Dorel Juvenile Group and Venture Products in Partnership Arrangement

COLUMBUS, Ind. and FAIRFIELD, N.J., Feb. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Dorel Juvenile Group, Inc. ("DJG USA"), a division of Dorel Industries (TSX: DII.B, DII.A) and the nation's largest juvenile products manufacturer, is pleased to announce a new partnership with Venture Products, LLC., the leader in EVA foam flooring and play mats.

Under the partnership arrangement, Venture Products will market its PlaySafe™ flooring line in conjunction with DJG USA's successful, well known, and trusted Safety 1st® brand, as Safety 1st PlaySafe™ Foam Flooring. Expandable and easy to assemble with interlocking edges, and offered in a variety of colors and sizes, this cushioned flooring solution is ideal for crawlers and will help protect little ones from potential bumps and bruises caused by hard floors, splinters, rug burns, and cold surfaces.

Microban® antimicrobial product protection will be infused into all of the products to help prevent the growth of stain and odor causing bacteria, mold and mildew; keeping the flooring cleaner, longer. The play mats and modular foam flooring can be used just about anywhere; great for the nursery, play room, basement, deck and patio.

"This is a perfect line extension for our brand," said Dave Taylor, President and CEO of Dorel Juvenile Group US.  "Our consumers look to us for technology, value and products that enrich their lifestyles and that is exactly what Venture is delivering."  

Venture Products Partner Steve Fischer said, "Partnering with Dorel Juvenile Group will enable us to provide our customers a particularly versatile and extremely safe new flooring solution for youngsters. We're talking about a new product lineup that will be a true leader in the play flooring category, and that's certainly something we're excited to be involved with."

Linda Kuiken, marketing director for Venture Products added: "Our goal for this product line was to create the best children's play mats available in the market place.  We are excited about the pairing of Safety 1st, the leading juvenile brand synonymous with the protection and well-being of a child, and Microban®, the leader in anti-microbial technology.  Infusing the zinc-based Microban technology into our exclusive soft, baby-safe foam formula has created the perfect play flooring solution – soft, safe, clean and fresh. We are confident that our PlaySafe foam flooring and play mats will become an important step in baby-proofing one's home."

According to Fischer, these products will be available at retail in spring 2010. He reports that both consumers and buyers who have already previewed the collection strongly agree that the Safety 1st PlaySafe line of products are fun, easy to use and safe for a diverse variety of applications.

Synergy Licensing, licensing agency for Dorel Juvenile Group, will be announcing several new opportunities for additional line extensions in a number of related categories.  

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.  Dorel's powerfully branded products include Safety 1st, Quinny, Cosco, Maxi-Cosi and Bebe Confort in Juvenile, as well as Cannondale, Schwinn, GT, Mongoose, Iron Horse and SUGOI in Recreational/Leisure.  Dorel's Home Furnishings segment markets a wide assortment of furniture products, both domestically produced and imported.   Dorel is a US$2.2 billion company with 4700 employees, facilities in eighteen countries, and sales worldwide.  

Microban International, Ltd. is a global technology and marketing company dedicated to enhancing high quality consumer, industrial and medical products with branded built-in protection from microbes. Microban International licenses the Microban® global brand name, sells custom-engineered compounds, and provides a range of services, including regulatory and marketing support.  The Microban® brand promises continuous and durable antimicrobial product protection, built-in during manufacture to not wear out for the useful life of the product.  Microban International is headquartered in North Carolina with operations in North America, Europe and Asia. For more information on Microban, please contact (704) 875-0806 or visit www.microban.com.

Venture Products, LLC is a privately owned company, spearheaded by a management team with a combined experience of over 50 years in manufacturing and distribution.  Since its inception in 2004, Venture Products' proprietary and licensed product offerings have been placed into a wide array of distribution channels.  Venture Products is committed to creating unique lifestyle products for home and office.  Venture Products, LLC is the Safety 1st Licensee for PlaySafe™ Foam Flooring, Play Mats and Nap Mats. Microban® antimicrobial technology is incorporated into many of the company's on-floor solutions and related offerings, which are available under the brands Best-Step™, Funplay™, Organized by Design™, and Shock Athletic™.

Headquartered in Fairfield, NJ, Venture Products also has business locations in California and Hong Kong. Additional information on the company and its products is available by contacting [email protected], or by visiting www.venture-products.com

SOURCE Dorel Juvenile Group, Inc.