HELMSTAR GROUP INC
DEF 14A, 1997-04-29
MORTGAGE BANKERS & LOAN CORRESPONDENTS
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                            SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION
                    Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a)
                     of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

[ X ] Filed by the registrant

[   ] Filed by a party other than the registrant      


Check the appropriate box:

[   ] Preliminary Proxy Statement

[   ] Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only
      (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2))

[ X ] Definitive Proxy Statement

[   ] Definitive Additional Materials

[   ] Soliciting Material Pursuant to ss. 240.14a-11(c) or ss. 240.14a-12


                              HELMSTAR GROUP, INC.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                (Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
<PAGE> 
                              HELMSTAR GROUP, INC.
                              2 World Trade Center
                                   Suite 2112
                            New York, New York 10048



                    NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
                       TO BE HELD WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4, 1997


The Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Helmstar Group,  Inc. (the "Company") will
be held at the offices of Richard A. Eisner & Company,  LLP, 575 Madison Avenue,
8th Floor, New York, New York 10022, on Wednesday, June 4, 1997 at 3:00 p.m. for
the following purposes:

         1. To elect two (2) Directors to serve for a term of three (3) years;

         2. To ratify the selection of independent  public accountants for 1997;
            and

         3. To  transact  such other  business as may  properly  come before the
            meeting and any adjournment or postponement thereof.

The Board of Directors  has fixed the close of business on April 17, 1997 as the
record date for determining the  stockholders  entitled to notice of and to vote
at the Annual Meeting and any adjournment or postponement thereof.

WHETHER OR NOT YOU EXPECT TO ATTEND THE MEETING IN PERSON,  IT IS IMPORTANT THAT
YOU PROMPTLY  COMPLETE,  SIGN AND RETURN THE ENCLOSED  PROXY.  IF YOU ATTEND THE
MEETING YOU MAY WITHDRAW YOUR PROXY AND VOTE IN PERSON IF YOU DESIRE.


                                              By Order of the Board of Directors


                                              Roger J. Burns
                                              Secretary

New York, New York
April 29, 1997
<PAGE>
                              HELMSTAR GROUP, INC.
                              2 World Trade Center
                                   Suite 2112
                            New York, New York 10048



- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                 PROXY STATEMENT
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------


     This Proxy  Statement is furnished in connection  with the  solicitation by
the Board of Directors of Helmstar  Group,  Inc.,  a Delaware  corporation  (the
"Company"),  of proxies for use in voting at the Annual Meeting of  Stockholders
to be held at the  offices of Richard A.  Eisner &  Company,  LLP,  575  Madison
Avenue, 8th Floor, New York, New York 10022, on Wednesday,  June 4, 1997 at 3:00
p.m., and any adjournment or postponement thereof, for the purposes set forth in
the attached Notice of Annual Meeting.  The approximate date on which this Proxy
Statement and the accompanying proxy will be mailed to stockholders is April 29,
1997. The Company's  Annual Report,  including  financial  statements,  is being
mailed to stockholders  along with this Proxy Statement.  The shares represented
by the proxies  received,  properly dated and executed and not revoked,  will be
voted at the  Annual  Meeting.  A proxy may be  revoked  in  writing at any time
before it is  exercised  by filing  with the  Secretary  of the  Company  at its
principal office, 2 World Trade Center, Suite 2112, New York, New York 10048, an
instrument of revocation or a duly executed  proxy bearing a later date. A proxy
may also be revoked by attendance at the meeting and election to vote in person.

     On the matters coming before the Annual  Meeting,  shares for which proxies
are  received  will  be  voted  in  accordance  with  choices  specified  by the
stockholders  by means of the  ballot on the proxy.  If no choice is  specified,
each share will be voted FOR the  election of the two (2)  nominees for Director
listed in this Proxy  Statement  and FOR approval of Proposal 2 described in the
attached notice and in this Proxy Statement.

