Sears Holdings Reaches Agreement With Dorcy International to Sell DieHard® Brand Products

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., June 2, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Sears Holdings has reached a license agreement with Dorcy International, which will allow Dorcy to sell DieHard-branded alkaline/rechargeable batteries and flashlights to retailers in the U.S., Puerto Rico and the Caribbean.

"We are pleased to make it easier for customers to have access to our products by entering into a relationship with Dorcy," said Scott Freidheim, executive vice president at Sears Holdings and president of Kenmore, Craftsman and DieHard. "This is a thoughtful way for us to leverage our brands, while ensuring that we deliver product that meets DieHard's demanding standards. Through this license agreement, we look forward to expanding the reach of the DieHard brand and the availability of DieHard products through retail channels."

The DieHard products to be sold as part of the agreement include AA, AAA, C, D, 9V alkaline and rechargeable batteries. In a 2011 Battery Brand Tracker Survey of consumers, DieHard automotive battery products were selected #1 by an overwhelming margin as "lasting a long time" and "performing well in extreme conditions." And, among all battery brands, DieHard led in consideration by shoppers, achieving scores that were twice that of its next leading competitor.  

"The DieHard name is number one in consumers' minds when it comes to the automotive battery industry, and, we feel that consumers will trust in the power and performance that DieHard alkaline batteries offer for their electronic devices," said Tom Beckett, CEO of Dorcy International.

DieHard has a home on the Web at DieHard.com and a mobile companion at mobile.diehard.com. The sites include a help center, an auto battery selector, maintenance guide, and a series of popular videos documenting DieHard's performance inside the DieHard Torture Labs.

About Sears Holdings Corporation

Sears Holdings Corporation is the nation's fourth largest broadline retailer with over 4,000 full-line and specialty retail stores in the United States and Canada.  Sears Holdings is the leading home appliance retailer as well as a leader in tools, lawn and garden, consumer electronics and automotive repair and maintenance.  Sears Holdings is the 2011 ENERGY STAR® Retail Partner of the Year.  Key proprietary brands include Kenmore, Craftsman and DieHard, and a broad apparel offering, including such well-known labels as Lands' End, Jaclyn Smith and Joe Boxer, as well as the Apostrophe and Covington brands.  It also has the Country Living collection, which is offered by Sears and Kmart.  We are the nation's largest provider of home services, with more than 11 million service calls made annually.  Sears Holdings Corporation operates through its subsidiaries, including Sears, Roebuck and Co. and Kmart Corporation.  For more information, visit Sears Holdings' website at www.searsholdings.com.

About the DieHard brand

Introduced in 1967, Sears designed the DieHard automotive battery to produce 35 percent more usable starting power than other similar batteries. Featuring a revolutionary tough, thin-walled case of translucent polypropylene plastic, which was 50 percent thinner than conventional black rubber-type battery enclosures, the design's extra room meant bigger plates, more acid and extra starting power. Most recently, The DieHard Platinum Auto battery was rated #1 by a leading consumer resource for the 5th consecutive year and starts the most powerful race cars in the world as "Official Battery of the NHRA".

About Dorcy International

A Privately held company, headquartered in Columbus, OH., DORCY has marketed Flashlight products and batteries for over 55 years and is proud to be business partners with many of the world's largest retailers.  DORCY is a global enterprise with sales and marketing offices in Basel, Brisbane, Sydney, Hong Kong, Toronto, and is headquartered in Columbus Ohio.  Dorcy's Competitive Advantages Include: In house design and engineering capability, the widest range of Lighting Products available, speed to market with evolving Market demands – LED, Fashion Trends, Materials and technology. With a complete complimentary Flashlight and Battery Program DORCY has the strongest promotions in the industry. http://www.Dorcy.com.

SOURCE Sears Holdings Corporation