Racing Champions Ertl Announces Licensing Agreements with Four Leading Auto Makers
GLEN ELLYN, Ill., Feb. 6 -- Racing Champions Ertl announced today that it has entered into
licensing agreements with four leading automakers -- Honda/Acura, Mazda,
Mitsubishi, and Toyota. Under terms of the agreements, Racing Champions Ertl
is delivering die-cast car replicas to the marketplace now, with further
product introductions scheduled for later this year.
"The expansion of our licensing agreements to include these four key
companies reflects our continuing growth and significantly expands our
automotive licensing profile," said Peter Henseler, President of Racing
Champions Ertl. "It also reflects our continuing commitment to bring
collectors and hobbyists absolutely authentic, officially licensed scale-model
reproductions."
According to Henseler, the four new licenses are the cornerstone of the
Company's plans to make its The Fast and The Furious brand a stand-alone
category that will include a full line of collectible toys and hobby products
and will be marketed through existing channels of distribution as well as new
retail outlets such as automotive, music, and video retail chains.
About Racing Champions Ertl
Racing Champions Ertl ( http://www.rcertl.com ) is a leading producer and
marketer of innovative collectibles and toys targeted at males of all ages.
The Company's diverse product offerings include scaled die-cast replicas of
John Deere agricultural equipment and NASCAR stock cars, other licensed
vehicle replicas, pre-teen toys, sports trading cards, racing apparel and
souvenirs, and collectible figures. These products are sold under the
Company's market-focused brand names, including Racing Champions(R), Ertl(R),
Ertl Collectibles(R), American Muscle(TM), AMT(R), W. Britain(R), Press
Pass(R), and JoyRide Studios(TM). The Company reinforces its brands and
enhances the authenticity of its products by linking them with highly
recognized licensed properties including NASCAR, NHRA, John Deere, Harley-
Davidson, Case, Polaris, Honda, Acura, Caterpillar, Ford, GM, Chrysler,
Texaco, Universal Studios, Warner Brothers, Hit Entertainment, Nintendo, Sega,
and Electronic Arts. The Company's products are marketed through multiple
channels of distribution, including mass retailers and specialty and hobby
wholesalers and retailers, OEM dealers, and to corporate accounts for
promotional purposes. The Company sells through more than 20,000 retail
outlets located in North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific.
Certain statements contained in this release contain "forward-looking
statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995. These statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking
words or phrases such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "expect," "intend,"
"may," "planned," "potential," "should," "will" and "would." Such forward-
looking statements are inherently subject to known and unknown risks and
uncertainties. Such uncertainties and other operational matters are discussed
further in the Company's quarterly and annual filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission. The Company's actual results and future developments
could differ materially from the results or developments expressed in, or
implied by, these forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no
obligation to make any revisions to the forward-looking statements contained
in this release or to update them to reflect events or circumstances occurring
after the date of this release.
CONTACT: Curt Stoelting, CEO, +1-630-790-3507, ext. 133, or Jody Taylor,
CFO, +1-630-790-3507, ext. 158, both of Racing Champions Ertl