BATESVILLE, Ind., Nov. 19, 2010 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Effective January 1, 2011, Lukas Guenthardt will become president of the Size Reduction Group, a business line of K-Tron International, which is a subsidiary of Hillenbrand, Inc. (NYSE: HI). He will oversee the operations for Pennsylvania Crusher, Gundlach and Jeffrey Rader, which design, manufacture and sell equipment used primarily in the power generation, coal mining, pulp and paper, and wood and forest products industries. He will replace retiring president Donald W. Melchiorre.

Guenthardt currently serves as senior vice president of K-Tron International's business development. He has been with K-Tron since July 1992, serving in various capacities, including roles as director of international research and development; managing director of divisions based in Switzerland; senior vice president of strategic planning, product development and marketing; senior vice president and chief strategy officer; and senior vice president of the Pneumatic Conveying Group.

"A key aspect of Hillenbrand's talent development program is to create intentional experiences that allow our leaders to have a fully rounded knowledge of the business, giving us the flexibility to deploy them where they can be most effective," said Kenneth A. Camp, president and chief executive officer of Hillenbrand. "Lukas has a great deal of institutional knowledge at K-Tron, particularly in the global arena, where the Size Reduction Group has ample opportunities. I'm very pleased to appoint Lukas to this role and have every confidence in his ability to help the business continue to grow and succeed."

"I was deeply involved in the acquisitions of Penn Crusher, Gundlach and Jeffrey Rader, and was very impressed with the people, the products and organizations. I'm looking forward to getting back into operations and working with the size reduction team on a daily basis," said Guenthardt. "These brands have solid leadership positions in the United States, and our team will continue to build on that success to become a global provider of customer solutions."

About Hillenbrand, Inc.

Hillenbrand (www.HillenbrandInc.com) is a diversified enterprise with multiple subsidiaries focused around two separate operating businesses. Batesville Casket (www.batesville.com) is a leader in the North American death care industry through the sale of funeral services products, including burial caskets, cremation caskets, containers and urns, selection room display fixturing, and other personalization and memorialization products. K-Tron International (www.ktroninternational.com) is a recognized leader in the design, production, marketing and servicing of bulk solids material handling equipment and systems. The company serves many different industrial markets through two product lines. The Process Group focuses primarily on feeding and pneumatic conveying equipment, doing business under two main brands: K-Tron Feeders and K-Tron Premier. The Size Reduction Group concentrates on size reduction equipment, conveying systems and screening equipment, operating under three brands: Pennsylvania Crusher, Gundlach and Jeffrey Rader. HI-INC-O

Disclosure Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Throughout this release, we make a number of forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including the anticipated effect of the acquisition on Hillenbrand's future results. As the words imply, forward-looking statements are statements about the future, as contrasted with historical information. Our forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and current expectations of future events that we believe are reasonable, but by their very nature they are subject to a wide range of risks. If our assumptions prove inaccurate or unknown risks and uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from Hillenbrand's expectations and projections.

Words that could indicate we're making forward-looking statements include the following:

intend   believe   plan     expect  may      goal      would

become   pursue    estimate will    forecast continue  could

targeted encourage promise  improve progress potential should

This isn't an exhaustive list, but is simply intended to give you an idea of how we try to identify forward-looking statements. The absence of any of these words, however, does not mean that the statement is not forward-looking.

Here's the key point: Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and our actual results could differ materially from those set forth in any forward-looking statements. Any number of factors — many of which are beyond our control — could cause our performance to differ significantly from those described in the forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to: recent global market and economic conditions, including those related to the credit markets; volatility of our investment portfolio; adverse foreign currency fluctuations; ongoing involvement in claims, lawsuits and governmental proceedings related to operations; labor disruptions; our ability to continue the successful integration of K-Tron International; the dependence of our business units on relationships with several large national providers; increased costs or unavailability of raw materials; continued fluctuations in mortality rates and increased cremations; competition from nontraditional sources in the funeral services business; our ongoing antitrust litigation; cyclical demand for industrial capital goods; and certain tax-related matters. For a more in-depth discussion of these and other factors that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in forward-looking statements, see the discussions under the heading "Risk Factors" in item 1A of Hillenbrand's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2010, expected to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) November 23, 2010. The company assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information.

SOURCE Hillenbrand, Inc.