DGAP-News: Leifheit AG: Leifheit AG and Dr. Oetker end their licensing agreement (english)

Leifheit AG: Leifheit AG and Dr. Oetker end their licensing agreementDGAP-News: Leifheit AG / Key word(s): Strategic Company DecisionLeifheit AG: Leifheit AG and Dr. Oetker end their licensing agreement14.11.2012 / 17:47———————————————————————Leifheit AG and Dr. Oetker end their licensing agreement – Focus on the brands Leifheit and Soehnle – Reduction of complex product rangeNassau, 14 November 2012 – Leifheit AG agreed today with Dr. August OetkerNahrungsmittel KG by mutual agreement to end the long-term licensingagreement for the production and sale of Dr. Oetker Bakeware. The licensingagreement will end on 31 December 2012. With this decision the LeifheitGroup is taking a further strategic step towards a greater emphasis on itscore business with the two umbrella brands Leifheit and Soehnle. On 1January 2013 the licensing agreement that has existed between Leifheit andDr. Oetker since 1988 will be transferred to Zenker Backformen GmbH & Co.KG – a company belonging to the Fackelmann Group. The lead time involvedhere and the detailed organisational preparations guarantee that the supplyof Dr. Oetker Bakeware to customers will not be affected in any way.In the future Leifheit will concentrate more on the implementation of itsumbrella brand strategy for the brands Leifheit and Soehnle in the BrandBusiness division, in which the brands Leifheit, Soehnle and Dr. OetkerBakeware were previously united. Sales, marketing and development werejoined together for the two brands. The aim of the strategy is to givegreater prominence to the Leifheit brand with its categories ‘Cleaning’,’Laundry Care’ and ‘Kitchen’ and also to position the Soehnle brand as anattractive, modern wellness brand.’By dropping the Dr. Oetker Bakeware brand we are streamlining ourcurrently complex product portfolio and in the future we will use ourresources to market our two umbrella brands Leifheit and Soehnle’, explainsGeorg Thaller, chairman of the board at Leifheit AG.With its product part Dr. Oetker Bakeware in the trading year 2011 Leifheitachieved a turnover of EUR 6.3 million, of which just under 50 per cent inGermany.Zenker takes over licensing agreementAs a result of the end of the licensing agreement for the Europe-wide saleof Dr. Oetker Bakeware, on 31 December 2012 Leifheit AG will transfer toZenker all stock intended for sale under the Dr. Oetker brand, togetherwith marketing and sales tools and customer lists and all necessary toolsand documents for the production of Dr. Oetker Products.About LeifheitFormed in 1959, Leifheit AG is one of the leading European suppliers ofbranded household items. The Company is a byword for high qualityinnovative products with high consumer benefit and pioneering design in thecore areas of Cleaning, Laundry care, Kitchen and Wellbeing. Leifheit, DrOetker Bakeware and Soehnle are among the best-known German brands. Besidesits Brand Business segment, Leifheit AG is active in the service-orientedVolume Business segment through its French subsidiaries Birambeau andHerby. With its international branches, the Leifheit Group has around 1,000employees.Contact:Leifheit AGD-56377 +49 2604 977218End of Corporate News———————————————————————14.11.2012 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP – acompany of EquityStory AG.The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.DGAP’s Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements,Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases.Media archive at www.dgap-medientreff.de and www.dgap.de———————————————————————Language: English Company: Leifheit AG Leifheitstraße 56377 Nassau Germany Phone: 02604 977-0 Fax: 02604 977-340 E-mail: Internet: www.leifheit.com ISIN: DE0006464506 WKN: 646450 Listed: Regulierter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Freiverkehr in Berlin, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Hannover, München, Stuttgart End of News DGAP News-Service ——————————————————————— 193278 14.11.2012Weitere Informationen: www.dpa-AFX.de