     The close of  business  on April 17, 1997 has been fixed as the record date
for determining the stockholders entitled to notice of and to vote at the Annual
Meeting and any adjournment or postponement thereof. As of the close of business
on such date, the Company had 5,521,373 shares of Common Stock,  $.10 par value,
outstanding.  Each outstanding  share of Common Stock is entitled to one vote on
all matters submitted for a vote of stockholders at the Annual Meeting.

     A majority of the outstanding Common Stock of the Company will constitute a
quorum for the transaction of business at the Annual Meeting, but if a quorum is
not present,  in person or by proxy,  the meeting may be adjourned  from time to
time until a quorum is obtained.

     The expense of printing and mailing  proxy  materials  will be borne by the
Company. In addition to the solicitation of proxies by mail, solicitation may be
made by  certain  Directors,  officers  and other  employees  of the  Company by
personal interview,  telephone or telegraph.  No additional compensation will be
paid for such solicitation. Copies of solicitation material will be furnished to
brokerage houses,  fiduciaries and custodians to forward to beneficial owners of
Common Stock held in their names.  The Company will reimburse  those persons for
their reasonable expenses in forwarding solicitation material to such beneficial
owners.
<PAGE>
MANAGEMENT


BOARD OF DIRECTORS

     Under the Company's  By-Laws,  the Board of Directors is divided into three
classes.  Members of each class are  elected to serve for a term of three  years
and until their  successors are elected or until their  resignation,  removal or
ineligibility.

     During 1996, the Board had 3 meetings.

     The Company's By-Laws provide for an Executive Committee  consisting of the
Chairman  of the Board and not less than two other  Directors  to  exercise  the
powers of the Board during the intervals  between meetings of the Board.  During
1996, the Executive Committee  consisting of Messrs.  George W. Benoit, Roger J.
Burns and Charles W. Currie had 5 meetings.

     The  Board  has an Audit  Committee  consisting  of  Directors  who are not
employees of the Company. This committee discusses audit and financial reporting
matters with both management and the Company's  independent public  accountants.
To ensure  independence,  the independent  public  accountants may meet with the
Audit  Committee  with or without the  presence of  management  representatives.
During 1996,  the Audit  Committee  consisting  of Messrs.  Joseph J.  Anastasi,
Charles W. Currie, David W. Dube and James J. Murtha had 1 meeting.

     The Board has a  Compensation  Committee  for the purpose of reviewing  the
compensation of officers and employees of the Company and making recommendations
to the Board with respect  thereto.  During  1996,  the  Compensation  Committee
consisting of Messrs. Benoit, Burns and Currie had 1 meeting.

     The Board has a Nominating  Committee  to propose  nominees for election to
the Board. During 1996, the Nominating Committee  consisting of Messrs.  Benoit,
Anastasi,  Dube and Murtha had 1 meeting. The Nominating Committee will consider
suggestions  for potential  nominees  submitted by stockholders if mailed to the
Chairman of the Board.

     The  Board has an  Incentive  Compensation  Committee  for the  purpose  of
administering and making incentive  compensation awards under the Company's 1990
Incentive  Compensation Plan. During 1996, the Incentive  Compensation Committee
consisting of Messrs. Anastasi, Currie, Dube and Murtha had 1 meeting.

     Each Director attended at least 75% of the aggregate of the total number of
Board meetings and meetings of all committees of the Board on which he serves.


ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

     Two Directors  whose terms expire at the Annual Meeting have been nominated
for reelection for a term of three years. They are Roger J. Burns and Charles W.
Currie.

     THE BOARD OF  DIRECTORS  RECOMMENDS  A VOTE "FOR" THESE  NOMINEES AND IT IS
INTENDED  THAT THE PROXIES  RECEIVED WILL BE VOTED "FOR" THESE  NOMINEES  UNLESS
OTHERWISE  PROVIDED  THEREIN.  THE  BOARD  KNOWS OF NO  REASON  WHY ANY OF THESE
NOMINEES WILL BE UNABLE TO SERVE,  BUT, IN SUCH EVENT, THE PROXIES RECEIVED WILL
BE VOTED FOR SUCH SUBSTITUTE NOMINEE AS THE BOARD MAY RECOMMEND.
<PAGE>
DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

     There are no family  relationships  among any of the Directors or executive
officers of the Company.

