PR Newswire/Les Echos/
 
                          ?                                    PRESS RELEASE


                 Proposed payment of an exceptional dividend
                    Advance payment of FY 2008 dividend
                       Senior debt refinancing project


Paris, 12th August 2008:

Groupe VIAL (ISIN: FR0010340406), France's leading independent industrial 
joinery discount group, announces that it is calling a combined Ordinary and 
Extraordinary General Meeting on 22nd September 2008.

At this Ordinary and Extraordinary General Meeting, a number of resolutions 
will be put to shareholders, the main aim of these being the following:

    -   The payment of an exceptional dividend of €0.90 per share, for a total 
of some €8.5 million entirely taken from "other reserves". Groupe Vial, which 
has a comfortable cash position, thus wants to increase shareholder loyalty 
within a gloomy economic and stock-market context.
    -   Authorisations to enable the issuing of convertible bonds reserved for 
financial establishments. The aim of this bond issue would be to refinance the 
Company's senior debt, optimise the debt load, with no dilution for current 
shareholders who so wish
    -   Implementation of a share buyback programme for a maximum of 2% of the 
Company's shares, limited to €5 million.

All detailed resolutions will be available from Wednesday 13th August 2008 in 
the official notice of meeting published in the BALO (Bulletin des Annonces 
Légales Obligatoires) and on the Company's website: www.groupe-vial.com, in the 
"Documentation" section.

Moreover, independently of this Ordinary and Extraordinary General Meeting, the 
Groupe Vial Board of Directors has opted for, on 28th July 2008, the 
distribution of an advance payment of the dividend for the financial year to 
31st December 2008 of €0.78 per share, for a total of €7.4 million. Indeed, 
Groupe Vial will benefit, in 2008, from the distribution of dividends from its 
operating subsidiaries resulting from profit recorded in FY 2007. The Board's 
aim is to reward shareholders for their trust within an agitated context.

Accordingly, Groupe Vial shareholders will receive, from 22nd September, a 
total dividend of €1.68 per share, €0.90 of which will be subject to the 
approval of shareholders at the combined Ordinary and Extraordinary General 
Meeting of 22nd September 2008.




                                    Next press release:
           Half-year 2008 results: 29th October 2008 (after the market closes)



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About Groupe VIAL (www.groupe-vial.com)

Listed on the Eurolist (Compartment B) of Euronext Paris since December 2006, 
Groupe VIAL manufactures and distributes aluminium, PVC and wood joinery 
products (doors, windows, gates, stairs, etc.) offering unparalleled value for 
money through tight control of supply lines; efficient, modern production 
facilities and the 60-store VIAL Menuiseries distribution network (including 3 
stores in Spain).
Groupe VIAL is France's largest independent discount joinery specialist.
The Group reported 2007 consolidated sales of €107.3m (+22.2%), an operating 
margin of 20.2% and net profit of €12.7m.

Public site: www.vial-menuiseries.com




                       Listed on Euronext Paris compartment B of NYSE Euronext
                                 ISIN: FR0010340406 - Mnemonic: VIA
                                   Reuters: VIA.PA - Bloomberg: VIA FP




Contacts

Groupe VIAL                                       NewCap.
Jean-François Buigues                             Financial Communications - Investor Relations
Chief Financial Officer                           Steve Grobet / Pierre Laurent
investisseurs@groupe-vial.com                     Tel: +33 (0)1 44 71 94 94
                                                  Fax: +33 (0)1 44 71 94 90
                                                  vial@newcap.fr




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