, rights, or condition of the Seller's
                  business.

                  (l) Continuing Operation of Seller's Business. Seller agrees
         that since January 1, 2000, and from such time until the Closing, and
         except as otherwise consented to or approved by an authorized officer
         of Purchaser in writing:

                           i) the business, operations, activities and practices
                  of Seller have been and shall be conducted only in the
                  ordinary course of business and consistent with past
                  practices;

                           ii) Seller has used and will use reasonable efforts
                  to keep the business organization of the Seller intact, and to
                  preserve the goodwill of its suppliers, customers, and others
                  with whom business relationships exist, and to keep available
                  the services of its employees and agents;

                           iii) Seller has not and will not take, agree to take
                  or knowingly permit to be taken any action or do or knowingly
                  permit to be done anything in the conduct of the business of
                  Seller, or otherwise, which would be contrary to or in breach
                  of any of the terms or provisions of this Agreement or which
                  would cause any of the representations of Seller contained
                  herein to be or become untrue in any material respect;

                           iv) To Seller's Knowledge, Seller has substantially
                  complied, and will continue to use commercially reasonable
                  efforts to substantially comply, with all executory contracts,
                  and to maintain Inventory at levels consistent with past
                  practices.

                  (m) Litigation; Compliance With Law. With respect to the
         Property and the business of the Seller, except as set forth in Exhibit
         "G" attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference: (i) Seller is
         not engaged in or, to Seller's Knowledge, threatened with, any claim,
         controversy, legal action, or other proceeding whether or not before
         any court or administrative agency; (ii) Seller is not in violation of,
         and has not received any notice alleging a violation of, any law,
         judgment, order, decree, regulation or rule of any court or government
         authority applicable to it; (iii) to Seller's Knowledge the products,
         manufacturing facilities, operations and processes and business
         operations of the Seller, are, and have been, in compliance with all
         applicable laws, including without limitation, the provisions of all
         anti-trust laws, all safety and health laws, and all rules and
         regulations promulgated under such laws, except when the failure to
         comply with such laws would not have a material adverse effect on the
         Property being transferred to Buyer; and (iv) there is no pending or,
         to Seller's Knowledge, threatened litigation, administrative action or
         examination, claim, or demand whatsoever relating to the Property.



<PAGE>   13

                  (n) Employee Benefit Plans; ERISA. To Seller' Knowledge and
         with respect to plans which it sponsors, Seller has substantially
         satisfied all of its obligations arising under the Employee Retirement
         Income Security Act of 1974, as amended ("ERISA"), including but not
         limited to any and all liability under any "Employee Benefit Plans" it
         sponsors as defined in Section 3(iii) of ERISA and all other employee
         benefit arrangements or payroll practices it sponsors, including each
         severance pay, bonus, deferred compensation, incentive compensation,
         stock purchase, stock option, hospitalization or other medical, life,
         disability or other welfare, pension, profit sharing or retirement
         programs covering present and/or former officers, directors,
         shareholders, employees of the Seller and their respective dependents
         or beneficiaries.

                  (o) Brokers and Finders. Neither Seller nor any of its
         officers, directors or employees has employed any broker or finder or
         incurred any liability for any brokerage fees, commissions, finder's
         fees or similar fees or expenses, and no broker or finder has acted
         directly or indirectly for Seller in connection with this Agreement or
         the transactions contemplated hereby.

                  (p) Employees, Compensation and Benefits. At the Closing,
         Seller will provide Purchaser with Exhibit "H", which shall be attached
         hereto and incorporated herein by reference, and which shall set forth
         the names of certain employees of Seller actively involved in the
         business of Seller that Purchaser has identified prior to Closing as
         being individuals Purchaser may desire to employ, their position with
         the Seller, their date of hire, and their rate of compensation and the
         amount of any accrued vacation pay as of the Closing Date. Except as
         set forth in Exhibit "H," there will be no other fringe benefits or
         other forms of compensation paid to any such employee of Seller except
         the fringe benefits described in Seller's "New Employee Folder" and
         certain sales bonus and commission plans which have been disclosed to
         Purchaser. Except as set forth in Exhibit "H,", Seller will have no
         agreement or understanding with any employees identified by Purchaser,
         either explicit or implicit, which, in Seller's reasonable judgment,
         would influence any such person not to become associated with Purchaser
         from and after the time of Closing or from serving Purchaser in a
         capacity similar to the capacity presently held. Seller shall
         reasonably cooperate with Purchaser in its efforts to hire such
         employees and encourage the individuals which shall be identified by
         Purchaser to accept employment with Purchaser, to the extent that
         Seller is reasonably able to do so, prior to the Closing of this
         transaction, it being understood by the parties hereto that Purchaser
         has no obligation and has made no commitment to hire any of Seller's
         employees. Purchaser shall make any such offer of employment to any
         such employee, upon such terms and conditions, including starting date,
         as Purchaser may deem appropriate, it being acknowledged that the
         foregoing does not in any way constitute an employment agreement or an
         agreement either to employ any of such employees, or to employ them for
         any specific period of time or other than on an "at will" basis.




<PAGE>   14

                  (q) Labor Relations.

                           i) To Seller's Knowledge, Seller has substantially
                  complied with Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as
                  amended, the Fair Labor Standards Act, as amended, the Equal
                  Pay Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, as
                  amended by the Older Workers Benefit Protection Act, the
                  Americans with Disabilities Act, and, the Occupational Safety
                  and Health Act of 1970, as amended. To Seller's Knowledge,
                  Seller has substantially complied with all applicable federal,
                  state and local laws, rules and regulations relating to
                  employment, and all applicable laws, rules and regulations
                  governing payment of minimum wages and overtime rates, and the
                  withholding and payment of taxes from compensation of
                  employees.