     The Company  does not pay  Directors  who are  employees of the Company any
fees for  serving as  Directors,  but  reimburses  them for their  out-of-pocket
expenses in connection with such duties.  The Company pays Directors who are not
employees of the Company an annual  retainer of $12,000 plus  expenses  incurred
for attending meetings of the Board, Annual  Stockholders  Meetings and for each
meeting  of a  committee  of the  Board  not  held in  conjunction  with a Board
meeting.


NOMINEES FOR DIRECTOR FOR A 3 YEAR TERM

     ROGER  J.  BURNS,  59,  is a  Director  as well as  First  Vice  President,
Secretary,  Treasurer  and Chief  Financial  Officer of the  Company.  Mr. Burns
joined  the  Company  in  1974.  He has been a  Director  of the  Company  since
September 1986.

     CHARLES W. CURRIE,  54, has been a Director of the Company since 1986.  Mr.
Currie has been a partner  with Asset  Management  Services  LLC, a company that
provides marketing services to investment managers, since August 1996. From June
1993 to July 1996, he was a Senior Vice President with Pryor, McClendon,  Counts
& Co.,  Inc.,  investment  bankers.  From July 1990 to June 1993, Mr. Currie had
been a Vice President with Reinoso & Co., Inc., a municipal bond dealer.


DIRECTORS CONTINUING IN OFFICE

     GEORGE W. BENOIT,  60, is Chairman of the Board of Directors  and President
of the Company.  Mr.  Benoit was a founder of the Company in 1968 and has been a
Director since such time. His current term as a Director expires in 1998.

     JOSEPH G. ANASTASI,  59, has been a Director of the Company since September
1986.  His current  term as a Director  expires in 1999.  For more than the past
five years, Mr. Anastasi has been president of The Anastasi Stephens Group, Inc.
and Montgomery  Realty  Company,  Inc.  Montgomery  Realty Company  currently is
engaged in property  management  and  consulting.  The Anastasi  Stephens  Group
formerly  was engaged in real estate  development  and has been  inactive  since
January 1996.  The Anastasi  Stephens  Group is the general  partner of Muirkirk
Manor  Associates  Limited  Partnership.  Muirkirk  Manor  filed  bankruptcy  in
December 1994 and it was discharged in December 1995.

     DAVID W. DUBE, 41, has been a director of the Company since June 1996 and a
director of Citizens Mortgage Service Company, a wholly-owned  subsidiary of the
Company, since 1993. Mr. Dube has been the President and Chief Executive Officer
and a Director of Optimax  Industries,  Inc.,  a  publicly-traded  company  with
operating  interests in the horticultural,  decorative  giftware and truck parts
accessories  industries,  since July 1996.  From February 1991 to June 1996, Mr.
Dube had been the  principal  of Dube & Company,  a  financial  consulting  firm
specializing in early stage financing, strategic financial planning and advisory
services relating to mergers, acquisitions, capital formation and restructurings
for private and public companies.  From December 1986 to February 1991, Mr. Dube
was  Treasurer,  Chief  Financial  Officer  and  a  Director  of  Inland  Credit
Industries,  Inc.,  a  mortgage  finance  and  investment  firm.  Mr.  Dube is a
certified public accountant in the states of Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
<PAGE>
     JAMES J.  MURTHA,  48, has been a Director  of the Company  since  December
1986.  His current term as a Director  expires in 1999.  From August 1994 to the
present, Mr. Murtha has held the position of President of Kenwood Capital,  L.P.
He was the President of Kenwood Holdings, Inc. from February 1992 through August
1994. Both companies focus on real estate investments.  From December 1990 until
January 1992,  Mr. Murtha served as Chairman of the Board of Detroit Tool Group,
Inc., a tool and die manufacturer.

