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Best Lock Group Ltd. Is Pleased to Announce Its Merger with COBI
NUREMBERG, Germany--(CCNMatthews - Feb 2, 2006) -
Toy Makers Expand Manufacturing and Distribution of Compatible Building Blocks
Throughout Europe and North America
Best Lock Group LTD and COBI today announced their merger, which enables the
companies to better serve markets throughout Europe and North America. The two
privately owned toy manufacturers will have enhanced product offerings
solidifying market share in a highly competitive global toy market.
“Best-Lock is delighted to have manufacturing capacity in Europe,” says
Best-Lock’s CEO Torsten Geller. “Centrally located, newer facilities mean we can
get our popular toys to the marketplace even quicker.” Best-Lock’s acquisition
of a portion of COBI enables an expanded product range for both companies’ toy
offerings as well as increased global awareness of the brands.
“We’re good corporate fits. Together we can focus on challenging the retail
shelf space of our two major competitors in a more efficient and effective
manner,” says Best-Lock Director of Global Sales Stephen Minsk. “Now we will be
able to better compete with LEGO and MegaBlok as Best-Lock has been in the
number 3 position and COBI in the number 4 position.”
Best-Lock, with offices in North America, Europe and Asia, will shift much of
its manufacturing to COBI’s facilities in Poland. Additionally, Best-Lock and
COBI have begun construction of expanded manufacturing facilities, permitting
better delivery of product in Germany - the second-largest construction-toy
market in the world - and other major markets throughout Europe. Future
manufacturing facilities in several other markets are planned to enhance
Best-Lock’s distribution in North America.
COBI and Best-Lock will co-brand their products in the future. COBI has strong
distribution in Central and Eastern Europe, while Best-Lock has strong
distribution in Western Europe and North America.
Best-Lock continues to pursue a fair marketplace, having initiated and
succeeded in several recent legal cases with LEGO® involving patent and
trademark monopolies in Germany. Its merger with COBI supports fair trade
opportunities within the toy industry.
About Best-Lock: Best Lock is a privately owned company founded in 1997. It
currently sells products in 42 countries and has offices in the United States,
Canada, England, Germany and Hong Kong. Over the next three years, the company
aims to capture 10 percent market share of the nearly $1 billion-plus
construction toy market. In line with today’s hottest toy trends, Best-Lock’s
products are both popular and value priced encouraging active, imaginative play.
Best-Lock’s offerings of themes include an extensive line of military products,
license agreements with HUMMER® and Humvee®, as well as sets with the very
popular pirate theme and a new soccer-themed set - just in time for the World
Cup in Germany during summer 2006. The products are widely available at mass,
specialty and discount retailers, plus on numerous Web sites.
About COBI Group Companies: COBI is a privately owned company established in
1987 in Warsaw, Poland. By the mid 1990s, COBI concentrated on plastic
building-block production under the COBI trademark and has created many popular
block lines, including Small Army, Galactic Wars, Action Town, Bobbi among
others. With rapid development of international business in Central and Eastern
Europe, COBI is a leader in the Polish toy market and one of the country’s
biggest branded-toy importers.
Marc Nelson Jr.
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Message has 2 Replies:
 | | Re: Best-Lock and COBI to merge
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| (...) Wow! That's big news, and a little surprising. Within the past week or so I've wondered aloud how Best-Lock stays afloat and why Cobi has never tried to crack the North American market. This move would render the question, er, mute... 8^) (...) (19 years ago, 3-Feb-06, to lugnet.off-topic.clone-brands, FTX)
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