Fire Assay Provider Jacobs Assay 1880 Announces Acquisition

TUCSON, Ariz.--(Business Wire)--
Jacobs Assay 1880 (Jacobs), a newly formed company affiliated with METCON
Research (METCON) and KD Engineering (KDE) through common ownership, announced
today it has acquired privately owned Jacobs Assay Office.

Based in Tucson, Arizona, Jacobs Assay Office is a provider of fire assay
services for the mineral processing industry. Jacobs Assay Office will operate
as a wholly owned subsidiary and under the brand name of Jacobs Assay 1880.

The transaction became effective March 1, 2009, and terms of the transaction
were not disclosed.

"This acquisition was a natural extension of our strategic growth plan to offer
complete analytical services to our client base with the addition of fire assay
capability," said Eamon Malone, President and CEO of Jacobs, METCON, and KDE.

"The strong synergies and complementary service offerings across the various
business units will position us for long-term success. I`m also very pleased
that Mike Jacobs, President and CEO of Jacobs Assay Office, has agreed to
continue a leadership role with Jacobs. Mike`s highly regarded reputation as a
quality provider of fire assay services and deep and longstanding relationships
in the mineral processing industry will be an extremely valuable addition to the
METCON, KDE and Jacobs group."

"I`m honored to be so closely aligned with the METCON and KDE team," said Mike
Jacobs. "The additional infrastructure and resource support from an operational,
analytical, and technical perspective will ensure greater value and project
success for our clients throughout the world."

About METCON Research, KD Engineering and Jacobs Assay 1880:

Jacobs Assay 1880, METCON Research and KD Engineering (collectively the Group)
provide analytical, metallurgical and process engineering services to the global
minerals and mining industry. The Group is headquartered in Tucson, Arizona,
with project locations throughout the world including the U.S.A., Canada,
Mexico, China, Panama, Venezuela, Romania, and Peru.

The Group`s primary focus is base and precious metals for the development of
mineral processing facilities including crushing, grinding, flotation and heap
leach circuits. Services include sample preparation, atomic absorption and ICP
analysis, column testing, fire assay, beneficiation studies, process flow sheet
design, feasibility studies, detail design and engineering, procurement, and
construction management.

For more information on METCON, please visit www.metconresearch.com.

For more information on KDE, please visit www.kdengco.com.

About Jacobs Assay Office:

Jacobs Assay Office was founded in 1880 and was operated by the Jacobs Family
for five generations. Jacobs Assay Office is a provider of sample preparation
and fire assay services. The primary focus is gold, silver, platinum, and
palladium for mineral processing projects in the exploration phase of
development. Approximately 50% of the projects are located in the U.S.A., with
the remaining 50% located in Mexico, Central and South America.

For Jacobs Assay 1880, METCON Research, and KD Engineering
Chris Malone, 520-579-8315
VP of Operations

Copyright Business Wire 2009