OTHER EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

     ERIC M. FISHMAN, 44, is Chairman,  President and Chief Executive Officer of
Citizens Mortgage Service Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company. Mr.
Fishman joined Citizens in January 1996. He has over 20 years  experience in the
mortgage banking  industry.  From November 1994 to January 1996, Mr. Fishman was
Regional Vice President of Chase Manhattan Mortgage Corporation. Chase Manhattan
Mortgage had acquired  American  Residential  Mortgage  Corporation  in November
1994.  Mr.  Fishman had been a Regional Vice  President of American  Residential
Mortgage,  since joining such company in August 1991. Prior to that time, he was
President  of Quantum  Capital  Advisors  from August 1989 to August  1991.  Mr.
Fishman is a licensed real estate broker in Pennsylvania.

                    SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL
                              OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT

     The  following  table  sets  forth  information,  as  of  March  31,  1997,
concerning  the beneficial  ownership of the Company's  Common Stock by (i) each
Director of the Company and (ii) all  Directors  and  executive  officers of the
Company as a group.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                    Beneficial Ownership
                                                                                ---------------------------
                                                                                Number of
          Name                                                                   Shares             Percent
          ----                                                                   ------             -------
<S>                                                                             <C>                  <C>
          George W. Benoit                                                      1,768,420            31.97%
          Roger J. Burns                                                           74,320             1.34
          Charles W. Currie(1)                                                    301,280             5.44
          Joseph G. Anastasi                                                        2,200            (2)
          David W.Dube                                                              4,000            (2)
          James J. Murtha                                                           4,000            (2)
          All Directors and executive officers as a group (6 persons)           2,154,220            38.95%
- ---------------- 
(1)  Includes 200 shares of Common Stock owned by Mr.  Currie's wife as to which
     Mr. Currie has disclaimed any beneficial interest.

(2)  Less than 1 percent.
</TABLE>
     Officers,  Directors  and  persons  who own  more  than  ten  percent  of a
registered  class of the  Company's  equity  securities  are required by Section
16(a) of the Exchange Act to file reports of ownership  and changes in ownership
with  the  Commission.   Officers,   Directors  and  greater  than   ten-percent
shareholders are required by the Commission's  rules to furnish the Company with
copies of all Section 16(a) forms they file.

     Based  solely on  review  of the  copies  of such  forms  furnished  to the
Company, or representations that no Forms 5 were required,  the Company believes
that all Section 16(a) filing requirements were complied with.
<PAGE>
     The  following  table  sets  forth  information,  as  of  March  31,  1997,
concerning  the  beneficial  ownership  of the  Company's  Common  Stock by each
stockholder  known by the Company to own more than 5% of the outstanding  Common
Stock.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

                                                         Beneficial Ownership
                                                     ---------------------------
                                                     Number of
          Name and Address                            Shares             Percent
          ----------------                            ------             -------
<S>                                                  <C>                  <C>
         George W. Benoit                            1,768,420            31.97%
          Helmstar Group, Inc.
          2 World Trade Center
          New York, NY 10048

         Charles W. Currie(1)                          301,280             5.44
          Asset Management Services LLC
          126 East 56 Street
          New York, NY 10022
- ----------------------- 
(1)  Includes 200 shares of Common Stock owned by Mr.  Currie's wife as to which
     Mr. Currie has disclaimed any beneficial interest.
</TABLE>
                 CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS

     On April 10, 1989, the Company, through a wholly-owned subsidiary,  entered
into a general  partnership with The Anastasi Stephens Group, Inc. ("AS Group"),
an affiliate of Joseph G. Anastasi, a Director of the Company.  Such partnership
acquired, for $2,600,000,  land in Prince Georges County, Maryland upon which it
was developing an  industrial/warehouse  business  park. The Company  originally
contributed  $2,600,000  to  the  partnership  but  with  the  procurement  of a
construction  loan, the  partnership  distributed  $1,100,000 and $50,000 to the
Company  and AS Group,  respectively.  The  Company and AS Group each have a 50%
voting  interest  in the  partnership.  AS  Group  was  entitled  to  receive  a
development fee of up to $180,000 for  supervising  construction of the project.
During 1989 and 1990, $120,000 of such fee was paid from proceeds drawn pursuant
to the construction loan.

