Nortek Launches New "Core Brands" Group

Providence, RI, August 27, 2012 – Nortek, Inc. (Nasdaq: NTK), a global diversified company with leading brands and innovative, technology-driven products and solutions for residential and commercial applications, today announced the formation of Core Brands, a new group that combines the product and marketing strengths of 10 of the company’s formerly independent audio, power management and control brands operating within its Technology Solutions segment.

Including Nortek’s Aton®, BlueBOLT®, Elan®, Furman®, Niles®, Panamax®, Proficient®, SpeakerCraft®, Sunfire® and Xantech® brands, Core Brands has more than 190 years of combined experience in the residential, commercial and professional markets and over 4,300 direct customer accounts in multiple distribution channels in the U.S. and worldwide.

Core Brands will be based in Petaluma, Calif., with offices in Carlsbad and Riverside, Calif., and Marblehead, Mass. Bill Pollock, who has served as president of Panamax, will lead Core Brands. Dave Keller, vice president of sales and marketing for Panamax/Furman, will handle worldwide sales. Keith Marshall, president of SpeakerCraft/Proficient, will be in charge of channel management, and Paul Starkey, president of Elan, will lead marketing for all brands.

“The formation of Core Brands reflects the strategic refocusing currently taking place as we pursue new markets and new opportunities to serve our dealers, channel partners and end users,” said Nortek President and Chief Executive Officer Michael J. Clarke. “We expect that combining the unique capabilities of each of these 10 formidable brands will deliver new and powerful benefits they can only achieve as a group.”

“Operating as Core Brands will enable us to leverage economies of scale while strengthening our ability to invest in launching innovative technologies and a range of new marketing programs designed to increase the value, clarity and acceptance of each brand,” said Sean Burke, group president of Nortek’s Technology Solutions segment. “In addition, combining these market leading brands will allow us to deliver more localized and responsive factory training and product support expertise. These initiatives should position the brands not only to improve their business performance, but also to increase their penetration of un-served and underserved market segments during a period of generally improving business conditions in their respective distribution channels.”

About Nortek

Nortek* is a global, diversified company whose many market-leading brands deliver broad capabilities and a wide array of innovative, technology-driven products and solutions for lifestyle improvement at home and at work. The Company’s broad array of offerings includes audio/video and security solutions, digital display mounting solutions, ventilation products such as range hoods and bathroom fans, heating and cooling products, and air management systems.

*As used herein, the term "Nortek" refers to Nortek, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.  This term is used for convenience only and is not intended as a precise description of any of the separate corporations, each of which manages its own affairs.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Generally, these statements can be identified by the use of words such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "feel," "intend," "may," "plan," "potential," "project," "should," or "would" and similar expressions intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. These statements are based on Nortek's current plans and expectations and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual future activities and results of operations to be materially different from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. Important factors impacting such forward-looking statements include the availability and cost of certain raw materials (including, among others, steel, copper, packaging materials, plastics, resins, glass, wood and aluminum) and purchased components, freight costs, the level of domestic and foreign construction and remodeling activity affecting residential and commercial markets, interest rates, employment levels, inflation, foreign currency fluctuations, consumer spending levels, exposure to foreign economies, the rate of sales growth, prices, and product and warranty liability claims. Nortek undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. For further information, please refer to the reports and filings of Nortek with the Securities and Exchange Commission including the description of "risk factors" set forth under IA in our annual report on Form 10-K, as updated on subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q.

New Restaurant "Captivates" Its Clientele With Exquisite Food, Ambience and Entertainment Control Technology From ELAN!

When designing the new Delicious Heights restaurant in Bedminster, New Jersey, the owners set out to create a 21st Century hospitality environment that redefines the concept of a ‘captive audience.’ They knew that in addition to offering fairly-priced exquisite food backed up by outstanding service, they needed to immerse their customers in state-of-the-art entertainment that would keep them in their seats longer and ensure their quick return! As a result, every part of the new restaurant, which held its grand opening last month, is designed with that end in mind — and the centerpiece of it all is the ELAN® g! Entertainment and Control System.

Maplewood, New Jersey-based 360 Media Innovations integrated the entire lighting system, five digital signage displays, more than 30 flat screen TVs showing eight video sources and 50 speakers broken into eight audio zones into the ELAN g! Entertainment and Control System, allowing the staff to make changes on the fly in order to cater to their customers every whim.

"We knew that the system would be touched by a lot of hands,” said Chima Gale, owner of 360 Media Innovations, “so we had to install a system that would allow us extreme flexibility from a control standpoint with the additional caveats of being reliable and easy to use. The ELAN g! system fulfilled those needs for us without question."

According to Delicious Heights General Manager Marc Hudacsko, “I’ve been working in restaurants for more than 17 years, and I’ve never had such a powerful media management tool at my disposal. Guests have asked me to lower the volume or change the channel on a TV in the dining area, and when I pull out my iPhone and make the adjustment right there in front of them, they are absolutely amazed—and so am I. The ELAN g! System not only helps impress our guests at Delicious Heights, but it’s also so fast and easy that I have more time to oversee the restaurant and my staff.”

