The Cookware Company Announces Strategic Licensing Agreement For Cookware With Helen Of Troy Limited OXO Brand

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Jun 20, 2014, 06:00 ET

TARRYTOWN, N.Y., June 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The Cookware Company www.cookware-co.com, designer, developer and manufacturer of cookware products and renowned worldwide for introducing healthy ceramic non-stick to the market with GreenPan^TM, today announced that it entered a strategic licensing agreement with the OXO® brand of Helen of Troy Limited [NASDAQ: HELE]. OXO www.oxo.com is best known for its highly recognized, user-friendly consumer products based on Universal Design. The new relationship broadens The Cookware Company's platform for innovation and extends the OXO brand into a new strategic category.

In August 2014, The Cookware Company will bring to market three collections of high-quality cookware bearing the OXO Good Grips® brand name. The cookware adheres to the same product development philosophy that has made OXO one of the most well-respected brands in the housewares industry. The combination of the OXO design philosophy of Universal Design and attention to detail, along with The Cookware Company's premium materials, best-in-class PFOA-free coatings and advanced manufacturing and forging processes, will result in high-quality, long-lasting and comfortable cookware.

"We are very excited about this new relationship," said Wim De Veirman, CEO of The Cookware Company. "The Cookware Company is driven by leading edge design and is constantly developing innovative manufacturing technologies and using the latest materials, processes and coatings. Our arrangement with OXO opens up a wide range of opportunities, allowing us to apply our vast knowledge and experience in manufacturing and designing high-quality, original cookware to a dynamic and respected brand." The Cookware Company and OXO share a commitment to creating thoughtfully designed, functional products that last.

Alex Lee, President of OXO, said, "Cookware is a category OXO has considered seriously for some time. Ultimately we felt that a strategic licensing agreement with a company as innovative and experienced as The Cookware Company would be the best approach to bring our vision to market. The arrangement brings the core competencies of both companies together to create the best possible product and value for the consumer. We are very excited about this relationship and look forward to bringing thoughtful and meaningful products to a category as essential to any kitchen as cookware."

About The Cookware Company
The Cookware Company www.cookware-co.com is a global cookware manufacturer with worldwide brand presence. Starting in Belgium in 2007 with their original brand, GreenPan^TM, The Cookware Company was the first to introduce ceramic non-stick cookware into the market. Since the birth of GreenPan^TM, The Cookware Company has introduced numerous sister brands, such as Green+Life, Vita+Verde, Michel Roux and signed a license with Homer Laughlin China Co., creating Fiesta cookware. Celebrities have endorsed The Cookware Company's different brands and have helped spread the word about Thermolon^TM ceramic non-stick technology. Today, GreenPan^TM and The Cookware Company's other brands can be found in retail, department, hardware, grocery, mass market and specialty stores as well as on television shopping channels and retail websites in over 90 countries around the world. The Cookware Company continues to be known as the house of innovation, launching new cookware concepts on a regular basis.

About Helen of Troy Limited
Helen of Troy Limited (NASDAQ, NM: HELE) is a leading global consumer products company offering creative solutions for its customers through a strong portfolio of well-recognized and widely-trusted brands, including: Housewares: OXO®, Good Grips®, Soft Works®, OXO tot® and OXO Steel®; Healthcare/Home Environment: Vicks®, Braun®, Honeywell®, PUR®, Febreze®, Stinger®, Duracraft® and SoftHeat®; and Personal Care: Revlon®, Vidal Sassoon®, Dr. Scholl's®, Pro Beauty Tools®, Sure®, Pert®, Infusium23®, Brut®, Ammens®, Hot Tools®, Bed Head®, Karina®, Ogilvie® and Gold 'N Hot®. The Honeywell® trademark is used under license from Honeywell International Inc. The Vicks®, Braun®, Febreze® and Vidal Sassoon® trademarks are used under license from The Procter & Gamble Company. The Revlon® trademark is used under license from Revlon Consumer Products Corporation. The Bed Head® trademark is used under license from Unilever PLC. The Dr. Scholl's® trademark is used under license from MSD Consumer Care, Inc.

About OXO
Founded in 1990 on the concept of Universal Design, OXO's www.oxo.com mission is to create consumer household products that ease the tasks of everyday life for the widest range of users possible. Since the original 15 items were introduced, the OXO collection has grown to more than 800 strong, covering areas for cooking, cleaning, gardening, storing, organizing and baby. Today OXO Good Grips products are sold in 78 countries and are included in the permanent collections of numerous museums. The company has won more than 100 design and business awards worldwide. OXO is very frequently used as a case study on how a well-executed Universal Design philosophy can be a successful business strategy.

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