Bonal Technologies, Inc. CEO A. George Hebel III Named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year(R) 2008 Award Finalist in the Central Great Lakes

ROYAL OAK, Mich., June 11 -- Bonal Technologies, Inc. today announced that Chief Executive Officer A. George Hebel III is a finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year(R) 2008 Award in the Central Great Lakes. According to Ernst & Young LLP, the awards program recognizes entrepreneurs who demonstrate extraordinary success in the areas of innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities. Hebel was selected as a finalist from nearly 160 nominations by a panel of independent judges. Award winners will be announced at a special gala event on June 12 at The Ritz-Carlton in Dearborn, Mich.

Hebel's Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year application noted some of his accomplishments in taking innovative steps to grow the company. In 1985 just after the company was established, Hebel took an innovative step to take Bonal Technologies, Inc. global, which was not as popular as it is today. Since sales weren't strong locally, Hebel established a foreign sales agents program. The company's first foreign sales agents were established in Taiwan and Hong Kong. This strategy has continued to grow the business and Bonal now sells in 49 countries.

Over the past five years, Bonal designed derivatives of the patented technology - Pulse Puddle for Arc Welding(R) for better welding and Black Magic(R) for smaller parts. The company is currently developing three distinct strategies for marketing and selling the three unique products.

Bonal has only tapped less than 1% of the market so the growth potential is phenomenal with 100,000 machine shops in the US and each one of them could use at least one of Bonal's products. Bonal's biggest market is to stress relieve metal parts that aren't currently stress relieved, which would make the parts last three times longer. Compared to heat treating, Bonal is 98% more efficient energy wise and is also more time efficient. Bonal's products are also friendly to the environment since they use less natural resources than one of the competing technologies - heat treating. Based on Department of Energy research one piece of equipment saves 32,000 barrels of oil over its lifetime of 10 years.

"I am proud to be among such an esteemed group of finalists and am pleased to increase awareness about the technology that helped to grow Bonal Technologies into what it is today," said Hebel. "We just announced the strongest results yet in our 24-year history so it makes the selection as finalist even more meaningful."

The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year awards program celebrates its 22nd anniversary this year. The program has expanded to recognize business leaders in over 135 cities in 50 countries throughout the world.

Regional award recipients are eligible for consideration for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year national program. Award recipients in several national categories, as well as the overall national Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award recipient, will be announced at the annual awards gala in Palm Springs, California on November 15, 2008. The awards are the culminating event of the Ernst & Young Strategic Growth Forum, the nation's most prestigious gathering of high-growth, market-leading companies.

Sponsors

Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur of the Year awards are pleased to have the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and SAP America as national sponsors. In the Central Great Lakes, sponsors include UHY Advisors and Smart Business Network.

About Bonal Technologies, Inc.

Bonal Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Bonal International, Inc. is the world's leading provider of sub-harmonic stress relief technology for metal improvement solutions with more than 35 years of expertise. Headquartered in Royal Oak, Mich., Bonal Technologies, Inc. provides solutions to prevent distortion and cracking for metal components. Bonal's patented technology and its three product lines: Meta-Lax(R) Stress Relief, Pulse Puddle Arc Welding(R) (PPAW(R)) and Black Magic(R) are sold in the US and in 49 countries. The company serves customers in a wide range of industries - aerospace, automotive, construction equipment, defense/ homeland security, die casting, engine building/racing, foundries, machine tool/mold making, mining, petroleum, power, plastic molding, shipbuilding, structural steel construction, steel producers and welding/fabricating industries.