     The   construction   loan  matured  in  March  1991.  The  partnership  was
unsuccessful  in  negotiating  an extension of the loan.  The lender  foreclosed
pursuant thereto, and the property was auctioned on March 31, 1992.

     Under  the  partnership   agreement,   an  overall  net  loss  following  a
disposition  of the project is to be shared  equally by the partners.  Since the
Company  contributed more capital (net of distributions) than AS Group, AS Group
was obliged to make a capital  contribution to the partnership of  approximately
$600,000. Such contribution, in turn, would be distributed by the partnership to
the Company. AS Group's shareholders, one of whom is Mr. Anastasi, a Director of
the Company, personally guaranteed such obligation on a joint and several basis.

     In June 1996, the Company's Board of Directors  approved a proposal for the
Company's wholly-owned subsidiary to accept $200,000 in full satisfaction of the
obligation of AS Group and its  shareholders to make such capital  contribution.
Such amount was paid directly to the Company's wholly-owned subsidiary.
<PAGE>
EXECUTIVE OFFICER COMPENSATION

        The  following  table shows,  for the fiscal  years ending  December 31,
1996,  1995 and 1994,  the cash and other  compensation  paid or  accrued to the
named executives for services in all capacities.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                             SUMMARY COMPENSATION TABLE

                                                                    Annual Compensation
                                                      ----------------------------------------
       Name and                                                                 Other Annual          All Other
       Principal Position                   Year       Salary       Bonus      Compensation(a)    Compensation (b)
       ------------------                   ----       ------       -----      ---------------    ----------------
<S>                                         <C>       <C>         <C>              <C>                 <C>
       George W. Benoit                     1996      $203,376                                         $36,774
        Chairman of the Board               1995       203,335    $100,000         $1,154               36,872
         of Directors, President            1994       201,340                      2,310

       Roger J. Burns                       1996        93,397
        Director, First Vice President,     1995       126,034      20,000            721
         Secretary, Treasurer and           1994       125,917                      2,310
         Chief Financial Officer

       Eric M.Fishman                       1996       149,188
        Chairman and President,
         Citizens Mortgage
         Service Company
- ------------------------ 
(a)  Company's contribution to 401(k) Deferred Compensation Plan.
(b)  Company's  share of  insurance  premium  on  Split  Dollar  Life  Insurance
     Agreement.
</TABLE>
     Executive  compensation  can vary widely from year to year. The Company may
pay discretionary  bonuses to its salaried employees.  Bonuses are determined by
the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors.


                         COMPENSATION PURSUANT TO PLANS

     401(k)  Cash  or  Deferred  Compensation  Plan.  The  Company  maintains  a
tax-qualified  401(k)  cash  or  deferred  compensation  plan  that  covers  all
employees  who  have  completed  one  year  of  service  and  attained  age  21.
Participants  are  permitted,  within the  limitations  imposed by the  Internal
Revenue  Code,  to make  pre-tax  contributions  to the plan  pursuant to salary
reduction  agreements.  The Company may, in its  discretion  on an annual basis,
make additional contributions. The Company matched 25% of employee contributions
for the entire 1994 year and a portion of the 1995 year.  The  contributions  of
the participants and the Company are held in separate accounts. Participants are
always fully vested in both accounts.  Amounts contributed  pursuant to the plan
for the benefit of executive  officers are included in the above table under the
heading "Other Annual Compensation."

