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                                                                  Exhibit (a)(8)

                                  NEWS RELEASE


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE THURSDAY 16TH MARCH 1995

         US$64.4 MILLION ((pound)40.3 MILLION) ACQUISITION BY FKI plc ("FKI")

The Board of FKI announces that ADU Acquisition Inc. a subsidiary of FKI, has
entered into a Merger Agreement to make a cash tender offer to acquire the
ordinary share capital of Amdura Corporation at a price of $2.30 per ordinary
share (the "Per Share Amount").

Amdura is a Delaware corporation which, through two wholly owned subsidiaries,
manufactures products for the overhead lifting and waste recycling and disposal
markets. In the twelve months ended 31 December 1994, Amdura produced an
operating profit before interest, exceptional items and taxation of $7.2 million
((pound)4.5 million) on sales of $144.8 million ((pound)90.5 million). The net
assets of Amdura at 31 December 1994 were $54.6 million ((pound)34.1 million)
including net debt of $25.3 million ((pound)15.8 million).

Conditions of the Offer
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FKI has obtained undertakings from certain shareholders of Amdura representing
66.5% of the issued ordinary shares of Amdura to tender those shares to FKI
unless the Board of Amdura withdraws its recommendation of FKI's offer in order
to approve a more favorable offer from a third party. The cash tender offer is
conditional upon FKI gaining more than 50% of the fully diluted ordinary share
capital of Amdura and the expiry of the waiting period under the
Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvement Act of 1976 and the notice provisions of
the Exon-Florio Amendment to the Defense Production Act of 1950.

Once the above conditions have been satisfied, FKI will compulsorily acquire
those minority shares not acquired in the cash tender offer at the Per Share
Amount. Completion of the cash tender offer is expected before the end of April
1995.

The Merger Agreement also provides for each of the 2,151 issued and outstanding
Preferred Shares of Amdura to be cancelled and converted into a right to receive
in cash an amount of $2,500 plus any accrued but unpaid dividends and for the
purchase of all outstanding Stock Options under Amdura's (1992) Stock Option
Plan.

On the above bases, the Offer, including the cancellation and conversion of the
Preferred Shares and the purchase of Amdura's outstanding Stock Options, values
Amdura at $64.4 million or ((pound)40.3 million). The consideration will be
satisfied in cash from FKI's existing resources.

Information on Amdura
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Amdura Corporation is a Delaware corporation which since October 1991 has
operated through two wholly owned subsidiaries, The Crosby Group Inc. ("Crosby")
and the Harris Waste Management Group Inc. ("Harris"). Amdura, through its
Crosby and Harris subsidiaries, is a manufacturer of products for the overhead
lifting and waste recycling and disposal markets.

Crosby, headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, designs and manufactures lifting
equipment, hardware and accessories including blocks, sheaves, hooks, shackles,
turnbuckles, load binders and other fittings for use with chain and wire rope.
Crosby's lifting equipment hardware is used in energy, construction,
manufacturing, marine and transportation applications. Products are sold under
the Crosby, Lebus, McKissick, National Swage and Bullard trade names.

Crosby is the world's leading manufacturer of forged lifting blocks and sheaves
for use with wire rope and chain and has a significant market share in both the
USA and Canadian markets. Crosby sells its products through approximately 2,600
distributors worldwide, of which 70% are in the USA.

Harris, headquartered in Peachtree City, Georgia, is primarily engaged in the
manufacture and marketing of recycling and waste management equipment used in
the plastic, waste paper, ferrous and non-ferrous scrap metal recycling
industries and for solid waste disposal applications. Harris's major products
include large capacity, high reduction balers, metal shears and balers used for
processing scrap steel and a line of small to medium capacity balers for baling
waste materials.

Based on the audited accounts for the twelve months to 31 December 1994, Amdura
produced an operating profit before interest, exceptional expenses and taxation
of $7.2 million ((pound)4.5 million) on sales of $144.8 million ((pound)90.5
million). In the year ended 31 December 1993, Amdura produced an operating
profit before interest, exceptional expenses and taxation of $5.0 million
((pound)3.1 million) on sales of $129.4 million ((pound)80.9 million).

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Reasons for the Acquisition
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Through its four operating groups, FKI focuses on clearly defined market sectors
where it is a market leader or has a strong niche position. Emphasis is placed
upon manufacturing high quality branded products where there are opportunities
for margin enhancement. Amdura will form part of the Material Handling Group of
FKI which has operations in North America, the United Kingdom and France and
whose products include chain and lifting equipment, hardware and accessories.
The Crosby operation of Amdura will extend further the Material Handling Group's
range of activities into lifting hardware for wire rope applications. The Crosby
products fit neatly into Material Handling's international market operations and
its forging and machine shop activities will benefit from exposure to the
technologies adopted by other Material Handling Group companies.

The Harris operation of Amdura also operates in the material handling sector.
The increasing emphasis on recycling and the demand for more efficient scrap
handling and processing equipment has provided and will continue to provide
growth opportunities for the Harris products. In addition, Harris's products in
certain applications are used in conjunction with conveying systems which could
be supplied by other FKI Material Handling Group companies.

Both Crosby and Harris have strong market positions, good quality products and
respected brand names. FKI believes that careful attention to detailed pricing
policies and cost control will improve the margins achieved by both operations.

A circular containing further information about the acquisition of Amdura will
be sent to FKI shareholders shortly.

                                     -ENDS-

For further information please contact:

Chris Lynch/David Lis

Ludgate Communications                                            0171 253 2252

