GREENWICH, Conn., Feb. 26, 2001 (PRIMEZONE) -- Blyth, Inc. (NYSE:BTH) today announced that it has named Jeff Carr to the newly created position of Managing Director of the Company's European Affiliate Group (EAG). Its major operating entities, the Gies Group, based in Germany, and the Colony Group, based in the U.K., sell home fragrance products into consumer and retail channels of distribution throughout Europe and through export to many other worldwide markets. Its products are sold under the Ambria(tm), Carolina Designs(r), Colony, Gies, Liljeholmens and Asp brands. The EAG also includes Wax Lyrical, the leading U.K. specialty retail chain for candles and accessories.
The establishment of a European-based management team to oversee its wholesale and consumer retail businesses evidences Blyth's commitment to extending the Company's North American channel and brand segmentation strategy in Europe and focuses resources on the market requirements for the rapidly growing European market for fragranced candles and related products.
Commenting on the latest addition to the management team, Robert B. Goergen, Blyth's Chairman of the Board and CEO, said, "Jeff brings an excellent track record of market development and management success to this new position. The opportunity presented by the relatively underdeveloped market in Europe for home fragrance products can be best exploited by a European team led by a local executive with a strong consumer marketing background, able to position Blyth's brands and integrate operations most effectively in our channels of distribution. Jeff's pan-European, multinational consumer and premium specialty products experience in a variety of leadership roles, along with his wealth of local market knowledge, will be a valuable resource as we continue to position our European business units for continued growth and profitability."
Carr joins Blyth with more than 25 years of management experience in international consumer businesses and brand development across a variety of multinationals and specialty gift products companies, including Unilever, Royal Doulton, Burger King and Pizza Hut. Carr, a British citizen, holds his B.S.c. degree in economics from the University of Hull.
Blyth, Inc., headquartered in Greenwich, designs, manufactures and markets an extensive line of candles and home fragrance products, including scented candles, potpourri and environmental fragrance products and markets a broad range of related candle accessories. Its products are sold direct to the consumer under the PartyLite(r) brand, to retailers in the mid-tier and premium retail channels, under the Colonial Candle of Cape Cod(r), Kate's Original Recipe(tm) and Carolina Designs(r) brands, and in the mass retail channel under the Ambria(tm), Florasense(r) and FilterMate(r) brands. In Europe, its products are also sold under the Gies, Liljeholmens and Colony brands. Blyth also markets a broad range of non-fragranced products, including decorative seasonal products for the consumer market, under the Jeanmarie(r) and Impact(tm) brand names, and portable heating fuel and tabletop illumination products for the hotel, restaurant and catering trade, under the Sterno(r) and Handy Fuel(r) brand names. Net Sales for the twelve months ended October 31, 2000 totaled $1,155,758,000.
Blyth, Inc. can be found on the Internet at www.blythinc.com.
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance and underlying assumptions and other statements that are other than statements of historical facts. Actual results could differ materially due to various factors, including the risk of a continuing weakness of the retail environment, the effects of our restructuring, the risk of maintaining the Company's growth rate, the Company's ability to respond to increased product demand, the risks (including foreign currency fluctuations) associated with international sales and foreign products, the risks of being able to recruit new independent sales consultants, dependence on key management personnel, competition in terms of price and new product introductions, and other factors described in this press release, in the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended October 31, 2000 and in the Company's Annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended January 31, 2000.