News
Release
FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
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Contact: |
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Emil
Soika, President and CEO — Criticare |
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(262)
798-8282 |
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Joel Knudson,
Vice President-Finance-Criticare |
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(262)
798-5335 |
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Leading Independent Proxy
Advisor Recommends that Criticare Stockholders Reject BlueLine’s
Consent Solicitation
MILWAUKEE—(BUSINESS
WIRE)—October 17, 2006—CRITICARE SYSTEMS,
INC. (AMEX:CMD-News). Criticare Systems, Inc. today announced that
Glass, Lewis & Co., a leading independent proxy advisory firm, has
recommended that Criticare stockholders reject all five proposals made
by dissident stockholder BlueLine, including its proposal to replace
the current directors with BlueLine’s handpicked
nominees.
In its report, Glass Lewis stated, with respect
to BlueLine’s proposal to remove the current directors,
‘‘While we are cognizant of certain issues regarding the
Company’s past results, we believe the Dissident’s ideas
do not constitute a substantive plan for improvement and that it has
failed to provide evidence that would require a change of control of
the board of directors.’’
‘‘We
note that Criticare has realigned its board to include directors with
more relevant operating and financial experience. The management team
appears to be implementing an effective plan to grow revenue and though
it may be working off of all time lows, the Company has recently
achieved profitability, a first for the Company in more than one
decade.’’
Glass Lewis further stated,
‘‘Though the Company’s stock is up nearly
65.0% since October 2004, we note that it has declined by
approximately 24.0% since January 2006. However, the
Company’s peers, CAS Medical and Natus Medical have declined by
28.0% and 10.0%, respectively, during the same period.
The decline appears to be at least in part due to a broad industry
downturn.’’
Emil Soika, the Company’s
President and Chief Executive Officer, said, ‘‘We are
very pleased to have received this independent third-party support for
our strategy and our current directors. We have been telling our
stockholders throughout this consent solicitation to protect their
interests and the Company’s future by rejecting
BlueLine’s proposals. Our message has now been validated by a
leading independent proxy advisory firm, which clearly agrees with us
that Criticare stockholders should not give control of their board to
BlueLine. Under the supervision of our renewed board, over the past few
years we have developed a successful business strategy and created new
significant opportunities, which place Criticare on the right path to
deliver improved results and increased value for our
stockholders.’’
Criticare urges its
stockholders to reject BlueLine’s solicitation and not to sign
any consent they may receive from BlueLine. Stockholders who have
previously signed a BlueLine consent card are urged to revoke that
consent by signing, dating and mailing the Company’s GOLD
Consent Revocation Card. Stockholders who have questions concerning the
current consent solicitation or who need assistance in revoking any
consent they may have previously granted should contact The Altman
Group, Inc. toll free at: 1-(800) 283-3192.
Certain statements made in this
letter are forward-looking statements. These statements are only
predictions and may differ materially from actual future events or
results. Such forward-looking statements are subject to a number of
risks, assumptions and uncertainties that could cause the Criticare
Systems, Inc.’s actual results to differ materially from those
projected in such forward-looking statements. These risks and
uncertainties include, but are not limited to, general economic
conditions, demand for Criticare’s products, costs of
operations, the development of new products, the reliance on single
sources of supply for certain components in Criticare’s
products, government regulation, health care cost containment programs,
the effectiveness of Criticare’s programs to manage working
capital and reduce costs, competition in Criticare’s markets,
compliance with product safety regulations and product liability and
product recall risks, risks relating to international sales and
compliance with U.S. export regulations, unanticipated difficulties in
outsourcing the manufacturing of the majority of its products to
foreign manufacturers and risks related to foreign manufacturing,
including economic and political instability, trade and foreign tax
laws, production delays and cost overruns and quality control. Other
risks are set forth in Criticare’s reports and documents filed
from time to time with the SEC. Criticare operates in a very
competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risk factors can
arise, and it is not possible for management to predict all such risk
factors, nor can it assess the impact of all such risk factors on
Criticare’s business or the extent to which any factor, or
combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially
from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Given these
risks and uncertainties, investors should not place undue reliance on
forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are
qualified by these cautionary statements and are made only as of the
date they are made. Criticare is under no obligation to update or alter
any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise, and expressly disclaims any such
obligation.
Criticare filed a definitive consent
revocation statement with the SEC on October 11, 2006, in
connection with the consent solicitation begun by BlueLine Partners
L.L.C. and its affiliates. INVESTORS ARE URGED TO READ THE DEFINITIVE
CONSENT REVOCATION STATEMENT AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS THAT
CRITICARE WILL FILE WITH THE SEC BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT
INFORMATION. Security holders will be able to obtain a free copy of the
definitive consent revocation statement and other related documents
filed by Criticare at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
Criticare’s definitive consent revocation statement and other
related documents may also be obtained from Criticare free of charge by
contacting Joel Knudson, Criticare Systems, Inc., 20925 Crossroads
Circle, Suite 100, Waukesha, WI 53186, Tel. (262)
798-5335.
Information regarding the identity of the
persons who under SEC rules may be deemed to be participants in the
solicitation by Criticare of its stockholders in connection with this
consent solicitation, and the participants’ interests in the
solicitation, are set forth in Criticare’s definitive consent
revocation statement.
If you have any questions or need any
information concerning this solicitation and our consent revocation,
please contact: The Altman Group, toll free at (800)
283-3192.
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