GREENWICH, Conn., Feb. 18, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- Blyth, Inc. (NYSE:BTH), a leader in the home fragrance and giftware industries, today announced that a new brand name and identity has been introduced by its Midwest of Cannon Falls business unit. Simultaneously, the business unit is simplifying and changing its name from Midwest of Cannon Falls to Midwest.
Midwest, a leading wholesale designer and distributor of holiday and seasonal home accents, has introduced the Seasons of Cannon Falls(tm) brand as part of a long-term strategy to build customer and consumer relationships and loyalty. The new brand is uniquely positioned in the industry, and its identity will be applied to all products, packaging, displays and communication. Branded gift boxes, gift bags, ribbon and package seal will also be available to retailers.
"Our new Seasons of Cannon Falls(tm) brand name tells the story of our seasonal approach, reflects our small-town values and traditions and resonates with both consumers and our family of retail partners," says Kathy Brekken, Midwest President. "Our research and conversations with consumers and retailers about our new brand has been overwhelmingly positive. While the brand name provides a well-defined label, look and emotional connection, the heart of our company -- our products, service, employees and relationships with our retail partners -- will remain the same."
John Dammermann, Vice President of Blyth's Creative Expressions division, commented, "Since being acquired by Blyth in April, 2001, Midwest's management team has continued to grow their business while focusing on the opportunity to build their brand in the marketplace. Focus groups helped identify consumers' need and desire for brands that offer inspiration, friendship, honesty and traditional values, all of which are reflected in the Seasons of Cannon Falls(tm) brand. This new identity has received an enthusiastic response from our retail partners since management introduced it in December."
Midwest will renovate a historic Cannon Falls house to be a holiday and seasonal idea home, offering a home context in which to showcase the new brand and honor the history of Midwest's community. Originally built in 1868, the house will showcase Seasons of Cannon Falls(tm) brand collections and ideas for seasonal decorating in a warm and personal environment. Located next to the corporate office in Cannon Falls, Minnesota, the brand home will be refreshed with new decor and design ideas inside and out at the turn of each season. Renovations will be completed later this year.
Blyth, Inc. may be found on the Internet at www.blythinc.com. Midwest may be found at www.midwestofcannonfalls.com.
Blyth, Inc., headquartered in Greenwich, CT, USA, designs, manufactures and markets an extensive line of candles and home fragrance products including scented candles, potpourri and other fragranced products, as well as tabletop illumination products and portable heating fuel, and markets a broad range of related candle accessories. Its products are sold direct to the consumer under the PartyLite(r) brand, to retailers in the premium and specialty retail channels under the Colonial Candle of Cape Cod(r), Colonial at HOME(r), Kate's(tm) and Carolina(r) brands, in the mass retail channel under the Florasense(r), Ambria(r) and FilterMate(r) brands and to the Foodservice industry under the Sterno(r), Ambria(r) and HandyFuel(r) brand names. In Europe, its products are also sold under the Colonial, Gies, Ambria and Carolina brands. Blyth also markets a broad range of Creative Expressions products, including home decor and giftware products under the CBK(tm) brand, seasonal products under the Seasons of Cannon Falls(tm) and JMC Impact(tm) brands, and paper-related products under the Jeanmarie(r) brand.
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance and underlying assumptions and other statements that are other than statements of historical facts. Actual results could differ materially due to various factors, including the current slowing of the United States economy as a whole and the continuing weakness of the retail environment, the effects of our restructuring, the risk that we will be unable to maintain the Company's historic growth rate, the Company's ability to respond appropriately to changes in product demand, the risks (including foreign currency fluctuations, economic and political instability, transportation delays, difficulty in maintaining quality control, trade and foreign tax laws and others) associated with international sales and foreign products, risks associated with our ability to recruit new independent sales consultants, our dependence on key management personnel, risks associated with the sourcing of raw materials for our products, competition in terms of price and new product introductions, and other factors described in this press release, in the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended October 31, 2002 and in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended January 31, 2002.