HB Hillenbrand Ind

BATESVILLE, Ind., March 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Batesville Holdings, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Hillenbrand Industries, Inc. (NYSE:HB), representing the present Batesville Casket Company's funeral services division, announced the appointment of eight individuals who will serve on its new board of directors. Batesville Holdings, Inc., will be officially renamed Hillenbrand, Inc. (NYSE:HI), on March 31, 2008. The new Hillenbrand, Inc. board was approved by the Hillenbrand Industries board of directors at its special board meeting on March 14, 2008 and will take office upon completion of the spin-off. "As we embark on our journey as a separate publicly traded company, one of our most important tasks is to ensure we have a strong, well balanced and engaged board of directors," said Ray Hillenbrand, chairperson of the board, Hillenbrand, Inc. "The new directors for Hillenbrand, Inc. have the qualifications, experience and capabilities to help us set our course and oversee our operations. I look forward to their wisdom and counsel in the months and years ahead as we begin this exciting new chapter in our history." "We are pleased to have such a highly qualified, talented and experienced group of individuals to serve on the new Hillenbrand, Inc., board of directors," added Kenneth A. Camp, president and chief executive officer of Hillenbrand, Inc. "Their collective caliber of expertise and insight will prove invaluable in providing oversight and counsel on our quest to create significant shareholder value moving forward." In addition to his responsibilities as chairperson, Ray Hillenbrand has also been appointed chairperson of the Nominating/Governance Committee of the new Hillenbrand, Inc. Hillenbrand served as chairman of the board for Hillenbrand Industries from 2001 to 2006, and as a board member for 38 years. Currently, he serves as president of the Dakota Charitable Foundation and also serves as a member of the board of trustees of The Catholic University of America. James A. Henderson will serve as vice chairperson of the board and chairperson of the Management Development/Compensation Committee. Henderson is the former chairman and chief executive officer of Cummins Inc. He currently serves on the board of Nanophase Technologies Corporation and formerly served as a board member for AT&T Inc., International Paper, Rohm and Hass Company and Ryerson, Inc. Henderson also serves as the chairman of the board of trustees for The Culver Educational Foundation. Eduardo Menasce will serve as Audit Committee chairperson and has served four years as a Hillenbrand Industries board member. He is the former president of Enterprise Solutions Group for Verizon Communications and prior, served as president and chief executive officer of CTI MOVIL S.A. (Argentina). He is also the former chairman and chief executive officer of GTE Lighting (France). Menasce currently serves on the board of directors of Pitney Bowes, Inc., John Wiley & Sons and KeyCorp and is a past member of the board of advisors of Adventis. He will continue to serve on the board of the new Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc. Other members of the board will include: Kenneth A. Camp, president and chief executive officer of Hillenbrand, Inc., and Batesville Casket Company. Camp currently serves as a member of the Funeral Services Foundation board of directors. William J. Cernugel, former senior vice president and chief financial officer of Alberto-Culver Company. He serves on the boards of the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago and Gottlieb Health Resources, Inc. and is the chairman of their respective audit and finance committees. Cernugel also serves as a board member for the Illinois CPA Society and is a certified public accountant. Mark C. DeLuzio, founder and current president and chief executive officer for Lean Horizons Consulting, LLC. He is a former vice president of Danaher Business Systems for Danaher Corporation. DeLuzio currently serves as a member of Central Connecticut State University's advisory boards for its School of Business and School of Engineering and Technology and is a life member of the Shingo Academy for Excellence in Manufacturing. W August Hillenbrand, former chief executive officer of Hillenbrand Industries. He has served as a board member for 36 years and is the chief executive officer for Hillenbrand Capital Partners, an unaffiliated family investment partnership. Hillenbrand is a board member of DPL, Inc., Dayton, Ohio and will continue to serve on the board of the new Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc. Thomas H. Johnson, founder and current chairman of Johnson Consulting Group. He is the founder and prior chairman of Prime Succession, a firm that managed and owned funeral service providers. Johnson also serves as a board member for Funeral Services Foundation and Great Western Life Insurance. ABOUT HILLENBRAND INDUSTRIES, INC. Hillenbrand Industries is organized into two operating companies serving the health care and funeral services industries. Hill-Rom is a leading worldwide manufacturer and provider of medical technologies and related services for the health care industry, including patient support systems, non-invasive therapeutic products for a variety of acute and chronic medical conditions, medical equipment rentals, and information technology solutions. Hill-Rom's comprehensive product and service offerings are used by health care providers across the health care continuum in hospitals, extended care facilities and home care settings to enhance the safety and quality of patient care. Hill-Rom... enhancing outcomes for patients and their caregivers. Batesville Casket Company is a leader in the North American death care industry through the sale of funeral services products, including burial caskets, cremation caskets, containers and urns, selection room display fixturing and other personalization and memorialization products. Batesville Casket Company... helping families honor the lives of those they love. http://www.hillenbrand.com/ DATASOURCE: Hillenbrand Industries, Inc. CONTACT: Investor Relations, Blair A. (Andy) Rieth, Jr., Vice President, Investor Relations, Corporate Communications & Global Brand Development, +1-812-931-2199, , or Media Relations, Lauren Green- Caldwell, Director, Corporate Communications & Public Relations, +1-812-934-8692, , both of Hillenbrand Industries; or Mark. R. Lanning, Vice President, Investor Relations and Treasurer of Batesville Holdings, Inc., +1-812-934-7256, Web site: http://www.hillenbrand.com/

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