NORTEK COMPLETES NAPCO ACQUISITION

PROVIDENCE, RI, October 12, 1998 – Nortek, Inc. (NYSE:NTK) announced today it has completed the acquisition of Napco, Inc., a privately held manufacturer of exterior, residential building products headquartered near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Richard L. Bready, Nortek’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, stated, "The purchase of Napco—and its affiliate, NVP—marks another exciting milestone in the implementation of our strategic acquisition efforts. Napco is an ideal company to join the Nortek family because its product lines complement ours so well. In addition to Napco’s strong brand name vinyl siding and windows, Napco offers related building products such as trim coil and aluminum soffit products that will enable Nortek to offer a more complete installation package to siding contractors. In addition, we are acquiring three, state-of-the-art, manufacturing plants located 25 miles north of Pittsburgh in western Pennsylvania. Equally important, key members of the Napco management team have agreed to join Nortek."

Napco has been a supplier of top quality building products for more than 35 years. It manufactures four principal products lines: (a) vinyl siding, soffit and accessories marketed under the American Comfortâ , American Heraldâ and American ’76â collections labels; (b) vinyl window systems, marketed under the Premium and American Comfortâ labels; (c) accessory products, including aluminum trim coil, soffit rainware and related specialty products; and (d) coil coating. Napco and NVP had combined sales of $91.1 million for the year ended December 31, 1997.

Nortek is a leading international manufacturer and distributor of high-quality, competitively priced building, remodeling and indoor environmental control products for the residential and commercial markets. The Company offers a broad array of products for improving the environments where people live and work. Its products include range hoods and other spot ventilation products, heating and air conditioning systems, wood and vinyl windows and doors, vinyl siding products, indoor air quality systems, and specialty electronic products.

This release contains forward-looking statements relating to future financial results. Actual financial performance may differ as a result of factors over which the Company has no control. Additional information which could affect the company's financial results is included in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings, copies of which are available from Nortek at no charge.

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