Spectrum Brands Announces Price Increases Across A Range of Consumer Products
ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 5, 2005--Spectrum Brands, Inc. (NYSE:SPC), a global consumer products company with a diverse portfolio of world-class brands, announced today a price increase in the U.S. market across a range of its products, reflecting unprecedented and sustained cost increases in a number of commodity raw materials and in fuel costs.
Raw material prices have increased dramatically during the past two years, particularly in the areas of urea, zinc and fuel and transportation costs. Since 2002 natural gas used in the manufacture of fertilizer has increased by more than 300 percent, oil for resins and transportation has surged by 130 percent, and zinc used in manufacturing batteries has gone up by 75 percent. "Strong global demand for these raw materials has outpaced production capacity increases over this period, so our expectations are that these costs will remain high for the foreseeable future," said Spectrum Brands Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Dave Jones. "Our forecasts for 2006 indicate that aggressive plans for continuous improvements in productivity and sourcing will not be sufficient to offset elevated cost levels. Therefore, we believe announcing price increases now to be both reasonable and warranted."
According to Jones, price increases for fertilizer products, where the costs for natural gas for urea and other commodities are particularly impactful, will range from 10 to 12 percent. In addition, price increases will be implemented in other selected categories where costs have gone up, including hearing aid batteries, growing media and others. Alkaline and heavy duty battery prices are not impacted by the announcement. All price increases will be effective January 1, 2006.
About Spectrum Brands, Inc.
Spectrum Brands (formerly Rayovac Corporation) is a global consumer products company and a leading supplier of batteries, lawn and garden care products, specialty pet supplies, shaving and grooming products, household insecticides, personal care products and portable lighting. Spectrum Brands' products are sold by the world's top 25 retailers and are available in more than one million stores in 120 countries around the world. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Spectrum Brands generates approximately $2.7 billion in annualized revenues and has approximately 10,000 employees worldwide. The company's stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol SPC.
CONTACT: Spectrum Brands, Inc. Investor Relations Nancy O'Donnell, 770/829-6208 or Media Contact Ketchum for Spectrum Brands Dave Doolittle, 404/879-9266 SOURCE: Spectrum Brands, Inc.