                           ii) There are no material controversies pending or,
                  to Seller's Knowledge, threatened between Seller or Detrex and
                  any of Seller's employees, concerning labor relations or
                  employment matters generally.

                           iii) There are no pending or, to Seller's Knowledge,
                  threatened investigations of Seller by the Michigan
                  Occupational Safety and Health Administration or by the United
                  States Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

                           iv) There are no pending or, to Seller's Knowledge,
                  threatened investigations of Seller by the National Labor
                  Relations Board or the United States Department of Labor's
                  Wage and Hour Division.

                           v) There are no pending or, to Seller's Knowledge,
                  threatened claims against Seller by female employees that
                  involve the Equal Pay Act.

                           vi) There are no pending or, to Seller's Knowledge,
                  threatened claims for sexual harassment by an employee of
                  Seller involving the Seller, Detrex, or any of their
                  employees.

                           vii) There are no pending or, to Seller's Knowledge,
                  threatened claims against Seller for violations of the Family
                  and Medical Leave Act.

                           viii) There are no pending or, to Seller's Knowledge,
                  threatened employment related civil actions or administrative
                  claims involving the Seller or its employees.

                           ix) There are no pending or, to Seller's Knowledge,
                  threatened unemployment compensation claims against Seller.

                           x) Seller is not subject to the notification
                  requirements of the Worker Adjustment and Retraining
                  Notification Act.



<PAGE>   15

                           xi) Seller shall be responsible for any liabilities
                  or obligations to Teamsters Local Union 283 with respect to
                  the anticipated closure of Seller's plant.

                  (r) Boycotts; Pickets. There are no organizations known to
         Seller which are boycotting Seller's business operations or products,
         which refuse to engage in business with those who do business with
         Seller, or which are or have within the past twelve (12) months
         picketed Seller or Seller's business establishment.

                  (s) Environmental Hazards. Except as forth in Exhibit "I"
         attached hereto and incorporated herein by this reference: (i) To
         Seller's Knowledge, Seller has not caused or permitted any hazardous
         material to be brought upon, kept, flushed into sanitary sewers or used
         in or about the Seller's real estate, whether by Seller, Seller's
         agents, employees, contractors, invitees, or any other party, except
         for inventory and other materials used in the ordinary course of
         Seller's business which were necessary, useful to, produced by or
         incident to Seller's business and which were at all times used, kept,
         stored and disposed of in a manner which substantially complies with
         all applicable laws regulating any such hazardous material so brought
         upon or used or kept in or about the Seller's real estate, whether now
         or previously in effect. Seller and Detrex shall remove any hazardous
         materials on Seller's real estate known to Seller and dispose of such
         hazardous materials in the manner which complies with all laws
         regulating any such hazardous material. Except as set forth in Schedule
         "I", Seller has not been designated as a "potentially responsible
         party" in connection with any contamination or release involving
         hazardous materials; and (ii) to Seller's Knowledge, the facilities,
         operations and processes, and business operations of the Seller at or
         from Seller's real estate, including without limitation the storage or
         disposal from Seller's real estate of hazardous materials, both on-site
         and off-site, are, and have been, in substantial compliance with all
         applicable anti-pollution and environmental protection laws.

                  As used herein, the term "hazardous material" means any
         hazardous or toxic substance, material or waste which is regulated by
         any local governmental authority, the State of Michigan or the United
         States government. The term "hazardous material" includes, without
         limitation, petroleum hydrocarbons, asbestos, PCB's, and any material
         or substance that is:

                           i)       infectious waste;

                           ii)      radioactive materials;

                           iii)     designated as a "hazardous substance"
                  pursuant to the Federal Clean Water Pollution Control Act, as
                  such act may have been amended;

                           iv)      defined as a "hazardous waste" pursuant to
                  the Federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, as such
                  act may have been amended;
<PAGE>   16


                           v)       defined as a "hazardous substance" pursuant
                  to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and
                  Liability Act, as such act may have been amended; and/or

                           vi) defined as a toxic, infectious, contaminating, or
                  hazardous waste, substance, or material, or a substance which
                  is otherwise the subject of any environmental or
                  anti-pollution law or regulation pursuant to state, local or
                  federal laws.

                  (t) Taxes. Except as set forth in Exhibit "J-1" attached
         hereto and incorporated herein by this reference: (i) Seller has paid
         any and all taxes (including without limitation, payroll taxes),
         license fees or other charges levied, assessed or imposed upon the
         Seller and any of the Property of Seller which is being purchased by
         Purchaser pursuant to this Agreement, except taxes not yet due and
         payable; (ii) all tax returns required to be filed by Seller prior to
         and including the date of Closing have been duly prepared and filed on
         Seller's behalf within the time prescribed by law; and (iii) all taxes,
         contributions and other charges required to be paid by Seller to
         governmental agencies, including but not limited to withholding taxes
         and sales and use taxes with respect to its operations prior to the
         date of Closing, will be paid by Seller or on behalf of Seller as they
         become due.

                  (u) Insurance. Seller currently has in full force and effect,
         comprehensive general liability, unemployment compensation, worker's
         compensation and product liability insurance. Seller will continue to
         maintain such insurance coverage in full force and effect through the
         Closing Date, and throughout the term of the Transition Contract
         Manufacturing and Shipping Agreement, as hereinafter defined.

                  (v) No Bulk Sales Act Requirements. Seller is not required to
         provide any notice to its creditors of the sale contemplated by this
         Agreement, pursuant to any Bulk Sales Act or similar law. Seller
         represents and warrants that the Bulk Sales Act as previously in effect
         in the State of Michigan has been repealed.

