HPC Hercules

Hercules Incorporated (NYSE: HPC) announced that at its special shareholders meeting held earlier today Hercules๏ฟฝ 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๏ฟฝ outstanding common stock, as required by Hercules๏ฟฝ 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.