December 21, 2009 18:09 ET

AMG Affiliate Timminco Announces Conversion of Note Into Common Shares

AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS--(Marketwire - December 21, 2009) - AMG Advanced Metallurgical Group N.V.'s ("AMG," EURONEXT AMSTERDAM: "AMG") 42.6% owned affiliate, Timminco Limited ("Timminco"; TSX: TIM) announced today that ALD International LLC (the "LLC"), a controlled subsidiary of Safeguard International Fund, L.P., has elected to exercise its right to convert the entire principal amount outstanding of C$4.5 million under the promissory note issued March 1, 2007 into Timminco common shares.

Consistent with the terms of the note, Timminco will issue approximately 10.7 million common shares at a conversion rate of C$0.42 per common share, as full and final settlement of the principal amount outstanding. Timminco and the LLC have also agreed that Timminco will also issue approximately 0.3 million common shares at a price of C$1.29 per common share in satisfaction of the net amount of accrued interest on the note of approximately C$0.4 million. The price per share represents the five day volume weighted average price of Timminco common shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange. The issuance of the shares issuable in connection with the conversion of interest, which when combined with the shares issuable in connection with the conversion of principal represents approximately 7.4% of Timminco's issued and outstanding shares, is subject to receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals, including approval of the Toronto Stock Exchange.

AMG will own approximately 42.6% of Timminco's issued and outstanding shares following completion of this transaction.

About AMG

AMG, incorporated in the Netherlands, is a global leader in the production of highly engineered specialty metal products and advanced vacuum furnace systems. AMG serves growing industries worldwide with its unique combination of metallurgical engineering expertise and production know-how. AMG is a market leader in many of its products and systems, which are critical to the production of key components for the aerospace, energy (including solar and nuclear), electronics, optics, chemicals, construction and transportation industries. AMG has two operating divisions of businesses, Advanced Materials and Engineering Systems, and owns interests in publicly-listed companies Timminco Limited (TSX: "TIM") and Graphit Kropfmühl AG (Deutsche Börse: GKR.DE).

The Advanced Materials Division develops and produces niche specialty metals and complex metals products, many of which are used in demanding, safety-critical, high-stress environments. AMG is one of a limited number of significant producers globally of niche specialty metals, such as ferrovanadium, ferronickel-molybdenum, aluminum master alloys and additives, chromium metal and ferrotitanium, used by steel, aluminum, chemical and superalloy producers for aerospace, automotive, energy, electronics, optics, chemicals, construction and other applications. Other key products produced by AMG include specialty alloys for titanium and superalloys, coating materials, tantalum and niobium oxides, vanadium chemicals and antimony trioxide.

The Engineering Systems Division designs, engineers and produces advanced vacuum furnace systems and operates vacuum heat treatment facilities. AMG is a global leader in supplying technologically-advanced vacuum furnace systems to customers in the aerospace, energy (including solar and nuclear), transportation, electronics, superalloys and specialty steel industries. Examples of furnace systems produced by AMG include vacuum remelting, solar silicon melting and crystallization, vacuum induction melting, vacuum heat treatment and high pressure gas quenching, vacuum precision casting, turbine blade coating and sintering. AMG also provides vacuum case-hardening heat treatment services on a tolling basis to customers through facilities equipped with vacuum heat treatment furnaces.

Graphit Kropfmühl AG is a majority controlled, publicly listed subsidiary of AMG. Based on its secure raw material sources in Africa, China and Europe, Graphit Kropfmühl is a specialist in the production of silicon metal and the extraction, processing and refining of natural crystalline graphite for a wide range of energy saving industrial applications. Timminco Limited is a publicly listed affiliate of AMG. Timminco is a leader in the production of upgraded metallurgical silicon for the rapidly growing solar photovoltaic energy industry. Timminco also produces silicon metal for use in a broad range of industrial applications.

AMG operates globally with production facilities in Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Czech Republic, the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Sri Lanka and Australia and also has sales and customer service offices in Belgium, Russia, China and Japan (website: www.amg-nv.com).

Disclaimer

Certain statements in this press release are not historical facts and are "forward looking." Forward looking statements include statements concerning AMG's plans, expectations, projections, objectives, targets, goals, strategies, future events, future revenues or performance, capital expenditures, financing needs, plans and intentions relating to acquisitions, AMG's competitive strengths and weaknesses, plans or goals relating to forecasted production, reserves, financial position and future operations and development, AMG's business strategy and the trends AMG anticipates in the industries and the political and legal environment in which it operates and other information that is not historical information. When used in this press release, the words "expects," "believes," "anticipates," "plans," "may," "will," "should," and similar expressions, and the negatives thereof, are intended to identify forward looking statements. By their very nature, forward looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and risks exist that the predictions, forecasts, projections and other forward looking statements will not be achieved. These forward looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release. AMG expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward looking statement contained herein to reflect any change in AMG's expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which any forward looking statement is based.