                  (w) Intellectual Property Rights. Seller owns the Intellectual
         Property Rights described in paragraph 1(f) of this Agreement as well
         as the Intellectual Property Rights set forth on Exhibit "D" attached
         hereto and incorporated herein by reference. To Seller's Knowledge,
         Seller is not aware of the use by any third party of the formulas for
         any of the products set forth in Exhibit "D." To Seller's Knowledge,
         the Intellectual Property Rights do not interfere with, infringe upon,
         or otherwise come into conflict with any intellectual property rights
         of any third party, and neither Seller nor Detrex have received any
         charge, complaint, claim, demand or notice alleging any such
         interference, infringement, misappropriation or violation. To Seller's
         Knowledge, no third party has interfered with, infringed upon,
         misappropriated or otherwise come into conflict with any Intellectual
         Property Rights of Seller. Seller shall deliver to Purchaser upon
         request, each pending application or application for registration which
         the Seller has made with respect to any of its Intellectual Property
         Rights. Except as set forth in Exhibit "D," Seller has not entered into

<PAGE>   17

         any license, agreement, or other permission granting any third party
         any rights with respect to any of its Intellectual Property Rights.
         Seller will deliver to Purchaser upon request, correct and complete
         copies of all patents, registrations, applications, licenses,
         agreements, and permissions and any other written documentation
         evidencing ownership and prosecution (if applicable), of each item of
         Intellectual Property Rights.

                  (x) Customers. Seller shall provide Purchaser as a part of
         Purchaser's due diligence investigation a list of Seller's top thirty
         largest customers based on gross sales dollars before returns for the
         year ended December 31, 1999, and year to date information through the
         31st day of August, 2000, including information with respect to the
         sales attributable to each such customer, which list and accompanying
         information shall be true and correct in all material respects. Seller
         and Detrex will disclose during the due diligence investigation any
         material negative trends or material adverse changes which have
         occurred since December 31, 1999, with respect to any customer with
         annual sales during 1999 or from January 1, 2000, through August 1,
         2000, of at least One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000). To Seller's
         Knowledge, except as set forth in Exhibit "J-2", no such customer has
         indicated that it intends to reduce its level of purchases from Seller,
         or that it does not intend to continue such level of purchase with
         Purchaser after Closing.

                  (y) Reliance. The foregoing representations and warranties are
         made by Seller with the knowledge and expectation that Purchaser is
         placing complete reliance thereon.

         8. Conditions Precedent to Obligations of Purchaser. All of the
obligations of Purchaser under this Agreement are subject to the fulfillment
prior to or at the Closing Date of each of the following conditions, any one or
more of which may only be waived in writing by the Purchaser:

                  (a) Accuracy of Representations. The representations and
         warranties of Seller and Detrex contained herein shall be true in all
         material respects as of the date when made, shall be deemed to be made
         and shall be true in all material respects at and immediately prior to
         Closing; provided, however, Seller shall not be in breach of this
         Agreement so long as Seller, from time to time prior to the Closing
         Date, supplements or amends the Exhibits to this Agreement with respect
         to any matter arising after the date hereof which, if existing on or
         occurring after the date hereof, would have been required to be set
         forth in the Exhibits or which is necessary to correct any information
         contained in this Agreement. In the event Seller makes a material
         change to any Exhibit, Purchaser shall have five (5) days from the date
         of such disclosure to Purchaser of such material change to notify
         Seller of Purchaser's desire to terminate this Agreement.

                  (b) Fulfillment of Obligations. All covenants, conditions and
         other obligations under this Agreement which are to be performed or
         complied with by Seller and/or Detrex shall have been fully performed
         and complied with in all material respects on or prior to the Closing
         Date including the delivery of the fully executed instruments and/or
         documents in accordance with this Agreement, including but not limited
         to the execution and delivery of the Transition Contract Manufacturing
         and Shipping Agreement and the other documents required to be delivered
         at Closing.


<PAGE>   18

                  (c) Due Diligence. Purchaser shall have the right to perform
         due diligence activities at Seller's facilities, including but not
         limited to inspections of the Property, tests of related records, and
         discussions with employees as Purchaser deems reasonably necessary. All
         such due diligence activities will take place during normal business
         hours and shall not unduly interfere with the operations and business
         activities of Seller. Seller and Detrex will provide Purchaser and its
         authorized representatives reasonable access during normal business
         hours to all plants, offices, warehouses and other facilities of Seller
         and to all books and records of the Seller. Seller will permit
         Purchaser to make such inspections as it may reasonably require, and
         Seller and Detrex shall cause its officers to furnish Purchaser with
         such available financial and operating data and other information with
         respect to the Seller as Purchaser may from time to time reasonably
         request; provided, however, that such activities shall be conducted
         with a view towards minimizing any disruption of the day to day
         business of the Seller. Purchaser will discuss its due diligence plan
         and sensitivities with Seller and Detrex prior to conducting such due
         diligence activities. The due diligence period will commence on the
         second business day after execution of this Agreement and shall
         continue for up to seven business days. During such due diligence
         investigation, Purchaser shall evaluate the details of the business and
         assets being purchased to ensure that the assets, business, and
         potential future earnings are as Purchaser currently believes them to
         be, based upon information and discussions with Detrex and Seller, and
         to satisfy itself that a sufficient number of Seller's sales, technical
         service, customer service, and technical personnel will accept
         employment from Purchaser following Closing, in order to assure the
         retention of existing business contacts, customer base, and know-how
         related to the sale, servicing and production of the products
         manufactured by Seller. After completion of the due diligence period,
         Purchaser shall have until the end of business on Wednesday, September
         20, 2000 (the "Cancellation Date") (subject to the time period provided
         in paragraph 8(a)) to cancel and rescind this Agreement without
         liability in the event Purchaser has determined, based upon such due
         diligence investigation, that Purchaser should not proceed to Closing.
         Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event Seller does not provide
         Purchaser with inventory reports reflecting results of the physical
         count taken on September 8, 2000, as described in paragraph 4 by
         September 12, 2000, the Cancellation Date shall be extended by one day
         for each day beyond September 12 that Seller delayed providing such
         reports to Purchaser.