Delicious Heights has a large main bar with 24 beers on tap and more than 50 varieties of bottled beer, a main dining area, and a private bar with two private seating rooms, which can each be rented out for parties or business functions. In its dedication to cater to every guest, Delicious Heights included power outlets and USB ports at every table in the main seating area for charging mobile devices, and it also provides free Wi-Fi. Additionally, one of the private dining rooms can become a presentation room, with three 37” TVs that can be used for business presentations or commercial videos through an in-wall VGA and audio connection.

“We wanted to solve all the typical problems a guest may have,” said Hudacsko. “Need to charge your cell phone? Done. Need the volume lowered in your area? Done. Want to watch the Yankees, not the Mets? Done. We even created a new type of menu with LED backlighting, so no guest ever has to ask for more light to read the menu. We wanted to be proactive, not reactive, and make it so our guests don’t have to worry about a single thing while they are here, and the ELAN g! System helps me deliver that level of care.”

The restaurant’s ELAN g! Entertainment and Control System includes an ELAN TS10 touch screen at the main bar and one at the private bar, iPhone and iPad control and four point-of-sale terminal (POS) control interfaces with a video preview function that lets the user see what is on each station, in real time, before sending the signal to a TV. This ensures that the user changes the channel correctly the first time, even before the customer sees a change.

The system uses the ELAN HC6 Controller, two ELAN M86A Audio Controllers, an ELAN DT11 Tuner, six Crown amplifiers and eight ZeeVee boxes to distribute the audio and video. The media sources include six DirecTV feeds, a Comcast Cable feed, a DVD player, am/fm radio, SIRIUS|XM® satellite radio, and an iPort iPod dock at the main bar and private bar that link to those respective areas. The fire alarm system is also integrated into the system so all audio instantly shuts off if the alarm is triggered.

360 Media Innovations programmed custom buttons in the ELAN g! software labeled “Good Morning” and “Good Night” that turn on and off every TV and the entire audio system for the restaurant. It also includes three lighting modes: “In Service”, which dims all lights for normal business hours; “All On” for last call and pre-business hours; and “All Off” for when the restaurant is closed.

The ELAN g! Entertainment and Control System provides users with the most uniform and intuitive icon-based control from their favorite devices, including TVs, touch screens, touch pads, PCs, iPhones, and iPads. The standardized interface works across platforms, so that the trendy g!Mobile app users love on the iPhone appears and works similarly on ELAN touch screens, valets and handheld remotes as well as users' televisions and mobile devices. And the system's IP backbone makes it just as easy to control the system from across the room as across the globe.

360 Media Innovations is a New Jersey based full service audio video systems
integration firm offering sale, design, and integration of custom electronic
systems in both commercial and residential spaces. With service offerings
such as system automation, custom home theaters, phone systems, network
solutions, commercial/residential audio systems, security surveillance
cameras, lighting and shade control and so much more, 360 Media Innovations
can completely service your Audio Video needs. To learn more, visit
www.360mediainnovations.com.

Hank "Moose" Alexander Returns to Niles as Western Regional Sales Manager

Niles®, The First Name In Custom Installation®, today announced the return of Hank “Moose” Alexander to the company to serve as its new Western Regional Sales Manager, reporting directly to Niles President Mike “Sparky” Detmer. Alexander assumes the position vacated by Kenneth Johnsen, who has been promoted to serve as The AVC Group’s International Training Manager.

“The return of Moose Alexander to our team speaks volumes about the many exciting things that are happening today at Niles,” Detmer said today. “I had a feeling that when Moose left us two years ago he would be back and that day has come — and his return could not have come at a better time. We are entering a dynamic new phase in the history of Niles, and Moose’s experience, talents and leadership skills are going to play a major role in our long term future success.”

Hank Alexander is widely known as a complete sales professional with a 20-year track record of penetrating new markets, exceeding company goals and motivating, coaching and training sales teams to increase revenues and efficiencies. He is also recognized for his abilities in management, business development, marketing, product design and development, and inception and management of sale programs in the high-end commercial and residential custom consumer electronics field.

Alexander returns to Niles from Crestron, where he has served as Mountain States Regional Sales Manager since 2008. Prior to that he was the Western Regional Sales Manager for Niles from 2006 through 2008, where he was responsible for the supervision of seven rep firms, the retail launch of the ICS IntelliControl brand, and 20 percent year-over-year annual growth for three consecutive years.

Prior to his first tour at Niles, Alexander held sales management positions at ReQuest, Kenwood, Vann’s Electronic Billings Mt and Video Sat and Sound. He studied Business Management, Communications and Law at the University of Wyoming — Casper and the University of Arizona — Tempe.