Asian PCB Laminates Business Acquired

Cookson Group PLC
27 April 2000


COOKSON ACQUIRES PCB LAMINATES BUSINESS IN ASIA


Cookson Group plc ('Cookson'), the international materials technology company,
announces it has reached agreement to acquire the printed circuit board
('PCB') laminates division of ACHEM Technology Corporation, a group listed on
the Taiwanese Stock Exchange.  The purchase consideration for the business
('ACHEM Laminates') amounts to US$134 million (£85 million) payable as to
US$94 million (£60 million) in cash on completion, with the balance of US$40
million (£25 million) on an interest-free basis in three tranches between 2003
and 2005.

ACHEM Laminates manufactures copper clad laminates, unclad reinforced
laminates and reinforced bonding materials for the PCB fabrication market.  It
operates out of three manufacturing facilities, two of which are in Taiwan and
one in the People's Republic of China, and has a distribution centre in
Singapore.  Its products are similar to those already produced by Polyclad,
Cookson's own manufacturer of multi-layer laminates for the PCB fabrication
market.  The acquisition will provide Polyclad with low-cost, modern
facilities and will significantly enhance Cookson's laminate manufacturing
capacity in the fast growing Asian electronics markets.

The US$2.5 billion Asian market for PCB laminates is forecast by industry
commentators to grow annually by more than 10% for at least the next five
years.  Growth is expected to be strongest for high performance ultra thin
laminates, in which Polyclad is a market leader.  The ACHEM Laminates plants
have a well-developed capability in producing this higher value-added product
and the opportunity exists to expand capacity at low cost.

The integration of ACHEM Laminates with Polyclad is expected to lead to
significant sales growth in Asia.  The combined Asian operations will serve
the local fast-growing markets, but will also be used to service Polyclad's
key global customers in the USA and in Europe.

For the 12 months ended 31 December 1999, ACHEM Laminates had sales of US$76
million (£48 million).  Following the full commissioning of the plant in the
People's Republic of China, annualised sales, based on current activity
levels, have risen to approximately US$100 million (£63 million).  The net
tangible asset value of ACHEM Laminates at 31 December 1999 was US$79 million
(£50 million).

The acquisition will be on a debt-free basis and will be financed from
Cookson's existing borrowing facilities.  Completion of the transaction is
subject to regulatory approvals and is expected to occur in late June.

Commenting on the acquisition, Stephen Howard, Group Chief Executive of
Cookson, said:

'The acquisition of ACHEM's laminates business is an excellent geographic and
product fit with our laminates business, Polyclad, and fills a gap that had
previously existed in our presence in the Asian market.  It will also allow us
to service our increasingly global electronics customers, wherever in the
world they are situated.  Additionally, it will enhance an already strong
platform for Cookson Electronics, enabling it to provide the most
comprehensive product range for each step of the PCB fabrication and assembly
processes.  The clear benefit to our customers will be lower costs through the
provision of total solutions instead of just products.  We also believe that
the ACHEM Laminates business will quickly generate excellent returns when
fully integrated within Cookson Electronics.'


For further information, please contact:

Stephen Howard                            Dennis Millard
 Group Chief Executive                    Group Finance Director
Cookson Group plc                         Cookson Group plc
London WC2N 6HJ                           London WC2N 6HJ
Tel:  [phone]                       Tel:  [phone]
Fax: [phone]                        Fax: [phone]
e-mail: [e-mail]      e-mail: [e-mail]