                  (d) Financing. Purchaser's obligations under this Agreement
         are subject to closing the necessary financing for this acquisition
         from Comerica Bank and Old National Bank in Evansville, upon terms and
         conditions reasonably acceptable to Purchaser. Purchaser shall provide
         Seller with evidence of any loan commitment from Comerica Bank and Old
         National Bank in Evansville, when available.

                  (e) No Adverse Change. There shall have been no material
         adverse change in the financial or business condition of the business
         and operations of Seller or in the condition of the Property between
         the date of this Agreement and the Closing.


<PAGE>   19

                  (f) No Adverse Proceeding. There shall be no pending or
         threatened claim, action, litigation or proceeding, judicial or
         administrative, or governmental investigation against Purchaser,
         Seller, Detrex or the Property for the purpose of enjoining or
         preventing the consummation of this Agreement, or otherwise claiming
         that this Agreement or the consummation hereof is illegal.

                  (g) Employees. All issues with regard to Seller's union
         employees shall have been resolved to the satisfaction of Purchaser.

         9. Conditions Precedent to Obligations of Seller and Detrex. All of the
obligations of Seller and Detrex under this Agreement are subject to the
fulfillment prior to or at the Closing Date of each of the following conditions,
any one or more of which may only be waived in writing by the Seller and Detrex:

                  (a) Accuracy of Representations. The representations and
         warranties of Purchaser contained herein shall be true in all material
         respects as of the date when made, shall be deemed to be made again at
         and as of the Closing Date and shall be true in all material respects
         at and as of the Closing Date.

                  (b) Fulfillment of Obligations. All covenants, conditions and
         other obligations under this Agreement which are to be performed or
         complied with by Purchaser shall have been fully performed and complied
         with in all material respects on or prior to the Closing Date including
         the delivery of the funds and the fully executed instruments and/or
         documents in accordance with this Agreement.

                  (c) No Adverse Proceeding. There shall be no pending or
         threatened claim, action, litigation or proceeding, judicial or
         administrative, or governmental investigation against Purchaser,
         Seller, Detrex or the Property for the purpose of enjoining or
         preventing the consummation of this Agreement or otherwise claiming
         that this Agreement or the consummation hereof is illegal.

                  (d) Employees. All issues with regard to Seller's union
         employees shall have been resolved to the satisfaction of Seller.

                  (e) Comerica Approval. Comerica shall approve this transaction
         and shall agree to release its lien on the Property which it holds in
         connection with Detrex's financing with Comerica.

         10. Time, Date, and Place of Closing; Effective Date. Upon satisfaction
or effective waiver of the conditions specified hereinabove, this transaction
shall close, and all deliveries to be made at the time of Closing shall take
place, at 10:00 a.m., local time, on Friday, September 29, 2000 (the "Closing
Date"), at Clark Hill PLC, 500 Woodward Avenue, Suite 3500, Detroit, Michigan
48226-3435, or at such other place, date or time as may be agreed upon from time
to time in writing by Seller and Purchaser. In the event of the failure of this
transaction to Close on or


<PAGE>   20

before the Closing Date, neither party shall be obligated to consummate this
transaction and this Agreement shall be canceled and of no further effect;
provided, however, Purchaser shall receive upon request one or more extensions
of the Closing Date in the event all of the conditions to Closing which are
solely in the control of Seller have not been satisfied by the Closing Date. The
"Closing" shall mean the deliveries to be made by Purchaser and Seller at the
time of Closing in accordance with this Agreement. Notwithstanding the Closing
Date, the effective date of the transfer of the Property to Purchaser shall be
considered to be September 30, 2000 (the "Effective Date").

         11. Events Comprising the Closing. The Closing, which shall be subject
to the prior satisfaction of the conditions set forth in this Agreement, shall
consist of delivery of the following:

                  (a) Bill of Sale. Seller shall deliver to Purchaser an
         executed Bill of Sale transferring to Purchaser the Property free and
         clear of all liens and security interests, in the form and content
         attached hereto as Exhibit "K" and hereby incorporated herein by this
         reference.

                  (b) Seller's and Detrex's Resolutions. Seller and Detrex shall
         each deliver to Purchaser resolutions of its Board of Directors,
         certified by its secretary, authorizing the execution, delivery and
         performance of this Agreement.

                  (c) Purchaser's Resolutions. Purchaser shall deliver to Seller
         resolutions of its Board of Directors, certified by its secretary,
         authorizing the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement.

                  (d) Opinion of Counsel-Seller and Detrex. Seller and Detrex
         shall deliver to Purchaser the opinion of Seller's legal counsel, in
         substantially the content attached hereto as Exhibit "L" and
         incorporated herein by this reference.

                  (e) Opinion of Counsel-Purchaser. Purchaser shall deliver to
         Seller the opinion of Purchaser's legal counsel, in substantially the
         content attached hereto as Exhibit "M" and incorporated herein by this
         reference.

                  (f) Payment of Purchase Price. Purchaser shall deliver to
         Seller the Purchase Price as provided in paragraph 4 hereinabove.

                  (g) Confidentiality and Noncompetition Agreement. Purchaser,
         Seller and Detrex shall execute and deliver a Confidentiality and
         Non-Competition Agreement in the form and content set forth as Exhibit
         "N" attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference.

