DECEMBER 2005 - River Capital through its holding company, New Image Group, Inc., has acquired the assets of Lara's Crafts, Inc.

River Capital, an Atlanta based private investment firm, has announced its purchase of Lara's Crafts, Inc. which will operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary of New Image Group, Inc. The purchase price was not disclosed. Lara's Crafts is one of the nation's largest suppliers of quality wood parts and accessories for the craft and hobby industry. New Image Group, Inc., headquartered in Union, SC, was formed to facilitate the investment in and development of complementary craft and home decor companies.

Jerry Wethington, Chairman of the Board of New Image Group and Managing Director of River Capital, "We are enthusiastic about the addition of Lara's Crafts. The Company is well positioned supplier of quality wood parts and accessories for the craft and hobby industry and provides a multitude of applications for the consumer. It's a nice complement with our two existing operating subsidiaries; Consumer Product Enterprises, acrylic felt, and MasterWorks Decor, permanent botanical."

River Capital is one of the oldest firms of its type in the Southeast and has acquired companies in a broad range of industries with combined annual revenues in excess of $600 million. River Capital primarily invests in light manufacturing, distribution and select service companies with purchase prices of $10 million to $50 million. For add-on acquisition candidates, the firm will consider companies with a purchase price less than $10 million.