New Era Acquires Brazilian Management Company MARC4

USA - English

• Brazil - Português

BUFFALO, N.Y. and SAO PAULO, Dec. 22, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- New Era Cap Co., Inc., the international headwear and apparel brand, announced today that it has acquired a stake in MARC4, a privately-held fashion brand management company in Brazil. MARC4 designs, distributes and markets apparel, shoes, headwear and other accessories under licensed brands throughout the country, and has been New Era's official distributor in Brazil since 2006.

Through this acquisition, New Era broadens its international product portfolio and strengthens its overall business opportunities in one of the most rapidly expanding Latin American economies. MARC4's main assets are its top licensed relationships (including 20 of the main Brazilian soccer teams), a state-of-the-art product development group, production capabilities, robust distribution channels and effective marketing capabilities.

"We are constantly evaluating our business and identifying new opportunities for international growth that make sense for our brand," said Christopher H. Koch, CEO of New Era Cap. "Brazil is an emerging market, and MARC4 has the expertise and connections in the country to help us generate strong demand for New Era products."

MARC4 will continue to work with its existing partners and licensed brands in the fashion, action, sports, private label, mass market and retail divisions. With New Era as an active partner, MARC4 will have access to more resources enabling the company to obtain additional licensed brands, expand its already strong distribution channels and grow its retail division.

"New Era will bring to the table both its financial strength and its best practices in logistics, finance, IT and marketing. This will fuel MARC4's growth and allow our company to maintain control and discipline in a high growth environment," said Artur Regen, a partner at MARC4. "It is a great pleasure for us to become part of New Era's history exactly in the year it's turning 90 years old."

Although details of the acquisition, including share percentage and purchase amount, are not being released, this venture is mutually beneficial for both New Era and MARC4 as it provides strong opportunities for growth on both sides.

About New Era Cap

New Era products have been a canvas for consumers to showcase their individuality and personal style for over 90 years. With billions of headwear styles, it's best known for being the official on-field cap for Major League Baseball as well as creating the iconic 59FIFTY fitted cap. New Era continues to be a lifestyle brand of choice not only with their headwear collections, but also accessories and apparel lines for men, women and youth. The Company is headquartered in Buffalo, N.Y., operates facilities in Canada, Europe, Japan and Hong Kong, and is a Participating Company (PC) of the Fair Labor Association. For more information on the brand, visit www.neweracap.com. 

About MARC4

Founded in 2004, MARC4 Brand & Trade develops and manages fashion and accessory brands in Brazil. The company began its activities as part of Tricostyl, an apparel producer that has stood out in the Brazilian clothing industry for almost 50 years. Today, however, MARC4's activities are totally independent. In addition to managing 33 fashion brands, MARC4 has been the exclusive representative and distributor in Brazil of the two leading cap brands in the world:  the US-based New Era and the South Korean Flexfit. MARC4 also owns two brands: Stand Up, with a streetwear spin, and Mad Soul, focused on the casual fashion world. For more information on the brand, visit www.marc4.com.br.

PRESS CONTACT:  Dana Marciniak, New Era Cap Co., +1-716-604-9259, or +1-716-536-9913, [email protected]

SOURCE New Era Cap Co., Inc.