                  (h) Certificates of Title. Seller shall endorse for transfer
         and deliver to Purchaser any and all certificates of title which may
         exist with respect to any of the Property.


<PAGE>   21

                  (i) Lien Releases. Seller shall obtain and deliver to
         Purchaser releases of all liens existing upon any of the Property,
         including but not limited to those liens described in Exhibit "O"
         attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference.

                  (j) Certificate of Amendment. Seller shall execute a
         Certificate of Amendment to its Articles of Incorporation changing
         Seller's name.

                  (k) Assignment of Leases and Contracts; Consents. Seller and
         Purchaser shall execute an Assignment and Assumption Agreement in
         substantially the form and content set forth in Exhibit "P" attached
         hereto and incorporated herein by reference for each of the Assumed
         Leases and Contracts, and Seller shall use good faith efforts to
         deliver to Purchaser the written consent of the lessor or other party
         to each of the Assumed Leases and Contracts, consenting to such
         assignment, if timely required by Purchaser or such lessor or other
         party.

                  (l) Transition Contract Manufacturing and Shipping Agreement.
         Seller, Detrex, and Purchaser shall execute and deliver the Transition
         Contract Manufacturing and Shipping Agreement in the form and content
         set forth in Exhibit "Q" attached hereto and incorporated herein by
         reference.

                  (m) Royalty Agreement. Seller and Purchaser shall execute and
         deliver the Royalty Agreement, in the form and content set forth in
         Exhibit "R" attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference.

                  (n) Other Documents. Purchaser and Seller shall each execute
         and deliver such other documents and information as are provided for in
         this Agreement.

         12. Possession. Seller shall deliver possession of the Property to
Purchaser in the condition existing at the time of execution of this Agreement,
ordinary wear and tear excepted, subject to the provisions of paragraph 16
hereinbelow. Purchaser shall be entitled to possession of the Property
immediately upon Closing; provided, however, Seller shall be permitted to
utilize the Property to the extent necessary to fulfill its obligations under
the Transition Contract Manufacturing and Shipping Agreement. Purchaser shall
cause the Personal Property to be removed as set forth in the Transition
Contract Manufacturing and Shipping Agreement. The Inventory may remain, in
Purchaser's discretion, on Seller's real estate during the term of the
Transition Contract Manufacturing and Shipping Agreement, and any Inventory on
said real estate shall be removed by Purchaser as set forth in the Transition
Contract Manufacturing and Shipping Agreement. Upon conclusion of the term of
the Transition Contract Manufacturing and Shipping Agreement, Seller and Detrex
agree to cooperate to provide the services of Dick Godette to Purchaser upon
terms agreeable to the parties.

         13. Indemnification.

                  (a) Indemnification by Seller and Detrex. Seller and Detrex,
         jointly and severally, agree to indemnify Purchaser, its affiliates and
         the directors, officers, shareholders,

<PAGE>   22

         employees, agents, successors and assigns of Purchaser and its
         affiliates against, and hold each and every one of the foregoing
         harmless from, any and all damages, losses, claims, actions, causes of
         action, liabilities, obligations, demands, charges, suits, penalties,
         fines, costs or expenses, whether accrued, absolute, contingent, known
         or unknown, foreseeable or unforeseeable, or otherwise, including but
         not limited to court costs, reasonable attorneys' fees, reasonable
         paralegals' fees, deposition charges, reasonable investigation fees,
         reasonable expert witness fees, reasonable appraiser fees and expenses
         of environmental remediation (hereinafter collectively referred to as
         the "Losses"), which any of the foregoing may incur or to which any of
         the foregoing may be subjected, arising out of, incurred in connection
         with, related to, or otherwise caused by, directly or indirectly, any
         of the following:

                           (i) any misrepresentation or breach of warranty or
         representation by Seller and/or Detrex or any nonfulfillment, breach or
         default by Seller and/or Detrex of or under any of the covenants or
         other provisions of this Agreement, or of the other agreements and
         documents referred to herein or executed pursuant hereto; or

                           (ii) any liabilities set forth in paragraph 3
         hereinabove, and any liabilities, obligations, and commitments of, or
         claims against, Seller and/or Detrex, including those which may accrue
         by operation of law against Purchaser under a theory of successor
         liability and which are not based on any act, omission or duty of
         Purchaser, other than the Assumed Liabilities identified in paragraph 2
         hereof; or

                           (iii) any failure to give any notice contemplated by
         the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act with respect to
         this transaction, whether assessed against Seller or Purchaser;

                           (iv) any hazardous material in, on, or under any of
         Seller's facilities, whether owned or leased, and/or any hazardous
         material arising from, related to, or otherwise used in connection with
         Seller's operations, regardless of whether said hazardous materials are
         located on or off Seller's real estate, and regardless of whether
         discovered prior to Closing or following Closing; or

                           (v) any defective products manufactured by Seller,
         including but not limited to the cost of providing credits for returned
         product and amounts paid in settlement of damages caused by such
         defective products manufactured by Seller prior to Closing; or

                           (vi) any collective bargaining agreement with
         Teamsters Local Union No. 283.

                  (b) Indemnification by Purchaser. Purchaser agrees to
         indemnify Seller, Detrex and each of their affiliates, and the
         directors, officers, shareholders, employees, agents, successors and
         assigns of Seller, Detrex and each of their affiliates, and to hold
         them harmless from and against all Losses, including the Assumed
         Liabilities, in any way arising


<PAGE>   23

         out of or related to any act or omission of Purchaser and any breach or
         other default of any agreements, representations, warranties or
         covenants on the part of Purchaser contained in this Agreement or any
         of the documents referred to herein or in the conduct of the business
         being acquired by Purchaser after Closing.

