SOLON, Ohio (August 23, 2006) More than 350 registered bidders participated – over 200 in person and more than 150 online -- in an auction held August 23 by StopolAuctions L.L.C. to sell plastics manufacturing equipment from discontinuing injection molding and blow molding operations at Little Tikes Co.’s Hudson, Ohio, plant.
Solon, Ohio-based Stopol Auctions is the leader in hosting and managing plastics industry auctions
Held at Little Tikes’ Hudson headquarters, the auction featured a variety of injection molding equipment from some of the top brands in plastics processing, including Cincinnati Milacron, Farrel and Van Dorn. The event – which was web cast on www.stopol.com , so that bidders from all over the world could participate using their PCs -- also included an array of toolroom and office equipment and accessories. Total proceeds from the auction were not disclosed.
Little Tikes, which employs more than 875 people at the facility, recently consolidated operations, leaving the Hudson company with some surplus equipment. The company -- which is owned by Newell Rubbermaid, Inc. -- uses the injection molding and blowmolding machinery to produce smaller parts for some of its larger toys, including playhouses, kitchens and cars
Both the live and online participation in this auction indicates just what a great opportunity this was for injection molders and blow molders to increase their capacity and technical capabilities,” said Stopol CEO Neil Kruschke Jr. “When a larger corporate entity consolidates operations, it gives the small and medium-sized companies a chance to acquire highly desired equipment at cost-effective prices. It also helps them capture more marketshare.”
About Stopol, Inc.
Headquartered in Solon, Ohio, Stopol is the plastics industry leader in providing solutions for processors’ production needs through its five lines of business -- Equipment Sales, Auctions, Liquidations, Appraisals and Business Services (merger and acquisition consulting). With the industry’s largest diverse inventory of equipment, Stopol allows manufacturers to add capacity and capabilities quickly and cost effectively. As the industry’s premier provider of auction and liquidation services, Stopol further enhanced its reputation as an industry innovator in 2004 when it created StopolAuctions L.L.C. and launched an interactive auction Web portal that allows a global audience to buy and sell new and used plastics equipment and other assets using their PCs. In addition, monthly contact with 30,000 customers and 17 years of purchasing data provide Stopol with unparalleled market intelligence that we leverage to our customers’ advantage.
About Little Tikes
The Little Tikes Company, founded in 1970, is a Hudson, Ohio-based multi-national manufacturer and marketer of high-quality, innovative children’s products. The world’s largest rotational molder and a Newell Rubbermaid company (NYSE: NWL), Little Tikes employs more than 1,000 associates around the world. For more information, visit www.littletikes.com.
Newell Rubbermaid Inc. is a global marketer of consumer and commercial products with 2003 sales of $7 billion and a powerful brand family including Sharpie, Parker, Waterman, Rubbermaid, Calphalon, Little Tikes, Graco, Levolor, VISE-GRIP, BernzOmatic, IRWIN and LENOX. The company, headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., employs approximately 40,000 people worldwide.