PRESS RELEASE

HARTER INVESTMENT STRATEGIES TEAMS WITH GUIDANCE AIRWAY SOLUTIONS TO TRANSFORM THE ANESTHESIA MARKET

NEW PRODUCT OFFERS INNOVATIVE DELIVERY OF LARYNGOTRACHEAL ANESTHESIA (LTA)

(Naperville, IL) – Naperville, Illinois-based private equity firm Harter Investment Strategies announced today that it has made a majority ownership investment in Guidance Airway Solutions, LLC, representing the investment firm’s first expansion into the medical device industry. The two companies will work together to bring to market the Guidance Laryngeal Injector (GLI), a new product designed by Guidance Airway Solutions that simplifies the process of delivering anesthesia to surgical patients.

Many times, administering general anesthesia requires a two-step process: First, the anesthesiologist inserts a tube through the patient’s vocal chords to apply a localized laryngotracheal anesthesia (LTA). Next, the anesthesiologist inserts a breathing tube through the vocal chords and into the trachea to deliver the general anesthesia.

Therein lies the challenge anesthesiologists around the world face every day: The insertion and removal of any tube through a patient’s vocal chords places stress on the patient’s body and may result in patient discomfort, potential damage to the tissues near the throat, large swings in heart rate and/or blood pressure, and even life-threatening, asthmatic-like responses that can block the anesthesiologist from placing the breathing tube.

The GLI integrates the ETT and LTA into a single instrument. This allows anesthesia to be delivered to patients via a single breathing tube insertion, eliminating a step from the process. The device was developed by Guidance Airway Solutions founder Dr. Joshua Herskovic, a Chicago-area anesthesiologist with a unique educational background in mechanical engineering.

“Every anesthesiologist knows that your first look is always your best look,” Herskovic explained. “The need to intubate the patient twice exposes the patient to risk. I set out to minimize this potential risk.”

When Herskovic approached Harter Investment Strategies, CEO Tom Harter immediately recognized the potential for GLI to transform the way anesthesia is delivered to patients worldwide. Harter also felt a more personal connection as well.

“My father had his epiglottis ripped during a surgery,” Harter said. “He couldn’t eat or swallow without coughing until the day he died nine years later. When I saw that this product minimizes the risk of damaging the patient’s epiglottis and vocal chords, that alone was enough to convince me to get involved. Yes, the anesthesia market is a multi-million dollar industry. But for me, the human impact is what is driving us forward.”

Guidance Airway Solutions has filed multiple patent applications and is seeking FDA clearance for the device. Ultimately, the company plans to market the device to hospitals and clinics both in the U.S. and abroad. To learn more about the GLI, Guidance Airway Solutions or Harter Investment Strategies, call 630-544-2000 or visit www.his.biz.

About Harter Investment Strategies

Harter Investment Strategies was founded in 2014 by local business leader Thomas Harter, Sr. The company provides capital, turnaround expertise and business sale consulting to entrepreneurs, small business owners, boards of directors and private equity firms. With an outstanding management team that collectively represents more than 100 years of business leadership, Harter Investment Strategies specializes in helping businesses grow to reach their full potential. To learn more, visit www.his.biz.