Aug 21

The QUIKRETE® COMPANIES Enter Joint Venture With Charah Dry Mix LLC

ATLANTA, GA (August 21, 2006) – The QUIKRETE® Companies today announced that it has entered a joint venture with Charah® Dry Mix LLC to manufacture and distribute selected products under the QUIKRETE® brand. Charah® Dry Mix LLC is a recent spin-off from Charah®, Inc., a leading ash management provider for the coal-fired electric utility industry based in Louisville, Ky. Terms of the Joint Venture were not disclosed.

Charah Dry Mix LLC produces a patent-pending concrete mix made with bottom ash, a material produced by coal-burning utilities that is recycled as a concrete aggregate.

“The joint venture with QUIKRETE® will leverage Charah’s innovation in bottom ash recycling,” said Charles Price, President and CEO of Charah, Inc. “We are fortunate to find such a strong partner as QUIKRETE® to share our vision of conserving our natural resources through recycling.”

The QUIKRETE® Companies will package all bottom ash products with Charah’s patent- pending two-handled plastic bag, making the products easy to lift and carry.

“The QUIKRETE® Companies are pleased to partner with Charah to provide our customers with innovative products made with recycled materials,” said Jeff Cornwell, QUIKRETE® senior vice president of sales.

About The QUIKRETE® Companies

The QUIKRETE® Companies are the largest manufacturers of packaged concrete in the United States and an innovative leader in the commercial building and home improvement industries. With more than 80 manufacturing facilities in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico and South America, The QUIKRETE® Companies have unsurpassed product distribution and depth. The QUIKRETE® Technical Center ensures that professionals and consumers alike are provided with the most innovative and highest quality products available on the market. For additional information on QUIKRETE® or its products, please visit www.quikrete.com or call (800) 282-5828.

About Charah

Charah®, Inc. is a leading ash management provider for the coal-fired electric utility industry. Based in Louisville, KY, Charah provides a complete line of ash management services including landfill construction, management & operations; bottom ash processing & marketing; fly ash sales; engineered fill applications; ash pond management; Integrated Gasification Combine Cycle (IGCC) slag beneficiation; gypsum handling, and limestone grinding and handling.

Charah is a charter member of the EPA’s Coal Combustion Products Partnership (C2P2) which encourages beneficial use of coal by-products. In April 2005, Charah was awarded the C2P2’sfirst place award for Innovation by the EPA for outstanding achievement in increasing the amount of coal-combustion products (CCPs) beneficially used in its patent-pending ash-based packaged concrete.