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Newell Rubbermaid
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Newell Rubbermaid is a global marketer of consumer and commercial products, including such well-known brands as Rubbermaid food storage, home organization, and refuse container products; Sharpie, PaperMate, Parker and Waterman writing instruments; Calphalon gourmet cookware; Goody beauty and personal grooming products; Graco children's products; Irwin and Lenox construction tools and accessories; Levolor and Kirsch blinds, shades, and window fashions; Dymo home and business labeling solutions; and BernzOmatic torches and patio heaters.
The company's corporate headquarters is located immediately north of Atlanta, in the Perimeter Center edge city in Sandy Springs, Georgia, United States.
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Encyclopedia
Newell Rubbermaid is a global marketer of consumer and commercial products, including such well-known brands as Rubbermaid food storage, home organization, and refuse container products; Sharpie, PaperMate, Parker and Waterman writing instruments; Calphalon gourmet cookware; Goody beauty and personal grooming products; Graco children's products; Irwin and Lenox construction tools and accessories; Levolor and Kirsch blinds, shades, and window fashions; Dymo home and business labeling solutions; and BernzOmatic torches and patio heaters.
The company's corporate headquarters is located immediately north of Atlanta, in the Perimeter Center edge city in Sandy Springs, Georgia, United States. It operates innovation centers and manufacturing and distribution facilities in several U.S. states and around the world.
History
Newell Company
Newell Manufacturing Company, Inc. was founded in Ogdensburg, New York in 1902 as a manufacturer of curtain rods. From 1910 to 1921, affiliated companies were founded in Freeport, Illinois, and in Canada.
The F.W. Woolworth retail chain became the first customer for Newell's bronze-plated curtain rods in 1916, making them the first Newell products to be distributed nationally. This marked the beginning of Newell's focus on volume purchasers.
In 1962, the affiliated Newell Companies, including Western Newell, Newell Window Furnishings and Newell Manufacturing were consolidated into a single corporation and was headquartered in Freeport, Illinois. Daniel C. Ferguson was named president in 1965 and developed a growth-by-acquisition strategy based on his intention to build a strong, multi-product company.
Newell went public in 1973. A year later, they acquired EZ Paintr Corporation, then the world's largest maker of paint applicators. Newell was listed on the New York Stock Exchange with the ticker symbol NWL in 1979. In 1982, they acquired propane hand torch makers BernzOmatic from Medina, New York. A year later, Mirro Corporation, a cookware maker was acquired. They made the largest purchase by the company up to that time in 1987 with Anchor Hocking Corporation (which included Amerock), a manufacturer of cabinet hardware and window components.
In 1992, they acquired Sanford, a leading manufacturer and marketer of writing instruments, including the Sharpie, Sanford and Expo user brands. The same year they acquired Intercraft, a leading picture frame manufacturer. A year later, they acquired Levolor, a leading manufacturer and marketer of window treatments. Additionally, they acquired Goody hair care accessories and LeeRowan closet organization products.
Newell became the world's largest manufacturer of picture frames, framed art and photo albums with the acquisition of Holson Burnes in 1996. 1997 saw the acquisition of Kirsch, a leader in branded drapery hardware and custom window coverings. In 1998 they purchased Calphalon Corporation, a manufacturer of gourmet cookware marketed primarily to upscale retailers and department stores.
The Newell Rubbermaid merger
In 1999, Newell Company acquired the Rubbermaid and Graco brands in a megamerger deal worth $5.8 billion, and later renamed to Newell Rubbermaid. This was an acquisition ten times as big as the last biggest acquisition Newell had made before. This nearly doubled the company in size and significantly increased the combined company's portfolio of brands. According to the Frontline article in November 10, 2004 titled "Is Wal-Mart Good for America?", this merger was a result of increasing need for consolidation among manufacturers to negotiate with retail buyers.
In 2000, they acquired Gillette's stationery products business, including the Paper Mate, Parker, Waterman and Liquid Paper user brands. In 2002, they acquired American Tool Companies, adding the powerful brands of Irwin, Vise-Grip and Quick-Grip to their portfolio.
However, the merger in 1999 was dubbed as the 'merger from hell' by Business Week magazine. Newell shareholders lost 50% of their value in the two years following the closing and Rubbermaid shareholders lost 35%. In 2002, Newell wrote off $500 million in goodwill.
In 2003 they acquired American Saw & Manufacturing Company, a leading manufacturer of linear-edge power tool accessories, hand tools and band saw blades marketed under the Lenox brand. In 2005, they acquired DYMO, a global leader in designing, manufacturing and marketing on-demand labeling solutions, to further strengthen the company's office products portfolio and enter the office technology segment.
Following the continued financial disaster from the merger, a new leadership was instated and the company embraced a consumer-centric focus. In 2006, the company added the slogan of "Brands That Matter" to their corporate logo. They optimized the portfolio with the divestiture of the Little Tikes and Home Decor Europe businesses and announced a major replatforming of their operations in Europe, Africa and the Middle East to leverage the growth opportunities of these important regions. Additionally, the company began focusing on three strategic transformations: building consumer-meaningful brands, restructuring the supply base and leveraging "One Newell Rubbermaid".
In February 2008, they acquired Aprica Childcare and Technical Concepts. In a continuing attempt to get closer to their customers, the company has relocated headquarters to metro Atlanta.
Brands
Brand (year of acquisition)
Cleaning, organization & decor
- Rubbermaid (1999)
- Rubbermaid Home Products (1999)
- Rubbermaid Commercial Products (1999)
- Rubbermaid Europe (1999)
- Rubbermaid medical Solutions (2003)
- Levolor blinds (1993)
- Kirsch (1997)
- Technical Concepts (2008)
Home and family
- Gott Corporation (1986)
- Goody (brand)|Goody]] (1993)
- Calphalon]] (1998)
- Graco (baby products)|Graco]] (1999)
- Teutonia (2007)
- Aprica (2008)
Office products
Tools and hardware
- EZ Paintr (1973)
- BernzOmatic hand-held torches and accessories (1982)
- Amerock cabinet and door hardware (along with Anchor Hocking) (1987)
- Shur-Line paint applicators (2000)
- American Tool (2002) (Irwin Industrial Tools Vise-Grip and Quick-Grip)
- American Saw & Mfg. Co (2003) (Lenox)
- Pelouze (2006)
- Lenox Industrial Tools
- Irwin Industrial Tools
Divestitures
External links
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