OpenGate Capital Acquires Autoparts Leader Gabriel North America From ArvinMeritor

Investment is Foundation for Firm`s Automotive Sector Portfolio that will
Capitalize on Niche Opportunities
LOS ANGELES--(Business Wire)--
OpenGate Capital, a global private equity firm, will acquire Gabriel North
America (NA), a leading provider of shock absorbers and strut assemblies, from
Fortune 500 company ArvinMeritor. Gabriel NA operates in both the aftermarket
and Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) segments. This marks OpenGate`s fourth
opportunistic acquisition in the past six months and its first in the automotive
sector. For this investment, OpenGate is partnering with Gabriel North America`s
management team to complete a transformation of the business.

"OpenGate is uncovering attractive niche investment opportunities in fragmented
and rapidly changing industries," said OpenGate`s Founder and Managing Partner
Andrew Nikou. "By bringing additional expertise and resources to businesses in
transition such as Gabriel NA, we maximize brand equity, product technology and
customer relationships to produce excellent results for our investors. OpenGate
will leverage Gabriel NA`s infrastructure to aggressively pursue other
acquisitions in the motor vehicle market."

Gabriel is one of the most widely recognized brands in the North American
automotive and commercial vehicle aftermarket and supplies most of its products
through a diverse and well-known customer base. The company is also a leading
supplier of shocks to North American commercial, industrial and recreational
vehicle manufacturers. In transforming the business, the management team and
OpenGate will work to optimize manufacturing, expand product range, and broaden
the range of niche applications for its products.

Lisa J. Bahash, president of Gabriel NA, commented, "OpenGate brings valuable
resources and ideas to our company. Aligning with such a top-tier private equity
firm is a very positive step in Gabriel`s long history. We look forward to
working closely with OpenGate to unleash value for Gabriel NA and all of its
stakeholders. We agree that the opportunities in the aftermarket segment, which
offers many pockets of growth, are especially exciting."

Nikou concluded by commenting on OpenGate`s strategy, "As our growing portfolio
illustrates, we move quickly to find and acquire high-potential businesses.
Executing a multitude of transactions in this difficult economy distinguishes
OpenGate`s operating model, speed and certainty of closure. Our well-established
track record enables the firm to attract capital, talent and dealflow despite
global market challenges. In fact, being a well-funded firm with a strong
portfolio permits us to be more opportunistic in the down market allowing us to
continue strategic investments while building our portfolio companies."

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

About OpenGate Capital

OpenGate Capital is an opportunistic private equity firm that acquires
controlling interests in businesses with solid fundamentals that exhibit
opportunities for operational improvements and growth. Established in 2005,
OpenGate Capital has a global footprint with headquarters in Los Angeles,
California and a principal office in Paris, France. OpenGate`s seasoned team of
M&A and operating professionals are experts in acquiring, operating and building
successful companies. The partners of OpenGate have executed over 50
transactions worldwide ranging from corporate divestitures, turnaround
acquisitions, industry consolidations and other special situations investments
across a wide array of industries and geographical markets.

For more information on OpenGate Capital, please visit our website at
www.opengatecapital.com.

About Gabriel Ride Control Products - North America

Gabriel Ride Control Products designs, manufactures, markets and distributes
shock absorbers and strut assemblies under the Gabriel brand name. The business
is a market leader in suspension system products and is among the most widely
recognized brands in the North American automotive aftermarket. Gabriel North
America generates nearly $200 million of sales and has over 1,300 employees in
the U.S., Canada and Mexico serving over 600 customer accounts. The company
maintains manufacturing, warehouse, sales and management offices throughout
North America including Detroit, Michigan; Chickasha, Oklahoma; Brentwood,
Tennessee and Queretaro, Mexico. Learn more about some of the company`s products
at www.gabriel.com and
http://www.arvinmeritor.com/products/aftermarket/cvashocks.asp

The company was formerly a subsidiary of ArvinMeritor (NYSE: ARM), a global
supplier of a broad range of integrated systems, modules and components to the
motor vehicle industry with sales of $7.2 billion in 2008.

About ArvinMeritor

ArvinMeritor, Inc. is a premier global supplier of a broad range of integrated
systems, modules and components to the motor vehicle industry. The company marks
its centennial anniversary in 2009, celebrating a long history of 'forward
thinking.' The company serves commercial truck, trailer and specialty original
equipment manufacturers and certain aftermarkets, and light vehicle
manufacturers. ArvinMeritor common stock is traded on the New York Stock
Exchange under the ticker symbol ARM. For more information, visit the company's
Web site at: http://www.arvinmeritor.com/.

For OpenGate Capital:
Lisa Dallos
(212) 529 5533 X277 or
(917) 330 8064
or
For ArvinMeritor:
Lin Cummins
(248) 435-7112
linda.cummins@arvinmeritor.com

Copyright Business Wire 2009