Leading Sponge Maker Armaly Brands Acquires Brillo(R)

WALLED LAKE, Mich., March 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Armaly Brands, the nation's leading manufacturer and marketer of polyester-based sponges including proprietary Estracell® More Sanitary technology, today announced it has acquired the Brillo® brand and assets from Church & Dwight Co., Inc. (NYSE: CHD)  Brillo, the original steel wool soap pad, is among the world's best-known household brands, with distribution in stores nationwide and many other countries around the world.  Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

Armaly said it plans to invest in product development and marketing for Brillo, expanding North American and global distribution.

"Brillo invented the steel wool cleaning pad and remains one of America's most recognizable brands," said John Armaly Jr, president of Armaly Brands.  "The strength of the Brillo brand, coupled with its broad and complementary retail distribution, make it a great addition to our sponge products.  Like our innovation leadership with Estracell, AutoShow and Armaly ProPlus brands, Brillo has technology that is preferred by consumers, and we look forward to expanding the product line and also leveraging this great brand to offer a broader suite of cleaning products to our consumers through our retail partners."

Brillo® has been one of the most trusted names in household cleaning for more than 97 years and is one of America's most recognizable brands, featured in modern art, songs, movies – and of course, households nationwide.

Armaly products are the choice of more than two thirds of consumer and professional buyers who prefer polyester sponges.  The company's products are recognized for offering a host of benefits, including better cleaning and wiping, faster rinsing and higher durability than standard cellulose-based products.  Armaly's Estracell brand offers a More Sanitary line of sponge products and offers a range of simple yet effective cleaning solutions to pick up dirt and rinse it away.  Independent test results demonstrate that bacteria will not feed and survive on the sponge fibers of the Estracell material…naturally!  The unique cell structure rinses cleaner and dries out faster eliminating the perfect breeding condition for bacteria and fungal growth. These qualities make Estracell MORE SANITARY!

Sawaya Segalas & Co., LLC(1), a leading consumer investment banking firm, acted as exclusive financial adviser to Church & Dwight Co., Inc. in connection with the transaction.

About Armaly Brands Company:

Headquartered in Walled Lake, Mich., Armaly Brands (www.armalybrands.com) is the nation's leading manufacturer and marketer of Estracell® and polyester-based sponges.  Armaly has a long history of innovation in sponge technology, including the introduction of Armaly ProPlus® polyester sponges and Estracell® More Sanitary sponges in the 60s and America's #1 selling driveway wash sponge AutoShow brand SoftGrip® in the 90's.  Founded in 1908 in the Bahamas as a worldwide producer of natural sponges, Armaly has been an innovation leader and maintained its reputation as one of the world's leading manufacturers and marketers of consumer and commercial-grade sponge and cleaning products.

(1)  Securities offered through Sawaya Segalas Securities, LLC.

SOURCE Armaly Brands Company