TRANSACTION DETAILS

July 15, 2005

S. B. Simpson Group Inc., Burlington, Ontario, has acquired Peel Industrial Supplies Limited, Brampton, Ontario. Both companies are general-line industrial distributors that offer full supply chain management services. The two companies have competed for years in the greater Toronto area. Their respective product lines, supplier bases and product offerings mirror one another. Both are active members of IDI, the Canadian industrial distributor network.

Peel's Brampton operation will become Simpson's largest individual location. Peel Industrial also operates a branch location in Montreal, Quebec. The addition of Peel's two locations marks 11 operations in S.B. Simpson's branch network, which also includes pneumatic specialist Systematic Fluid Power in Kitchener, ON. Other S.B. Simpson locations include Ajax, Burlington, Mississauga, Oakville, Owen Sound, Oshawa, Peterborough and Stratford, all Ontario.

S. B. Simpson is a privately held Canadian corporation, in business for 45 years and owned by the Simpson family. Wally Mullin, current president and owner of Peel Industrial, will stay with the organization as general manager to guide the integration over the next year. "We have always had a lot of respect for Peel, its management and their people," said Simpson President "They are a quality organization and adding their success to our group creates new strength and exciting opportunities for us."