Ziegler Announces Underwriting Milestone

CHICAGO, IL–(Marketwire – October 15, 2010) –  Ziegler (PINKSHEETS: ZGCO), a specialty investment bank serving the healthcare, senior living, religion, and education sectors, achieved a $1 billion milestone for underwritings in the senior living sector. Nationally, Ziegler is ranked as one of the leading investment banking firms in senior living finance issues.

With the recent closing of the Total Longterm Care transaction, a financing to refund existing debt and finance new construction for the nation’s second largest Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), Ziegler has successfully closed 17 senior living transactions totaling $1 billion this year. Ziegler tailors its products and services to accommodate the most complex financings for virtually every type of non-profit senior living provider.

Dan Hermann, Senior Managing Director and Head of Investment Banking, commented, “Ziegler is committed to delivering comprehensive financial services to senior living providers, retirement communities, and CCRCs. We are extremely proud of this milestone — an important accomplishment by our firm on behalf of the senior living community.” The milestone is particularly significant given Ziegler’s 2009 experience, when it completed over $900 million during the months following the ‘thawing’ of the capital markets post-economic crisis.

For more information about Ziegler, and its mission of advancing health, wealth and well-being through tailored financial solutions, please visit us at www.Ziegler.com.

About Ziegler:

The Ziegler Companies, Inc. (PINKSHEETS: ZGCO) together with its affiliates (Ziegler) is a specialty investment bank with unique expertise in complex credit structures and advisory services. Nationally, Ziegler is ranked as one of the leading investment banking firms in its specialty sectors of healthcare, senior living, religion and education finance, as well as corporate finance and FHA/HUD. Headquartered in Chicago, IL with regional and branch offices throughout the U.S., Ziegler creates tailored financial solutions including bond financing, advisory, private placement, seed capital, M&A, risk and asset management. Ziegler serves institutional and individual investors through its wealth management and capital markets distribution channels.

Certain comments in this news release represent forward-looking statements made pursuant to the provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, in particular, the overall financial health of the securities industry, the strength of the healthcare sector of the U.S. economy and the municipal securities marketplace, the ability of the Company to underwrite and distribute securities, the market value of mutual fund portfolios and separate account portfolios advised by the Company, the volume of sales by its retail brokers, the outcome of pending litigation, and the ability to attract and retain qualified employees.