Western Reserve Promotes Joseph G. Carson to Managing Director, David P. Mariano to Vice President, Rebecca L. White and Justin A. Wolfort to Associate

February 1, 2006

Western Reserve Partners LLC announced that Joseph G. Carson was promoted from Director to Managing Director and was admitted into the partnership. Mr. Carson has more than 12 years of investment banking and financial consulting experience in mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, fairness opinions, capital structure, and valuation analyses and general financial advisory services for private and public companies.

Prior to joining Western Reserve Partners, Mr. Carson served as Senior Vice President at KeyBank Capital Markets and McDonald Investments Inc., where he provided leading middle-market industrial companies with mergers and acquisitions advisory services and helped raise private and public equity. Mr. Carson graduated cum laude from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio with a B.S.B.A. in accounting and received his M.B.A. from Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University.

“Joe is dedicated heart and soul to outstanding client service,” said Mark Filippell, Managing Director. “He exemplifies the professionalism that is Western Reserve’s hallmark. We are delighted to have him join the partnership.”

In addition, David P. Mariano has been promoted to Vice President. Mr. Mariano specializes in merger and acquisition transactions for middle-market companies in a variety of industries ranging from automotive to healthcare. Mr. Mariano graduated magna cum laude from Case Western Reserve University with a B.S. in accountancy.

Rebecca L. White and Justin A. Wolfort have been promoted to Associate. Prior to joining Western Reserve Partners, both worked for KeyBank Capital Markets and McDonald Investments Inc. – Ms. White as an Analyst for mergers and acquisitions, and Mr. Wolfort as an Analyst in equity finance. Ms. White received her B.S. from Mount Union College in mathematics and accountancy and received her M.S.M. in operations research from Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University. Mr. Wolfort received his B.A. from Syracuse University in economics and political science.