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NEW YORK, Oct 11, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P. (together with its affiliates, "KKR") today announced that five additional companies have joined the Green Portfolio Program, bringing the total to 17 companies across the globe. Companies joining the program today are: BIS Industries Limited, Der Grüne Punkt - Duales System Deutschland GmbH (DSD), Pets at Home, Van Gansewinkel Groep, and WILD Flavors. KKR also announced its membership to CSR Europe, a leading European business network focused on integrating corporate responsibility into the way companies do business.

The Green Portfolio Program, launched in 2008 as a partnership between KKR and the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), harnesses innovation to improve the financial and environmental performance of KKR's private equity portfolio companies. In 2010, the first eight members announced that they avoided over $160 million in operating costs, 345,000 metric tons of CO₂ emissions, using 8,500 tons of paper, and generating 1.2 million tons of waste.

"The companies joining today have strong records of environmental performance and social responsibility and their participation in the Green Portfolio Program is a great step toward building a global community of best practice. We look forward to being able to share the diversity and expertise of these five global companies joining the program today," said Johannes Huth, Head of KKR Europe operations.

Launched in 2008 with three companies, the Green Portfolio Program now includes approximately 30 percent of the companies in KKR's global private equity portfolio. In addition to the companies joining the program today, other participants now reporting their environmental performance into the program include: Accellent Inc.; Biomet Inc.; Dollar General Corporation; First Data Corporation; HCA Inc.; Lehigh Phoenix (a division of Visant Corporation); Oriental Brewery; PRIMEDIA; Sealy Corporation; SunGard Data Systems, Inc.; Tarkett S.A.; and U.S. Foodservice, Inc. The program now includes companies from seven countries and seven different industry groups, including health care, consumer products, industrial, and retail.

"Since the program began just over two years ago, we have not only made important strides in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and waste, but we've also realized meaningful improvements in operational efficiency. We look forward to delivering continued progress as we expand the program within Europe and other regions," said Bill Cornog, a Member of KKR Capstone's European Operations.

Expanding access to expertise

KKR also announced its new membership to CSR Europe (www.csreurope.org), a leading European business network for corporate social responsibility with around 75 multinational corporations and 27 national partner organizations as members. Becoming a part of the CSR Europe network provides KKR and its portfolio companies with access to thought leadership and proven practices in corporate responsibility.

Jan Noterdaeme, Senior Advisor on Strategy, EU and Stakeholder Relations for CSR Europe said, "CSR Europe is pleased to welcome KKR as the first private equity organization to join our membership. The Green Portfolio Program is a leading example of an innovative initiative to drive both environmental and business performance that is helping to transform the industry and the corporate sector more broadly."

Earlier this year, KKR announced a similar membership with Business for Social Responsibility (www.bsr.org), a leading non-profit organization that works with its global network of more than 250 member companies to develop sustainable business strategies and solutions.

Additional details on the Green Portfolio Program and specific company initiatives can be found at http://green.kkr.com.

About KKR

Founded in 1976 and led by Henry Kravis and George Roberts, KKR is a leading global alternative asset manager with $54.4 billion in assets under management as of June 30, 2010. With over 600 people and 14 offices around the world, KKR manages assets through a variety of investment funds and accounts covering multiple asset classes. KKR seeks to create value by bringing operational expertise to its portfolio companies and through active oversight and monitoring of its investments. KKR complements its investment expertise and strengthens interactions with investors through its client relationships and capital markets platforms. KKR is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: KKR). For additional information, please visit KKR's website at www.kkr.com.

SOURCE: Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P.

KKR
Peter McKillop or Kristi Huller, 212-750-8300
media@kkr.com

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