American LaFrance, LLC Announces Francis Petro as CEO

SUMMERVILLE, SC – American LaFrance, LLC starts 2009 with a new Chief Executive Officer. Francis Petro has been named CEO of the longstanding fire apparatus and commercial vehicle manufacturer and will report to outgoing American LaFrance CEO, Bill Hinz, who will return full-time to his previous position as Managing Director and Operational Platform Leader for parent Patriarch Partners, LLC.

Petro graduated from the General Motors Institute (now known as Kettering University) in 1962 with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. He received a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Buffalo in 1965, and he completed all academic requirements for a Ph.D. in organizational behavior at Harvard University’s Levinson Institute. Petro most recently held the position of President and CEO of Haynes International, Inc.

“Francis Petro has demonstrated with multiple successes his ability to lead manufacturing companies to a global level. He has extraordinary vision and I look forward to working with him to position American LaFrance for a better tomorrow,” said Bill Hinz.

About American LaFrance, LLC
American LaFrance, LLC is a leading manufacturer of fire, rescue and vocational vehicles. Through its predecessor entities, the Company is one of the oldest fire apparatus manufacturers in the United States, dating back to its founding in 1832. The Company operates three manufacturing facilities with over 200 dealership locations throughout North America. For more information, please visit www.americanlafrance.com and www.condortrucks.com.

About Patriarch Partners, LLC
Patriarch Partners is a vertically integrated private equity firm with robust in-house operational turnaround expertise. Founded in 2000, Patriarch was built upon a patented financial model designed to manage and monetize the distressed portfolios of financial institutions.

Patriarch has since evolved into a global investment firm that concentrates on direct investments in and the transformation of complex businesses, building large industry platforms. Patriarch manages funds with over $6 billion of equity and secured loan assets with equity investments in more than 65 companies, and controlling interests in approximately two-thirds of these. For more information, please visit www.patriarchpartners.com.