Isaac "Ike" Kier

In the last 3 years, Mr. Kier has completed the underwriting of 4 special purpose acquisition companies ("SPAC") as a director and partner of the insider groups. Tremisis raised $38 million and merged with Ram Energy, an oil and gas exploration and production company in Oklahoma. Rand Logistics raised $27 million and merged with Lower Lakes Transportation, one of the largest shippers of riverclass freight in the Great Lakes. Paramount Acquisition Corp (NASDAQOTB:PMQCU) raised $51 million and merged with Chem Rx.  Hyde Park Acquisition Corp raised $100 million to merge with or acquire an infrastructure business.

As the managing partner of First Americas Partners (a real estate fund), Mr. Kier has made real estate investments in Argentina and Canada as well as the US.  First Americas has had significant equity positions in the Hato Rey Tower office building in San Juan, Puerto Rico and the former Readers Digest Headquarters in Montreal.

In December of 1999 Mr. Kier was the lead investor in eDiets (NASDAQ:DIET), the largest seller of customized and personalized diets on the Internet.

Mr. Kier served as the CEO and majority owner of Lida, Inc., which he took public in 1992 with the help of Lehman Brothers. The company was the largest producer of circular knit stretch fabrics in the world. Lida, Inc. conducted business globally with offices in New York and Los Angeles, and had 700 employees in four factories in North Carolina. The operating company was sold in 1995 to Harvest Partners.

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