FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Carousel Capital Funds Buyout of Visador Holding Corporation

March 3, 2003 - Charlotte, NC and Marion, Virginia — Carousel Capital announced today its funding of a management-led buyout of Visador Holding Corporation, the leading manufacturer of hardwood stair parts in the United States and one of the leading producers of wood and synthetic columns.

Visador, headquartered in Marion, Virginia, is the holding company for two businesses: Coffman Stairs and Crown Column. Founded in 1874, Coffman is the leading manufacturer of hardwood stair parts in the United States. The Coffman brand is well known by distributors, dealers and installers for its quality craftmanship and unparalleled selection of styles and woods. Coffman offers more than 9,000 stair parts and related products, providing a single source stair system to the building products industry. Crown Column, with facilities in Gadsden, Alabama, produces a broad offering of synthetic and wood columns, porch posts and lamp posts used in the construction, repair and remodeling of homes.

"Visador's management team is very pleased to join with Carousel Capital to purchase the company," said Lowry Hobbs, Chairman and CEO of Visador. "Carousel Capital's experience and relationships will be invaluable in helping Visador expand its presence in the building products industry."

Carousel will hold non-executive board positions at Visador and expects to add several independent board members in the coming months.

"We are thrilled with the opportunity to partner with Lowry Hobbs and his strong management team," said Jason Schmidly, Partner of Carousel Capital. "Visador has built an industry-leading position in its chosen markets, and we are excited about the company's future growth prospects. Visador represents exactly the type of company on which Carousel is focused–a Southeastern-based company that leads its market niche."

Brian Bailey, Managing Partner of Carousel Capital, added, "Carousel's investors include 65 CEOs, several of whom come from the building products industry. We feel that with their help, we can bring a great deal of value to this investment."

Carousel Capital funded the transaction with debt from Harris Trust and Savings Bank and American Capital Strategies, Ltd. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

About Carousel Capital
Carousel Capital is a private investment firm that invests in Southeastern-based companies. With more than $300 million of capital under management, Carousel is one of the largest private equity firms in the Southeastern U.S. Carousel's investors include an elite group of more than 65 current and former CEO's with expertise in a diverse group of industries. Carousel's investor base also includes institutional investors such as financial institutions, insurance companies, and pension funds. Since its inception, Carousel has invested in 15 companies across a wide range of industries.

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