                  (c) Obligation to Indemnify. No party hereto shall have an
         obligation to indemnify the other party from and against any Losses
         until the other party has suffered Losses of Fifty Thousand Dollars
         ($50,000) (the "Deductible") or more in aggregate, after which the
         responsible party shall be obligated to indemnify such party from and
         against all such Losses in excess thereof, except the Deductible shall
         not apply to: (i) claims for defective products manufactured by Seller,
         including but not limited to the cost of providing credits for returned
         product and amounts paid in settlement of damages caused by such
         defective products manufactured by Seller prior to Closing; (ii) any
         settlements or adjustments set forth in paragraph 4 of this Agreement;
         (iii) any claim by Purchaser for the failure of the Seller to deliver
         any portion of the Property; and (iv) any claim arising out of the
         existence of any lien or encumbrance on the Property at the time of the
         Closing. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this
         paragraph 13, the aggregate liability of Seibert and Detrex on the one
         hand and Purchaser on the other under this paragraph 13 shall not
         exceed Five Million Dollars ($5,000,000).

                  (d) Limitations. No party hereto shall have an obligation to
         indemnify any other party from and against any Losses unless written
         notice of a probable Loss is given within two years of the Closing
         Date; provided, however, that with respect to Third Party Claims (as
         defined below), the indemnification provision provided for herein shall
         expire if notice of a probable Loss is not given within sixty days
         following the expiration of the applicable statute of limitations.
         "Third Party Claims" as used in this paragraph 13(d) shall mean the
         claims of any third party, including but not limited to any claim,
         fine, penalty, tax, assessment, or obligation asserted by any
         governmental authority. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary
         contained in this Agreement, the remedies provided in paragraph 13
         shall constitute the exclusive remedy for all parties indemnified under
         paragraph 13 for any claim in connection with this Agreement. No claim
         for indemnification or otherwise whether based on statute, rule,
         regulation, ordinance or any other law, may be made with respect to a
         representation and warranty or any other claim arising out of the
         transaction outlined herein after the expiration of the applicable
         period described above.

                  (e) Notice of Claim. In the event of a breach or other claim,
         the party claiming such breach or making such other claim (the
         "Indemnitee") shall give written notice ("Notice") to the party in
         breach or against whom such other claim is made (the "Indemnitor")
         stating that payment of an amount described in such notice is due and
         payable to the Indemnitee under the provisions of this Agreement on
         grounds set forth in such notice.

                  (f) Defense. If any action, litigation, suit, investigation,
         arbitration or other proceeding ("Proceeding") is brought against an
         Indemnitee for which such Indemnitee is or may be entitled to
         indemnification pursuant to subparagraph 13(a) or 13(b) from an


<PAGE>   24

         Indemnitor, the Indemnitee shall promptly give a Notice to the
         Indemnitor of such Proceeding. The Indemnitor shall, at its own
         expense, have the opportunity to be represented by counsel of its
         choosing and to assume and conduct the defense of any such Proceeding
         upon providing a written undertaking to that effect to the Indemnitee.
         If, after such opportunity, the Indemnitor or its counsel does not
         assume the defense of any such Proceeding, it shall be bound by the
         results obtained by the Indemnitee. In the event that the Indemnitee
         does not receive written notice from the Indemnitor within ten (10)
         days of having given Notice to the Indemnitor of any such Proceeding,
         the Indemnitor shall be deemed to have elected not to assume the
         defense of such Proceeding, and in such event the Indemnitee will have
         the right to conduct such defense. In the event that the Indemnitor
         does elect to assume the defense of such Proceeding, the Indemnitee
         will cooperate with and make available to the Indemnitor such
         assistance and materials as may be reasonably requested by it at no
         cost to the Indemnitor, and the Indemnitee will have the right at its
         expense to participate in the defense; provided, however, that the
         Indemnitee will have the right to compromise or settle such Proceeding
         only with the prior written consent of the Indemnitor which shall not
         be unreasonably withheld.

                  (g) Cooperation and Access. Seller, Detrex and Purchaser shall
         cooperate fully with each other after the Closing with respect to any
         claims, demands, tax or other audits, suits, actions and proceedings by
         or against Seller, Detrex, or Purchaser, as the case may be, in respect
         of the Property or the liabilities of Seller's business, whether or not
         assumed by Purchaser, whether or not either party has notified the
         other of a claim for indemnity with respect to such matter.

         14. Change of Seller's Name. Within thirty days following the Closing,
Seller shall amend its Articles of Incorporation to change its name to a name
which is not confusingly similar to the name "Seibert-Oxidermo". Purchaser
agrees that the use by Seller of the name "Seibert-Oxidermo" following the
Closing on stationery, checks, and similar matters in connection with Seller's
operations under the Transition Contract Manufacturing and Shipping Agreement
and otherwise as a part of Seller's wind-down of its business will not violate
this Agreement so long as Seller does not otherwise conduct any other trade or
business using such name.

         15. Specific Performance; Remedies. The parties hereto acknowledge and
agree that in the event either party should refuse to fully perform its
obligations at Closing, even though all conditions precedent to its obligation
to Close hereunder have been satisfied or waived, the other party's remedy at
law would be inadequate due to the unique nature of the transaction contemplated
herein. The parties agree, therefore, that in the event that either party fails
or refuses to Close under the circumstances set forth in the previous sentence,
the other party shall be entitled to specific performance to enforce the
provisions of this Agreement, in addition to any other rights or remedies
available at law or in equity.