     1990 Incentive  Compensation Plan. The stockholders  approved the Company's
1990 Incentive  Compensation Plan (the "Plan") on June 7, 1990. On June 5, 1996,
the Plan was amended to increase the number of shares  available  for grant (the
"Amended Plan").  Pursuant to the Amended Plan,  750,000 shares of the Company's
<PAGE>
Common Stock have been reserved for issuance to officers and other key employees
as incentive or nonqualified stock options,  stock appreciation  rights ("SARs")
or restricted stock awards.  Incentive stock options must have an exercise price
per share equal to no less than the fair market  value of the  Company's  Common
Stock on the date of grant  (110% in the case of a 10%  stockholder).  Incentive
stock  options may not be exercised  after 10 years from the date of grant (five
years in the case of a 10%  stockholder).  Nonqualified  stock options cannot be
exercised  prior  to one  year or  after  ten  years  from  the  date of  grant.
Concurrently  with nonqualified  options granted,  participants may also receive
SARs. SARs will provide  participants with cash equal to the difference  between
the fair  market  value of the  number  of  shares  for  which  the SAR award is
exercised and the exercise price of  nonqualified  stock options on the date the
SAR award is exercised.  Restricted stock will be subject to restrictions  which
will render such shares subject to forfeiture.  Additionally,  restricted  stock
will be nontransferable  during the period any restrictions  apply. The Board of
Directors has established an Incentive  Compensation Committee to administer the
Plan. No member of such committee shall be eligible to receive any type of award
under the Plan. During 1992,  options to purchase an aggregate of 150,000 shares
were granted to employees,  none of whom were executive  officers.  During 1996,
options to purchase  50,000 of those shares  expired.  No other awards have been
made under the Plan and no options have been exercised.

     Split Dollar Life Insurance  Agreement.  The Company's Chairman,  George W.
Benoit,  is presently the owner and holder of 1,768,420  shares  (31.97%) of the
Company's Common Stock. The Company has been advised that on the death of George
Benoit,  his estate may be required to publicly sell all or substantially all of
such  shares to satisfy  estate  tax  obligations.  The public  sale of all such
shares might  destabilize  the market for the Company's  publicly  traded stock.
Accordingly,  as of January 20,  1995,  the Company  entered  into an  agreement
(commonly known as a split dollar life insurance agreement) with a trust created
by Mr. Benoit (the "Trust").  Under the terms of the agreement, the Company will
pay the  premiums  for a  $1,000,000  life  insurance  policy on the life of Mr.
Benoit.  The Trust has  granted an  interest in the policy to the Company to the
extent  of  the  sum  of  all  premium  payments  made  by  the  Company.  These
arrangements  are  designed  so that  if the  assumptions  made as to  mortality
experience,  policy  dividends and other factors are realized upon Mr.  Benoit's
death or the  surrender  of the  policy,  the  Company  will  recover all of its
insurance  premium  payments.  The portion of the premium paid by the Company in
1996 pursuant to this arrangement was $36,774.


           RATIFICATION OF SELECTION OF INDEPENDENT PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS

     The Audit  Committee  of the Board of  Directors  has  selected  Richard A.
Eisner & Company,  LLP, as independent public accountants to audit the financial
statements of the Company and its  subsidiaries  for the fiscal year 1997.  This
selection is being presented to the stockholders  for their  ratification at the
Annual  Meeting.  The firm of Richard A. Eisner & Company,  LLP, has audited the
Company's financial statements since 1987.

     It is expected that  representatives  of Richard A. Eisner & Company,  LLP,
will  attend  the  Annual  Meeting  and  will  have  the  opportunity  to make a
statement,  if they so desire,  and will be available to respond to  appropriate
stockholder questions.
<PAGE>
     Ratification  of the  selection  of Richard A.  Eisner & Company,  LLP,  as
independent  public  accountants will require the affirmative vote of a majority
of the shares present in person or represented by proxy at the Annual Meeting.

     THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS  RECOMMENDS A VOTE FOR  RATIFICATION  AND,  UNLESS A
STOCKHOLDER SIGNIFIES OTHERWISE, THE PERSONS NAMED IN THE PROXY WILL SO VOTE.


