Rayovac Announces Licensing Deal With Newpoint, a Division of Fiskars

MADISON, Wis., June 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Rayovac Corp. (NYSE: ROV) announces a product licensing agreement with the Newpoint Company, a division of Fiskars. Newpoint, of San Diego, Calif., is the U.S. market share leader in surge protector products. The agreement is for three years with renewal options. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Under the agreement, Newpoint will use the Rayovac name for a line of products to be sold in retail stores in the consumer power protection category. The current U.S. market for these products is estimated at $500 million. Newpoint will have the licensing rights to sell these products in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. The new Rayovac branded Newpoint products include: Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) battery back-ups, surge protectors and AC/DC adapters. The new Rayovac branded products are expected to be in retail stores this fall.

The Newpoint company is the largest vertically integrated surge protector manufacturer in North America. According to Venture Development Corp., a nationally-recognized independent research firm, Newpoint's surge protectors are acknowledged as the industry leader in product quality and service. Newpoint's parent company, Fiskars owns 28 companies and markets a variety of products and brand names including Fiskar scissors and knives, Gerber knives and Power Sentry surge protectors. For the latest fiscal year, Fiskars sales were $626 million.

The Newpoint agreement is the first license arranged by Marathon Projects, Rayovac's exclusive corporate licensing agent.

"We consider this another opportunity to generate broader consumer awareness of the Rayovac brand," said Rayovac Chairman and CEO Dave Jones. "We want the Rayovac name associated with companies such as Newpoint and its parent company, Fiskars, which are industry leaders in their product category and have strong distribution bases."

"We believe the Rayovac name brings instant credibility to our retail products," said Newpoint President Bill Unrue. "Consumers associate the Rayovac name with power and performance. Combining the name recognition of Rayovac on the outside of our package with the quality of our products on the inside will result in a positive impact at retail."

Rayovac is the third largest U.S. manufacturer of batteries. According to data provided by A.C. Nielsen, Rayovac is the fastest growing battery company. The company also markets the number one selling rechargeable brand, and is the world leader in hearing aid batteries. Rayovac is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol ROV.
SOURCE Rayovac Corporation
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CONTACT: John Daggett of Rayovac, 608-275-4912, or Bill Unrue of Newpoint, 619-677-5700 Ext. 3420