         16. Risk of Loss. Seller shall bear the risk of loss or damage to the
Property until the date of Closing. If the Property is totally or substantially
destroyed or damaged prior to Closing, Purchaser may cancel this Agreement, or,
at Purchaser's sole option, Purchaser may enforce this



<PAGE>   25

Agreement without reduction of the Purchase Price and Seller shall assign to
Purchaser the insurance proceeds covering the damage. In the event of the loss,
damage, or destruction of an insubstantial portion of the Property, Purchaser
shall negotiate in good faith with Seller an equitable reduction in the Purchase
Price, and if such a reduction can be mutually agreed upon, Purchaser and Seller
shall proceed with Closing.

         17. Good Faith; Further Assurances. The parties to this Agreement shall
in good faith undertake to perform their obligations under this Agreement, to
satisfy all conditions precedent to Closing and to cause the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement to be carried out promptly in accordance with the
terms of this Agreement. Upon the execution of this Agreement and thereafter,
each party shall do such things as may be reasonably requested by the other
party hereto (other than the expenditure of moneys) in order more effectively to
consummate or document the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

         18. Definition of Knowledge. As used herein, "Seller's Knowledge" or
"to the Knowledge of Seller" shall mean the actual conscious awareness of Gerald
J. Israel, Robert M. Currie, Doug Church, and Dick Godette.

         19. Notices. All notices, communications and deliveries under this
Agreement shall be made in writing signed by the party making the same, shall
specify the section of this Agreement pursuant to which it is given, if any, and
shall be effective only if delivered in person, by overnight carrier, by
facsimile transmission, or by certified mail, return receipt requested, postage
prepaid, as follows:

         To Seller and/or Detrex:  Gerald J. Israel, Vice President Finance
                                   DETREX CORPORATION
                                   24901 Northwestern Highway
                                   Suite 500
                                   Southfield, Michigan 48075-2203
                                   FAX: 248-799-7192

         With a copy to:           John J. Hern, Jr. Esq.
                                   CLARK HILL, PLC
                                   500 Woodward Avenue
                                   Suite 3500
                                   Detroit, Michigan 48226-3435
                                   FAX: 313-965-8252

           To Purchaser:           J. C. "Pete" Ruthenburg, Executive Vice
                                   President
                                   RED SPOT PAINT & VARNISH CO., INC.
                                   1107 E. Louisiana Street
                                   P. O. Box 418
                                   Evansville, IN 47703-0418
                                   FAX: 812-428-9167



<PAGE>   26
          With a copy to:                   Jeffrey K. Helfrich, Esq.
                                            KAHN, DEES, DONOVAN & KAHN, LLP
                                            501 Main Street, Suite 305
                                            Fifth Main Financial Plaza
                                            Evansville, IN  47708
                                            FAX: (812) 423-3841

or to such other representative or to such other address or facsimile number as
the parties hereto may furnish to the other from time to time in writing. Such
notices, communications, and deliveries shall be deemed to be given on the date
delivered if delivered in person or by overnight carrier, on the date
transmitted if transmitted by facsimile, or on the earlier of the date of
receipt or the third (3rd) business day after mailed, if mailed by certified
mail, as aforesaid. If notice is given pursuant to this paragraph of a permitted
successor or assign of a party to this Agreement, then notice shall be given as
set forth above to such successor or assign of such party.

         20. Public Announcements. Purchaser acknowledges that Detrex is a
publicly held company and that by entering into this Agreement, Purchaser, will
receive information regarding Detrex and Seller which is not available to the
general public. Purchaser agrees that neither Purchaser, nor any officer or
director of Purchaser or any employee or agent of Purchaser who has knowledge of
the transaction contemplated in this Agreement, or any member of the immediate
family or household of such persons, shall engage in any transaction involving a
purchase or sale of the stock of Detrex, including any offer to purchase or
offer to sell, beginning on the date of this Agreement and ending at the close
of business on the second Trading Day (as defined below) following the date of
public disclosure of any confidential information (including the fact that the
parties have entered into this Agreement or consummated the transactions
contemplated herein) provided to Purchaser hereunder, or at such time as such
confidential information is no longer material. As used herein, the term
"Trading Day" shall mean a day on which national stock exchanges and the
National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. Automated Quotation System
(Nasdaq) are open for trading. Further, no officer, director, employee or agent
of Purchaser shall disclose ("tip") confidential information to any other person
(including family members) where such information may be used by such person to
his or her profit by trading in the securities of Detrex, nor shall any officer,
director, employee or agent of Purchaser (including family members) make
recommendations or express opinions on the basis of confidential information as
to trading in securities of Detrex. Detrex, Seller and Purchaser will consult
with each other before issuing any press releases or otherwise making any public
statements with respect to this Agreement and the transaction contemplated
hereby, and shall not issue any such press release or make any such public
statement prior to said consultation or as to which a party hereto reasonably
objects, except as may be required by law or by obligations pursuant to any
listing agreement with any national securities exchange or inter-dealer
quotation system.

         21. Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon and
shall enure to the benefit of, the parties hereto and their successors and
assigns, whether such successor is a successor by virtue of a merger,
consolidation, acquisition, or other reorganization. The parties hereto


<PAGE>   27

specifically acknowledge and agree that this Agreement shall enure to the
benefit of, and shall be specifically enforceable by, any third party which
acquires from Purchaser substantially all of the assets used in the operation of
the business which is the subject of this Agreement.

         22. Entire Agreement. This Agreement contains or incorporates by
reference the entire agreement between the parties hereto, and supersedes all
prior oral or written agreements, commitments and understandings with respect to
the matters provided for herein, and no amendment or modification hereof shall
be binding upon any party hereto unless set forth in writing and duly executed
by all of the parties hereto.