                                  OTHER MATTERS

     The Board of Directors  of the Company do not know of any other  matters to
be  presented  for action at the Annual  Meeting.  Should any other  matter come
before the Annual Meeting, however, the persons named in the enclosed proxy will
have discretionary authority to vote all proxies with respect to such matters in
accordance with their judgment.

     In order  for  stockholders'  proposals  for the  1998  Annual  Meeting  of
Stockholders to be eligible for inclusion in the Company's Proxy Statement, they
must be received by the Company at its principal  office in New York,  New York,
prior to January 1, 1998.

     A copy of the  Company's  Annual  Report  to the  Securities  and  Exchange
Commission on Form 10-KSB (without  exhibits) will be provided without charge to
any stockholder who submits a written request  addressed to the Secretary of the
Company.





                                              By Order of the Board of Directors





                                              Roger J. Burns
                                              Secretary


April 29, 1997
<PAGE>
                                REVOCABLE PROXY
                              HELMSTAR GROUP, INC.

        [ X ] PLEASE MARK VOTES AS IN THIS EXAMPLE

          THIS PROXY IS SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS.

  Revoking any such prior appointment, the undersigned hereby appoints George W.
Benoit and David W. Dube, and each of them,  attorneys and agents, with power of
substitution  to vote as Proxy  for the  undersigned  as herein  stated,  at the
Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Helmstar Group,  Inc. (the  "Company"),  to be
held at the offices of Richard A. Eisner & Company, LLP, 575 Madison Avenue, 8th
Floor, New York, New York 10022 on Wednesday,  June 4, 1997 at 3:00 p.m., and at
any adjournments  thereof,  with respect to the number of shares the undersigned
would be entitled to vote if personally present.

1. Election of Directors: To elect the nominees listed below:

   Roger J. Burns
   Charles W. Currie

   [   ] FOR          [   ] WITHHOLD             [   ] FOR ALL EXCEPT

INSTRUCTION: To withhold authority to vote for any individual nominee, mark "For
All  Except"  and  write  that  nominee's  name  in the  space  provided  below.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------


2.  Proposal to ratify the selection of independent public accountants.

   [   ] FOR          [   ] AGAINST         [   ] ABSTAIN

  Check the  appropriate  box to  indicate  the  manner in which you  direct the
proxies to vote your shares.

  The Board of Directors  recommends a vote FOR the election of the nominees and
FOR the proposal.

  THIS PROXY WHEN PROPERLY  EXECUTED,  WILL BE VOTED (1) FOR THE ELECTION OF THE
DIRECTORS AND (2) FOR THE PROPOSAL TO RATIFY THE SELECTION OF INDEPENDENT PUBLIC
ACCOUNTANTS,  IF NO  INSTRUCTIONS TO THE CONTRARY ARE INDICATED IN ITEMS (1) AND
(2) ABOVE,  AND (3) IN THE DISCRETION OF THE NAMED  ATTORNEYS AND AGENTS ON SUCH
OTHER MATTERS AS MAY PROPERLY COME BEFORE THE MEETING.

   The  stockholder(s)  hereby  acknowledge(s)  receipt  of a copy of the  Proxy
Statement relating to such Annual Meeting.

                         Please be sure to sign and date
                          this Proxy in the box below.


                   _________________________________________
                                      Date
 
                   _________________________________________
                             Stockholder sign above
 
                   _________________________________________
                         Co-holder (if any) sign above
<PAGE>
   Detach above card, sign, date and mail in postage paid envelope provided.

                              HELMSTAR GROUP, INC.

  Your signature should appear the same as your name appears hereon.  If signing
as attorney, executor,  administrator,  trustee or guardian, please indicate the
capacity in which you are signing. When signing as joint tenants, all parties to
the joint tenancy must sign. When the proxy is given by a corporation, it should
be signed by an authorized officer.


                               PLEASE ACT PROMPTLY
                     SIGN, DATE & MAIL YOUR PROXY CARD TODAY



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