CBE Cooper Industries, Plc (Ireland)

Michael A. Stoessl Named Group President Cooper Power Systems HOUSTON, Jan. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Cooper Industries, Ltd. (NYSE:CBE) today announced that it has appointed Michael A. Stoessl as group president of its Cooper Power Systems division. Stoessl is replacing William D. Martino who retired at year-end 2004. Since August 2002, Stoessl had been president of Cooper Bussmann, a division of Cooper Industries and leading global supplier of overcurrent protection products. Stoessl joined Cooper Bussmann from Emerson Electric Company where he had been employed since 1993, most recently as general manager of a unit of Emerson's Liebert Power business. In his nine years at Emerson, Stoessl held a series of increasingly responsible management positions in Emerson's Specialty Motors business, Hurst Manufacturing, Rosemont Analytical Uniloc and then was general manager and vice president of Astec DC-DC Power Supplies. Prior to Emerson, Stoessl was with the Circuit Protection Division of Raychem Corporation for four years, serving in marketing, strategic planning and operations management positions. Stoessl began his career as a business analyst with McKinsey & Company, Inc. after graduating from Princeton University with a B.S. in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering. Stoessl also holds an MBA from Harvard University where he graduated as a Baker Scholar. "Mike's outstanding technical qualifications, extensive knowledge of the global power industry and fundamental commitment towards customer service make him ideally suited to lead Cooper Power Systems," said Kirk S. Hachigian, president and chief operating officer, Cooper Industries. "Under Mike's leadership, Cooper Bussmann outpaced the market in 2004, generating double- digit growth in both sales and earnings. We expect that Mike's keen focus on global growth, new technology and product development and his commitment to providing customer value will help Cooper Power Systems to generate significant growth and earnings as customers worldwide focus on upgrading system technology and reliability." Cooper Power Systems, a division of Cooper Industries, manufactures equipment, components and systems for the distribution and management of electrical power for electric utility, industrial and commercial customers worldwide. Headquartered in Waukesha, WI., Cooper Power Systems has manufacturing facilities in 10 domestic locations and three international locations, and approximately 3,400 employees worldwide. Cooper Industries, Ltd., with 2003 revenues of $4.1 billion, is a global manufacturer of electrical products and tools and hardware. Incorporated in Bermuda, the Company's administrative headquarters are in Houston, TX. Cooper has more than 26,000 employees serving more than 95 locations around the world, and sells products to customers in more than 50 countries. For more information, visit http://www.cooperindustries.com/ . CONTACT for MEDIA: John Breed of Cooper Industries, 713-209-8835 for INVESTOR RELATIONS: Richard J. Bajenski, Vice President, Investor Relations, 713-209-8610 http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19990513/COOPERLOGO DATASOURCE: Cooper Industries, Ltd. CONTACT: media, John Breed, +1-713-209-8835, or investor relations, Richard J. Bajenski, Vice President, Investor Relations, +1-713-209-8610, both of Cooper Industries, Ltd. Web site: http://www.cooperindustries.com/

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