NEW YORK April 7, 2004 — Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, Inc. (CD&R), a leading global private equity firm, today announced that an investment fund managed by CD&R had completed the purchase of VWR International from Merck KGaA of Darmstadt, Germany for $1.65 billion.

VWR International, based in West Chester, Pennsylvania, is a leading distributor in North America and Europe of scientific supplies to the industrial, pharmaceutical, educational and government markets. VWR International has 5,880 employees worldwide and 2003 revenues of approximately $2.8 billion, of which approximately two thirds are from North America and the remainder from Europe. Sales in 2003 under U.S. GAAP increased approximately 6% over 2002.

The transaction is one of a series of announcements from CD&R in recent months, including the sale of its Jafra cosmetics division to Vorwerk & Co. KG and the sale of Kinko's to FedEx for $2.4 billion.

"VWR International is an excellent business and the transaction is precisely the kind for which we are well known Ð a large divestiture of a captive distributor from a major multinational corporation," said Donald J. Gogel, Chief Executive Officer of CD&R. "We believe our operationally focused investment model is particularly well suited in situations where the parent organization has a strong interest in seeing the unit being divested grow and prosper as an independent company."

VWR International will continue to distribute Merck laboratory products.

ÒVWR International has an extensive network of distribution centers in the U.S., long-standing relationships with the world's leading pharmaceutical companies, and the industry's strongest footprint in Europe,Ó said Richard J. Schnall, a CD&R partner involved in the transaction. ÒWe have successfully invested in distribution businesses and will utilize that prior experience as we work closely with the management team to accelerate VWR International's growth.Ó

About Clayton, Dubilier & Rice
Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, Inc. is a leading private equity investment firm that has earned consistent, superior investment returns using an integrated operational and financial approach to build and grow portfolio businesses. Half of the firm's partners are seasoned corporate executives from major industrial enterprises and half come from mergers and acquisitions, financing or investment backgrounds. Since its founding in 1978, CD&R has managed the investment of over $5.0 billion in 37 businesses - mostly subsidiaries or divisions of large multi-business corporations - representing a broad range of industries with an aggregate transaction value in excess of $20 billion and revenues of more than $27 billion. The firm has offices in New York and London. For more information about CD&R, visit www.cdr-inc.com.

About VWR International, Inc.
VWR International is a global leader in the distribution of scientific supplies, with worldwide sales of more than $2.7 billion. VWR International's business is highly diversified across a spectrum of products and services, customer groups and geography. The company offers more than 750,000 products, from more than 5,000 manufacturers, to over 250,000 customers throughout North America and Europe. VWR International's primary customers work in the pharmaceutical, life science, chemical, technology, food processing and consumer product industries. Other important customers include universities and research institutes; governmental agencies; environmental testing organizations; and primary and secondary schools. VWR International affiliates operate in 18 countries and employ nearly 6,000 people. The company's mission is to deliver excellence in the distribution of scientific supplies. The VWR International Group is headquartered in West Chester, Pennsylvania. For more information, visit www.vwr.com. .