MSA made a number of key organizational changes in 2007 to further enhance the company’s position as the world’s leading provider of sophisticated safety equipment and to ensure continuity of strong and experienced leadership going forward.

In 2007, John T. Ryan III announced his intention to retire as CEO in 2008. As part of a planned management succession, William M. Lambert was elected to the newly created position of President and Chief Operating Officer. A veteran MSA executive who possesses the leadership, experience and strategic vision necessary to drive the future growth and success of MSA, Mr. Lambert currently oversees the implementation of all strategic initiatives across MSA’s global portfolio that are enhancing the company’s productivity, processes and products. The MSA management succession plan calls for Mr. Lambert to become CEO at the time of Mr. Ryan’s retirement from the company in mid-2008.

As part of this transition, the Board of Directors also elected Roberto Cañizares Executive Vice President and Dennis Zeitler Senior Vice President.

As President of MSA International, Mr. Cañizares assumes P&L responsibility for all of MSA’s international business activities, including the company’s European operations.

Mr. Zeitler currently serves the company as Chief Financial Officer. His election to Senior Vice President recognizes Mr. Zeitler’s long and exemplary service as a member of MSA’s executive team and his many contributions over the years in guiding MSA’s continued financial success and health.

In addition to the changes above, the MSA executive team and the Board of Directors renewed its strategic long-range focus in 2007, calling for the following four critical imperatives to be achieved:

• Sustainable growth through product leadership
• Market penetration through strong customer focus
• Cost control and increased efficiency in asset utilization
• Building the depth, breadth and diversity of MSA’s global team

Accordingly, MSA took the following steps to realign its executive management team, stressing the importance of globally coordinated functions in operations, product marketing, new product development and human resources.

Joseph A. Bigler now serves as Vice President and President, MSA North America. In this expanded role, Mr. Bigler oversees all business activities within North America, assuming primary P&L responsibility for this half of MSA.

Kerry M. Bove was named Vice President, Global Operational Excellence. In this capacity, Mr. Bove serves as the functional leader for all of the company’s manufacturing, logistics and operations activities that support MSA’s Operational Excellence initiatives.

Overseeing MSA’s global product development activities is Ronald N. Herring, Jr., who was named Vice President, Global Product Leadership. In this expanded role, Mr. Herring serves as the functional leader for all new product development, advanced technology, product marketing and corporate branding activities that support MSA’s Product Leadership goals. And finally, Paul R. Uhler was named Vice President, Global Human Resources. In this capacity, Mr. Uhler will be the functional leader overseeing all of MSA’s Human Resource activities that support the company’s global HR and growth initiatives.

The cornerstones of this new organizational structure are teamwork, open communication, key process design and implementation, and aligned metrics for corporate success. By relying on these four critical success factors, which in many respects are already strengths of MSA, we will build upon this new global structure in a way that best positions MSA to achieve its long-range goals.