Rawlings® Wins Gold at 2013 Edison Awards®

ST. LOUIS, April 26, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, Inc., a subsidiary of Jarden Corporation (NYSE: JAH) and its new Rawlings S100® Pro Comp™ batting helmet were announced as the Gold Winner the 2013 Edison Awards® in the material science (composites) category, one of 12 categories honored at the prestigious award platform.  Constructed of aerospace-grade carbon fiber composite, the new Rawlings S100® Pro Comp™ batting helmet provides technologically-enhanced protection for ball impacts up to 100 miles per hour.  Rawlings is the Official Batting Helmet of Major League Baseball® and has begun its first year of league-wide mandated use of the S100 Pro Comp in 2013. 

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130426/CG02949)

The distinguished awards symbolize the persistence and excellence personified by Thomas Alva Edison, inspiring creative minds to remain in the forefront of innovation, creativity and ingenuity in the global economy.  Rawlings was the only sporting goods company honored as an Edison Award finalist, and joined other global brands as finalists such as 3M, AT&T, Michelin and Square.

"More than any year, this year's slate of finalists demonstrated the enormous value of teamwork, experimentation, consumer focus, market awareness and game-changing success," said Frank Bonafilia, Edison Awards' executive director. "It's exciting to see companies like Rawlings continuing Thomas Edison's legacy of challenging conventional thinking."

Approximately 200 MLB players elected to wear the Rawlings S100 Pro Comp last year before the league-wide rule went into effect, including National League™ batting champion Buster Posey of the World Series™ champion San Francisco Giants™.

The Rawlings S100 Pro Comp helmets are designed to withstand a 100 miles-per-hour ball impact through its aerospace-grade carbon fiber/epoxy resin construction.  The design creates a 300-percent stiffer and 130 times stronger shell than traditional ABS plastic helmets used in the baseball industry.

The increased protection does not sacrifice any performance qualities as the Rawlings S100 Pro Comp weighs approximately five ounces less and is almost 200 cubic inches smaller than the original S100, first introduced in 2009, and currently worn by all Minor League Baseball® players.  The similarities in weight and size to current Rawlings batting helmets allow for a seamless transition to the Rawlings S100 Pro Comp for all MLB players.

"With an increased focus on head protection by both consumers and manufacturers in all sports including baseball, Rawlings continues to take a stand of being an innovator in sporting goods technology" said Art Chou, senior vice president of product for St. Louis-based Rawlings. "The Rawlings S100 Pro Comp construction and design allow for the increased protective benefits to withstand a ball strike above the NOCSAE® standard of 68 miles per hour, while allowing the player to have a traditional size shell they are accustomed to wearing."

The ballot of nominees for the Edison Awards were judged by more than 3,000 senior business executives and academics from across the nation whose votes acknowledge the Finalists' success in meeting the award criteria of Concept, Value, Delivery and Impact. The panel includes members of the Marketing Executives Networking Group (MENG), the American Association Advertising Agencies (4As) the Chief Marketing Officer Council (CMO), the Design Management Institute (DMI), the American Productivity & Quality Center (APQC), the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and the Association of Technology Management & Applied Engineering (ATMAE). Other panelists include hundreds of past Edison Award winners, marketing professionals, scientists, designers, engineers and academics.

For more information on the 2013 Edison Awards, please visit www.edisonawards.com.

About Rawlings
Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, Inc. is an innovative manufacturer and marketer of sporting goods worldwide.  Founded in 1887, Rawlings is an authentic global sports brand, trusted by generations of athletes from the sandlot to the pros.  Rawlings' unparalleled quality and expert craftsmanship are the fundamental reasons why more athletes choose Rawlings, and why Rawlings is the Official Batting Helmet and Ball Supplier of Major League Baseball®, the official baseball of Minor League Baseball™ and the NCAA®, and the approved baseball, basketball, football and softball of the National High School Federation®.  For more information, please visit www.rawlings.com or by phone at (314) 819-2800.

About Jarden Corporation
Jarden Corporation is a leading provider of a diverse range of consumer products with a portfolio of over 100 trusted, quality brands sold globally. Jarden operates in three primary business segments through a number of well recognized brands, including: Outdoor Solutions: Abu Garcia®, Aero®, Berkley®, Campingaz® and Coleman®, ExOfficio®, Fenwick®, Gulp!®, K2®, Marker®, Marmot®, Mitchell®, Penn®, Rawlings®, Shakespeare®, Stearns®, Stren®, Trilene®, Völkl® and Zoot®; Consumer Solutions: Bionaire®, Breville®, Crock-Pot®, FoodSaver®, Health o meter®, Holmes®, Mr. Coffee®, Oster®, Patton®, Rival®, Seal-a-Meal®, Sunbeam®, VillaWare® and White Mountain®; and Branded Consumables: Ball®, Bee®, Bernardin®, Bicycle®, Billy Boy®, Crawford®, Diamond®, Dicon®, Fiona®, First Alert®, First Essentials®, Hoyle®, Kerr®, Lehigh®, Lifoam®, Lillo®, Loew Cornell®, Mapa®, NUK®, Pine Mountain®, Quickie®, Spontex® and Tigex®. Headquartered in Rye, N.Y., Jarden ranks #371 on the Fortune 500 and has over 25,000 employees worldwide. For in-depth information about Jarden, please visit www.jarden.com.

About Edison Awards
The Edison Awards is a program conducted by Edison Universe, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to fostering future innovators. The 2013 Edison Awards are sponsored by Nielsen, Discovery Communications, Science Channel, and USA Today. For more information about the Edison Awards, Edison Universe and a list of past winners, visit www.edisonawards.com.

SOURCE Rawlings