MONTREAL, Aug. 27 /CNW Telbec/ - Dorel Industries Inc. (TSX: DII.A, DII.B) today announced that Jeff Frehner, President and CEO of the Cannondale Sports Group (CSG) has decided to leave the Company for family reasons. CSG, dedicated to serving the independent bicycle dealers channel, is one of two divisions of Dorel's Recreational/Leisure segment. Robert P. Baird, Jr., President of the segment, will oversee operations at CSG until a replacement is named.
"We are sorry to see Jeff leave. As the former President of Madison, Wisconsin based Pacific Cycle, Jeff and his family have developed strong roots in that community. He has found it difficult to accommodate an extensive business travel schedule and the need to be physically present in Bethel, Connecticut, headquarters of the Cannondale Sports Group," explained Mr. Baird.
"There is an excellent, highly energized senior management team in place at CSG. Business at the division has never been better. We have a clear plan, and are committed to being the partner of choice for the independent bike dealer," he concluded.
Profile
Dorel Industries Inc. (TSX: DII.B, DII.A) is a world class juvenile products and bicycle company. Established in 1962, Dorel creates style and excitement in equal measure to safety, quality and value. The Company's lifestyle leadership position is pronounced in both its Juvenile and bicycle categories with an array of trend-setting products. In the Juvenile segment, Dorel's powerfully branded products such as Quinny, Maxi-Cosi, Safety 1st and Bebe Confort have shown the way to safety, originality and fashion. Similarly, its highly popular brands such as Cannondale, Schwinn, GT, Mongoose and Sugoi have made Dorel a principal player with both independent bicycle dealers and mass merchants. Dorel's Home Furnishings segment markets a wide assortment of furniture products, both domestically produced and imported. The Company exerts relentless innovation and marketing flair across all of its divisions. Dorel is a $2 billion company with forty-six hundred employees, facilities in seventeen countries, and sales worldwide.
US operations include Dorel Juvenile Group USA; the Cannondale Sports Group; Pacific Cycle; Ameriwood Industries which produces ready-to-assemble furniture; Altra Furniture; and Cosco Home & Office. In Canada, Dorel operates Dorel Distribution Canada, Dorel Home Products and Sugoi. Abroad, operations include Dorel Europe and IGC in Australia, a manufacturer and distributor of juvenile products. Dorel Asia sources and imports home furnishings products. Dorel China has eight offices which oversee the sourcing, engineering and logistics of the Company's Asian supplier chain.
Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
Except for historical information provided herein, this press release may contain information and statements of a forward-looking nature concerning the future performance of Dorel Industries Inc. These statements are based on suppositions and uncertainties as well as on management's best possible evaluation of future events. The business of the Company and these forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from expected results. Important factors which could cause such differences may include, without excluding other considerations, increases in raw material costs, particularly for key input factors such as particle board and resins; increases in ocean freight container costs; failure of new products to meet demand expectations; changes to the Company's effective income tax rate as a result of changes in the anticipated geographic mix of revenues; the impact of price pressures exerted by competitors, and settlements for product liability cases which exceed the Company's insurance coverage limits. A description of the above mentioned items and certain additional risk factors are discussed in the Company's Annual MD&A and Annual Information Form, filed with the securities regulatory authorities in Canada and the U.S. The risk factors outlined in the previously mentioned documents are specifically incorporated herein by reference. The Company's business, financial condition, or operating results could be materially adversely affected if any of these risks and uncertainties were to materialize. Given these risks and uncertainties, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results.