News
9/2/2010 12:00:00 AM
DOREL JUVENILE GROUP USA OPENS TECHNICAL CENTER FOR CHILD SAFETY
New State-of-the-Art Facility to Foster Innovation in Car Seat SafetyMontreal, QC and Columbus, IN, September 2, 2010 – Dorel Industries (TSX: DII.B, DII.A) today officially inaugurated the new Dorel Technical Center for Child Safety at the Dorel Juvenile Group (DJG) car seat manufacturing campus in Columbus, Indiana. The multi-million dollar facility will centralize all North American R&D and product development and will foster cutting-edge innovation in the design of car seats and other juvenile products.
“The new Technical Center encompasses everything necessary to conceive, build and test car seats in one ultra modern, state-of-the-art facility,” commented Dorel Juvenile Group USA President Dave Taylor. “This industry-leading Center will foster ground-breaking developments in child safety for years to come.”
The Dorel Technical Center for Child Safety features specialized research and design facilities, including computational engineering resources, environmental lab testing, three independent crash test sleds, and advanced side impact testing capabilities. The Technical Center is located adjacent to Dorel’s current one million square-foot manufacturing facility which can produce up to 20,000 car seats per day.
“As the largest manufacturer of car seats globally and a leader in many other juvenile product categories, we have a responsibility to design products with the highest standards of quality and safety. We take the trust that parents and caregivers place in Dorel and in our brands very seriously. This latest initiative is proof positive of that,” commented Dorel Industries President and Chief Executive Officer Martin Schwartz.
The grand opening of the Dorel Technical Center for Child Safety marks the first major initiative in the Company’s car seat product capital investment program and entails a total investment of US$21 million through 2013. This first phase involved an expenditure of US$3.6 million and has resulted in 26 new jobs at the new Technical Center. A total of 100 new positions will be created over the next four years in Columbus as a result of the capital investment program.
Several local and state government officials were on hand today for the opening ceremonies.
“By consolidating all of its high-tech product development work to Columbus, Dorel has made Indiana the foundation for the future of its car seat business. Today is further evidence that our business-friendly environment and focus on keeping taxes low yields new opportunities from global companies at the top of their respective industries,” said Mitch Roob, Indiana Secretary of Commerce and chief executive officer of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation.
Ninety percent of Dorel’s North American car seats and 50 percent of DJG USA’s total business are currently produced and distributed from the Columbus facility.
About Dorel Industries
Dorel Industries Inc. (TSX: DII.B, DII.A) is a world class juvenile products and bicycle company. Established in 1962, Dorel creates style and excitement in equal measure to safety, quality and value. The Company’s lifestyle leadership position is pronounced in both its Juvenile and Bicycle categories with an array of trend-setting products. Dorel’s powerfully branded products include Safety 1st, Quinny, Cosco, Maxi-Cosi and Bébé Confort in Juvenile, as well as Cannondale, Schwinn, GT, Mongoose, Iron Horse and SUGOI in Recreational/Leisure. Dorel’s Home Furnishings segment markets a wide assortment of furniture products, both domestically produced and imported. Dorel is a US$2 billion company with 4500 employees, facilities in nineteen countries, and sales worldwide.
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CONTACTS:
Dorel Corporate:
Rick Leckner
(514) 731-0000
rickl@maisonbrison.com
DJGUSA:
Caroline Pierce
617-585-5778
cpierce@360publicrelations.com
The information on this page was accurate at the time of posting.
