15% Stake Taken in Internet Search Engine

Alumasc Group PLC
15 February 2000


ALUMASC ACQUIRES 51% OF LEADING BUILDING PRODUCTS INTERNET SEARCH
ENGINE,LeonardoUK.com
                                 
Alumasc,  the premium engineering and building products group,  is
joining  forces  with  the  UK's most advanced  building  Internet
search engine to develop the premier information provider for  the
UK building industry.

LeonardoUK is a search engine (www.LeonardoUK.com) established  in
1998  by  building publishers McDermott Group with 8,500  building
product suppliers currently listed.

An  existing  income  stream from subscribers  will  be  augmented
through  growth  of  the subscriber base and  the  development  of
additional services, with partners as appropriate.

Alumasc  brings 50 years' experience of marketing premium building
products  to the UK building sector and the resources  to  develop
LeonardoUK into the industry standard.

The  fragmented nature of the building industry,  in  the  UK  and
elsewhere,  provides an opportunity for vast efficiency  gains  in
the   selection,   sourcing  and  supply  of  building   products.
LeonardoUK  is  targeted  with enabling specifiers,  builders  and
suppliers to capture these efficiencies, estimated in billions  of
£.

Alumasc  has acquired a 51 per cent majority stake in Leonardo.com
Limited and will finance the development of LeonardoUK to the next
level of functionality at an estimated cost of £1.5 million.   The
project will be directed by Martin Wood, a main board director  of
the  Alumasc  Group,  whose  career has  been  spent  in  building
businesses in the building products sector.

Alumasc's   Chairman,  John  McCall,  stated  'This   project   is
consistent  with  Alumasc's plans to participate in  the  Internet
revolution  by  developing a standalone  Internet  business  in  a
sector of core activity as well as E-commerce opportunities in its
own business.'

Enquiries:

The Alumasc Group plc
  John McCall (Chairman & Chief Executive)            01536-383844
  Martin Wood (Chairman, Building Products Division)  01952-580590

Bankside Consultants Limited                         0171-220 7477
  Charles Ponsonby

Notes for Editors:

Alumasc  is  a group of premium engineering and building  products
businesses,  with  its shares fully listed  on  the  London  Stock
Exchange.  Turnover for the group's continuing activities amounted
to  £127  million in the year ended 30 June 1999,  with  operating
profits  of  £9.8 million.  The Building Products Division  earned
operating profits of £3.1 million on turnover of £44 million.

McDermott Publishing is a privately owned publishing company whose
titles include: DABS (Designer, Architect, Builder Specification),
The Builder, The Architect and Merchant and Stockist.