         23. Survival of Representations and Warranties. All of the
representations and warranties contained herein shall survive the execution of
this Agreement and the Closing of the transaction contemplated herein for a
period of two years following the date of Closing, subject to the exceptions set
forth in paragraph 13(d). Such execution and Closing shall not be considered to
be a waiver of any misrepresentation or breach of warranty, and each party may
pursue any rights or remedies granted herein or available at law or in equity.

         24. Additional Actions and Instruments. Each of the parties hereto
agrees to take or cause to be taken such further reasonable actions (other than
the expenditure of moneys), to obtain such consents and approvals, and to
execute, deliver and file or cause to be executed, delivered and filed such
further instruments as any other party may from time to time reasonably request
in order to fully effectuate the purposes, terms and conditions of this
Agreement.

         25. Waivers. No waiver by any party of, or consent by such party to, a
variation from, or breach of, or default under any provision of this Agreement
shall be effective unless made in a written instrument duly executed on behalf
of such party by its duly authorized officer or such individual (as the case may
be), and any such waiver or consent shall be limited solely to those rights or
conditions expressly so waived or consented to. No failure or delay on the part
of any party in exercising any power, right or privilege under this Agreement
shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise of
any such right or power preclude any other or further exercise thereof, or the
exercise of any other right or power under this Agreement. No investigation by
or on behalf of any party shall be deemed to constitute a waiver or an extension
by such party of compliance with any representation, warranty, condition,
agreement or indemnification set forth in this Agreement.

         26. Interpretation. The language in all parts of this Agreement shall
in all cases be construed as a whole according to its fair meaning, strictly
neither for nor against Purchaser, Seller, or Detrex, and without implying a
presumption that the terms hereof shall be more strictly construed against one
(1) party by reason of any rule of construction to the effect that a document is
to be construed more strictly against the party who personally or through such
parties agent prepared the same.

         27. Severability. If fulfillment of any provision of this Agreement or
performance of any act contemplated hereby, at the time such fulfillment or
performance shall be due shall exceed the



<PAGE>   28

limit of validity prescribed by law, then the obligation to be fulfilled or
performed shall be reduced to the limit of such validity and if any clause or
provision contained in this Agreement or in any document or instrument to be
delivered pursuant hereto, operates or would operate to invalidate this
Agreement or such document or instrument, in whole or in part, such clause or
provision shall be held ineffective, as though not herein or therein contained,
and the remainder of this Agreement or such document or instrument shall remain
operative and in full force and effect.

         28. Applicable Law; Arbitration. This Agreement shall be governed and
construed under the laws of the State of Michigan, not including the choice of
law rules thereof. Except as provided for elsewhere in this Agreement, or in any
instrument executed in connection herewith, any and all disputes, complaints,
controversies, claims and grievances arising under, out of, in connection with,
or in any manner related to this Agreement or the relationship of the parties
hereunder shall be submitted to arbitration to be conducted by the American
Arbitration Association in accordance with the Commercial Arbitration Rules of
the American Arbitration Association. Notwithstanding said Rules, any
arbitration hearing to take place hereunder shall be conducted in the Chicago,
Illinois, metropolitan area before one arbitrator who shall be an attorney who
has substantial experience in commercial law issues. Either party may apply to
any court of competent jurisdiction for specific performance or injunctive
relief or other interim measures: (i) as expressly provided for elsewhere in
this Agreement; (ii) in aid of the arbitration proceedings; or (iii) to enforce
the arbitration award, but not otherwise. Any such application to a court shall
not be deemed incompatible or a waiver of this paragraph. Arbitration
proceedings hereunder may be commenced by written notice from either party
hereto to the other party. The arbitrator shall have the power and the authority
to make such decisions and awards as he shall deem appropriate, including
granting damages and costs to the prevailing party, and the granting or issuance
of such mandatory directions, prohibitions, orders, restraining and other
injunctions as he may deem necessary or advisable directed to or against any
other parties, including a direction or order requiring specific performance of
any covenant, agreement or provision of this Agreement as a result of a breach
or threatened breach thereof. In arriving at his decision the arbitrator shall
be free to consider all such matters, fact and principles, as he, in his sole
discretion shall determine. Any decision and award of the arbitrator shall be
final, binding and conclusive upon all of the parties hereto and said decision
and award may be entered as a final judgment in any court of competent
jurisdiction. It is expressly agreed that, except as otherwise specifically
provided herein, the arbitration as provided herein shall be the exclusive means
for determination of all matters as above provided and neither of the parties
hereto shall institute any action or proceeding in any court of law or equity,
state or federal, other than respecting enforcement of the arbitrator's award
hereunder. The foregoing sentence shall be a bona fide defense in any action or
proceeding instituted contrary to this Agreement.

         29. Headings. The descriptive headings of the paragraphs and
subparagraphs of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and do not
constitute a part of the Agreement.

         30. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in two or more
counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original and all of which shall
constitute one and the same document.


<PAGE>   29

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties hereto have duly executed this
Agreement as of the date first hereinabove written.

                                      SEIBERT-OXIDERMO, INC.

                                      By:
                                         ---------------------------------------

                                      Gerald J. Israel, Treasurer
                                      ------------------------------------------
                                      Printed Name and Title

                                                    "SELLER"


                                      DETREX CORPORATION

                                      By:
                                         ---------------------------------------

                                      Gerald J. Israel, Vice President Finance
                                      ------------------------------------------
                                      Printed Name and Title

                                                    "DETREX"


                                      RED SPOT PAINT & VARNISH CO., INC.

                                      By:
                                         ---------------------------------------

                                      J.C. Ruthenburg, Executive Vice President
                                      ------------------------------------------
                                      Printed Name and Title

                                                    "PURCHASER"




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