BTR PLC - Completion of Tender Offer

RNS NO 5873N
BTR plc
18th November 1997


BTR ANNOUNCES COMPLETION OF EXIDE TENDER OFFER


BTR announces the completion of its US$585 million tender offer, made on 16
October,to acquire Exide Electronics Group Inc, a leading independent supplier
of uninterruptible power systems (UPS). 

The combination of Exide Electronics and BTR Control Systems - a leading
supplier of industrial batteries serving similar markets - will further extend
BTRs engineering activities into the high growth UPS industry creating a
global business with a complete power support systems and service capability.

BTRs tender offer expired - as scheduled  - at midnight, on 17 November (New
York City time).   At that time, the depository for the tender offer,
ChaseMellon Shareholder Services, L.L.C. reported that 11,261,156 shares of
Common Stock (including 214,767 shares tendered by guaranteed delivery) and
warrants exercisable for an additional 278,743 shares of Common Stock of Exide
had been validly tendered and not withdrawn pursuant to the tender offer.

The tendered shares and warrants represent approximately 90% of the shares of
Common Stock of Exide on a fully diluted basis.  In accordance with the terms
of the merger agreement with Exide, BTR will acquire the remaining outstanding
shares of Common Stock by merging its indirect wholly-owned subsidiary, BTR
Acquisition Corporation, into Exide without a meeting or vote of the Exide
shareholders pursuant to the short-form merger provisions under Delaware law. 
 It is expected that the merger will occur on Wednesday, 19 November 1997. 

For further information contact:

BTR
Stuart Gendall
Manager, Corporate Communications                    Tel:  [phone]

David Robbie
Head of Corporate Finance & Investor Relations       Tel:  [phone]

Brunswick PR
Victoria Sabin
                                                        Tel:  [phone]

Visit BTRs web site at: www.btrplc.com

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