Content about Newell Rubbermaid

Newell Rubbermaid has announced its intention to sell its Hardware and Teach Platform businesses -- the Bulldog, Shurline, Ashland and Amerock brands, the drapery hardware business, and Mimio.

“These are good businesses run by talented people but they do not fit with our strategy,” said CEO Michael Polk. 

In 2012, the Hardware and Teach Platform represented net sales of more than $300 million. Newell’s Irwin Tools brand is not part of the group up for sale.

Newell Rubbermaid says it will create a state-of-the-art Design Center to accelerate growth through enhanced capabilities in design and innovation.

The new center of excellence is expected to open by early 2014 in Kalamazoo, Mich., an area rich in talented designers, the company said.  

Newell Rubbermaid announced it will reaffirm its fiscal year 2013 outlook, as provided in its fourth quarter 2012 earnings press release dated Feb.1, 2013, during its presentation Thursday at the Consumer Analyst Group of New York (CAGNY) conference.

The company’s guidance and key assumptions for the full year 2013 are as follows: 

Andrea Freeman, the former VP marketing and brand management at Newell Rubbermaid, has joined Aaron’s, the rent-to-own retailer, as VP marketing. Freeman will report directly to Aaron’s chairman, president and CEO Ronald Allen and be responsible for marketing strategy and implementation, marketing communications, research and planning, business development, and coordination with sales and other business partners on strategic initiatives.

Newell Rubbermaid, the Atlanta-based company that recently reorganized its myriad brands into six business units, down from nine, gave investors insights into how those units have performed.

The six business units in the streamlined structure are home solutions, writing, tools, commercial products, baby and parenting, and specialty.

The average price for a gallon of gas continued to decline last week -- down to $3.55. Beacon Roofing Supply and Newell Rubbermaid pace the stocks on the Home Channel Stock Roundup.

Newell Rubbermaid, a marketer of consumer and commercial products, has announced the introduction of Rubbermaid Bathroom Scrubbers and the Rubbermaid Clean & Dry Plunger.

Newell Rubbermaid named to its board of directors Ignacio Perez Lizaur, a former Wal-Mart Stores executive. 

Lizaur led Wal-Mart’s first international venture when he worked as director of Sam’s Club Mexico in 1991.

Newell Rubbermaid’s net sales declined 1.9% to $1.52 billion in the second quarter ended June 30. Net income declined 23.8% to $111.8 million. But those declines didn’t prevent CEO Michael Polk from looking at the bright side and pointing to momentum.

Core sales, which exclude the impact of changes in foreign currency translation, grew by 0.4%. And net sales for the first six months were $2.85 billion, up 1.0 % from the first-half results last year.

Irwin, a division of Newell Rubbermaid, has introduced a new line of woodworking saw blades in the Marples series.

Made in Italy in Irwin’s new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, the new Irwin Marples Woodworking Series saw blades are crafted for precision and accuracy, according to the manufacturer.

Atlanta-based Newell-Rubbermaid posted a sales increase of 4.6% to $1.33 billion for the quarter. Net income was reported of $79.3 million, up from $75.7 million in the first quarter last year.

“We’re encouraged by the solid start to the year,” said Michael Polk, president and CEO. “We generated 5.2% core sales growth, normalized operating margin expansion, and nearly 14% normalized EPS improvement.” 

Irwin Tools, the division of Newell Rubbermaid, has developed the new 2500 Series of levels featuring a new frame design that the company says stands up to twisting, dropping and general jobsite abuse.

Irwin guarantee’s vial accuracy for the life of the product.