CHICAGO— United Solutions will highlight new Rubbermaid consumer storage totes at the 2017 International Home + Housewares Show next month as part of a definitive agreement to purchase the business from Newell Brands. The deal is expected to close in the near future.
This acquisition would expand United Solutions’ relationship with the Rubbermaid brand. In 2009, United Solutions acquired the Rubbermaid blow molded refuse can business.
“By successfully marketing both the Rubbermaid and United Solutions’ lines together, we are a full line supplier of trash cans, making us a leading player in the consumer refuse can business in the U.S.,” said Fred Beauregard, vp/sales and marketing, United Solutions.
United’s vision, he added, is to “produce and sell a quality product line, made in the USA, that represents the best value and solutions for the way consumers live.”
“United Solutions enthusiastically looks forward to expand the Rubbermaid brand and product line as part of our product portfolio,” he said.
The parties will also enter into a five-year licensing agreement for use of certain Rubbermaid names, including Roughneck, Clever Store, All Access, Action Packer and Bento.
According to Newell Brands, the Rubbermaid consumer storage business represents approximately $70 million in annual sales, and the brand carries over 96% brand awareness in the consumer storage category. For Newell, the sale is part of an ongoing effort to simplify and strengthen its portfolio.
Beauregard called the Rubbermaid consumer storages totes product line a natural extension of United Solutions’ current product assortment for home and office. United’s other home and office products include indoor and outdoor trash cans, laundry, sinkware, tabletop, storage and organization, office, paint and other housewares products. As United’s assortment had lacked a line of totes and clears, he added that the addition will not only help the company build upon its product offering, but will also fill a large void in its product line.
“As we approach our 100th anniversary in 2019, we feel that the synergy of developing creative, new products for the home and office under the United Solutions brand, as well as building the Rubbermaid consumer totes storage business going forward, will assure that we enter the next century as a leader in developing durable solutions for every day home use,” said Beauregard.
“We will be working with our retail partners to maximize shipments from three strategic ship points, increase support for key promotional periods each year, develop trend-forward color options, and offer more competitive programs going forward. We will also be aggressively looking at new product offerings for both lines,” he said.
