Hercules Shareholders Vote in Favor of Merger with Ashland Inc.

  
    
  
  
    
      Hercules Incorporated (NYSE: HPC) announced that at its special 
      shareholders meeting held earlier today Hercules’ 
      shareholders adopted the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated July 10, 
      2008, pursuant to which Ashland Inc. has agreed to acquire Hercules. The 
      Merger Agreement was adopted by holders of more than two-thirds of 
      Hercules’ outstanding common stock, as 
      required by Hercules’ Certificate of 
      Incorporation and the Merger Agreement. The terms of the Merger 
      Agreement call for Hercules shareholders to receive, for each share of 
      Hercules common stock, $18.60 in cash and 0.0930 of a share of Ashland 
      common stock.
    
    
      Hercules and Ashland expect the transaction to close on November 13, 
      2008.
    
    
      Hercules manufactures and markets chemical specialties globally for 
      making a variety of products for home, office and industrial markets. 
      For more information, visit the Hercules website at www.herc.com.
    
    
      FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
    
    
      This news release includes forward-looking statements, as defined in 
      the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, reflecting 
      management's current analysis and expectations, based on what management 
      believes to be reasonable assumptions. The words or phrases "will 
      likely result," "should," "are expected to," "will continue," "is 
      anticipated," "expect," "estimate," "project" or similar expressions are 
      among those which identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking 
      statements may involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other 
      factors, which may cause the actual results to differ materially from 
      those projected, stated or implied, depending on such factors as: the 
      possibility that the transaction with Ashland may not be completed; the 
      possibility that financing may not be available to Ashland on the terms 
      committed; and other risks that are described in filings made by Ashland 
      and the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in 
      connection with the proposed transaction. Accordingly, there can 
      be no assurance that the Company will meet future results, performance 
      or achievement, expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. 
      As appropriate, additional factors are contained in reports filed by 
      the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. This 
      paragraph is included to provide safe harbor for forward-looking 
      statements, which are not generally required to be publicly revised as 
      circumstances change, and which the Company does not intend to update.