Vanerum acquires Weyel brand name and product line from Planmaster Lega BV

DIEST, 18 August 2000

Vanerum has announced today that the brand name of Weyel and the world-wide rights to that name for blackboards and also the product line have been taken over from Planmaster Lega, part of Edding AG, with immediate effect.

Vanerum's history is closely linked to that of the German company Weyel. Robert Van Erum began importing Weyel blackboards in 1968 and turned them into a strong brand in Benelux. For many years the Weyel product line was an important part of Vanerum's total range. It became less important in the first half of the nineties and a very successful changeover was achieved to its own systems designed and produced in-house. Vanerum even produced its own innovative system as an OEM product for Weyel in the period 1994-1996. When Weyel had problems in 1996, the company was split up and the rights and patents for the various product lines and for the "Weyel" brand name were sold separately. It was the Dutch company Lega, with a successful operation in the sale and distribution of visual communications systems for businesses, which bought the rights to blackboards and the brand name. After Lega in turn was taken over by Edding AG, the group strategy changed and Weyel was no longer part of its core business.
 
"Naturally we are very pleased with this acquisition", says Gert Van Erum "Blackboards represent a very important part of our turnover and because our present product line and the Weyel line are similar in appearance and quality, there was considerable confusion on the market. This agreement will create much clarity. We shall also have better access to the Dutch and German markets, which are two important export areas for us."
 
This agreement means that Vanerum will acquire the patents, rights to the name, machinery and customers. In all this represents a turnover of BEF 50 million. Both companies concerned have also declared their willingness to work together in future, in view of the amicable understanding in which this deal took place.
 
More information about Vanerum, LegaMaster and edding can be found on their respective websites: www.vanerum.be, www.legaMASTER.nl and www.edding.de
 
Contacts:
 
Vanerum, Gert Van Erum, (32)-13-35.52.65, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
 
LegaMASTER, A.C.P van der Nagel, (31)-573.257.433, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
 
Edding AG, Wolfgang Kloppenburg, (49)-4102.808.176, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.