H&E completes public offering

H&E Equipment Services, Inc. completed its public offering of common stock at a price of $18 per share on February 3, 2006. The company sold 10,937,500 shares in the offering with an additional 1,640,625 shares sold pursuant to an over-allotment option exercised by the underwriters. The company's stock began trading on the NASDAQ national market on January 31, 2006 under the symbol “HEES.”

Total net proceeds to the company from the offering are approximately $198,807,813. The company said this will be used to: fund proposed acquisition of a construction and industrial equipment rental company; to purchase rental equipment currently under operating leases; to pay deferred compensation owed to a current executive and a former executive; and, with the remaining proceeds, repay borrowings under the company's senior secured credit facility and/or use for general corporate purposes.

Credit Suisse and UBS Investment Bank acted as joint book-runners for the offering. Banc of America Securities LLC, Deutsche Bank Securities and JP Morgan acted as co-managers for the offering. A copy of the final prospectus can be obtained from the Credit Suisse Prospectus Department.

H&E Equipment Services, Inc. is one of the largest integrated equipment services companies in the US. It has 41 full-service facilities in the Intermountain, Southwest, Gulf Coast and Southeast regions.