Posted January 17, 2011
DeWalt, Empire Level to end private label deal
DeWalt and Empire Level Mfg. Corp. announced that the two companies will end their partnership on the private label line of professional box levels.
Empire Level licensed, designed and manufactured the levels under the DeWalt brand in 2010.
The companies launched the DeWalt levels in retailers nationwide in Feb. 2010 after many months of development, and the products enjoyed strong sales success, according to a press statement. However, the acquisition of DeWalt by Stanley Works in 2010, created an "undesirable competitive situation, and both parties felt the best action moving forward was to end the partnership."
"We're disappointed that this agreement didn't work out as planned, but we certainly understand that a partner who becomes a direct competitor through acquisition is an untenable situation, and we're pleased that an amicable resolution has been reached," said Jenni Becker, president of Empire Level Mfg. Corp.
"Though we enjoyed working with Empire Level, we're pleased that we were able to come to an agreement to exit our partnership, which pre-existed the acquisition and was no longer appropriate for either brand," said Jennifer Ervin, director of New Business Development, DeWalt. "Empire Level has been a great partner and we wish them well."
The Stanley Black & Decker merger was completed in March 2010.
