Dorel Announces New Ameriwood President

Furniture World News

Dorel Industries Inc. announced a change in the top management position at Ameriwood Industries. Former Ameriwood Industries President, Rick Jackson, will replace Greg Carlson who has left the organization for personal reasons. The appointment will take effect December 4th, 2006. Rick spent ten years with Dorel through the 1990's, initially as President of ready-to-assemble furniture manufacturer Charleswood Industries and later as head of the merged Charleswood/Ameriwood organizations. Rick was President of Charleswood when it was acquired by Dorel in 1990. He left in 2000 to pursue opportunities in another line of business. "We are delighted to welcome Rick back," stated Dorel President and CEO, Martin Schwartz. "Rick fully understands both our business and our culture. He helped establish Charleswood and Ameriwood as profitable business units and has an extremely strong background in administration and cost controls. We are confident that Rick's learning curve will be a rapid one and that, under his guidance, improvements that have already started will be sped up." Profile: Dorel Industries (TSX: DII.A, DII.B; NASDAQ: DIIB) is a global consumer products company engaged in the designing, manufacturing and marketing of a diverse portfolio of powerful consumer brands, sold through its Juvenile, Home Furnishings, and Recreational/Leisure segments. Headquartered in Montreal, Dorel employs approximately 4,500 people in 14 countries. Dorel also has eight offices in China, headquartered in Shanghai, which oversee the sourcing, engineering and logistics of the Company's Asian supplier chain. 2005 sales were US$1.8 billion. US operations include Dorel Juvenile Group USA, which markets the Cosco and Safety 1st brands as well Eddie Bauer and Disney Baby licensed products; Ameriwood Industries, which markets ready-to-assemble furniture products under the Ameriwood, Carina, SystemBuild, Altra Furniture and Ridgewood brands as well as the California Closets license; Cosco Home & Office, which markets home/office products under the Cosco brand and Samsonite license as well as home healthcare products under the Cosco Ability Essentials and Adepta brands; and Pacific Cycle, which markets the Schwinn, Mongoose, GT, InSTEP, Playsafe and Roadmaster brands. In Canada, Dorel operates Dorel Distribution Canada, Ridgewood Industries and Dorel Home Products. Dorel Europe markets juvenile products throughout Europe, under the Bebe Confort, Maxi-Cosi, Quinny, Safety 1st, Babideal, Mon Bebe and Baby Relax brands. Dorel Asia sources and imports home furnishings products.