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Easton-Bell Sports Fact Sheets

Easton-Bell Sports

Easton-Bell Sports, Inc. is a leading designer, developer and marketer of branded sports equipment, protective products and related accessories. The company markets and licenses products under such well-known brands as Easton, Bell, Giro, Riddell, and Blackburn. Easton-Bell Sports’ products incorporate leading technology and designs and are used by professional athletes and enthusiasts alike. Headquartered in Van Nuys, Calif., the company has 32 facilities worldwide. More information is available at www.eastonbellsports.com.

Easton

With nearly 90 years in the sporting goods industry, Easton Sports has established itself as one of the world’s preeminent innovators, designers and manufacturers of sporting equipment.  Easton’s storied tradition began in 1922 when the company began developing archery equipment.

Since then it has revolutionized the sporting goods industry with the introduction of the first aluminum baseball bat, first high-performance one-piece composite hockey stick, and first two-piece composite baseball bat.  In 2010 Easton Lacrosse was launched, transforming the sporting goods industry once again.

Bell

It’s no coincidence that Bell is both the first name in speed and the first name in helmets.  Born in the 1950s California hot rod and racing scene, Bell founder Roy Richter built an entire industry anticipating the unmet needs of those with a speed-hungry disposition.  People wanted to drive fast… he corralled all the go-fast parts he could find into the world’s first speed shop.  They wanted to race … he built them race cars.  And when the need-for-speed started to reveal some grim realities, Roy did something about that too, and Bell Helmets was born.

Whether for auto racing, motorcycling or bicycling, Bell is synonymous with instilling confidence and enabling awesomeness.  Established 1954, proven ever since.

Riddell

Founded in 1929, Riddell is a premier designer and developer of protective sports equipment and a recognized leader in helmet technology and innovation. One of Easton-Bell Sports Inc.’s most well-known brands and the Official Helmet of the NFL®, Riddell is the leading manufacturer of football helmets, shoulder pads and reconditioning services (cleaning, repairing, repainting and recertifying existing equipment).

Riddell equipment is now seen on football fields from coast-to-coast, protecting every level of player—from youth athletes to NFL professionals.

Giro

In 1985, industrial designer and rider Jim Gentes had a big idea.  And from a tiny garage nestled between the beaches of Santa Cruz and the pioneering spirit of Silicon Valley, Jim and some close friends shaped that idea into an innovation and a company that enabled riders to break free of conventional thinking.

To this day, everything we do at Giro is designed to enhance the connection between riders and the Ride.  We do this because we believe that riding is one of the best parts of living.  Whether you ride on snow or dirt, on pavement or rock-strewn trail, across town or out of bounds; the Ride is a way to cut loose and experience the power of freedom.

Easton-Bell Sports plans new distribution center in Rantoul, IL

June 26, 2012; (Rantoul, IL) — Easton-Bell Sports, Inc. – a leading designer, developer and marketer of innovative sports equipment and accessories under the Easton, Bell, Riddell and Giro brands – today announced plans to build a modern new distribution, assembly and shared services center in Rantoul, Illinois. The new center would be home to the company’s current 300 team members and serve as one of the company’s primary North American sites for assembling, distributing and servicing products from its market-leading sports brand portfolio.

Easton-Bell Sports currently operates multiple manufacturing and distribution facilities in Rantoul. The new center would consolidate these facilities into a single, 800,000 square-foot structure with advanced technology and design capable of producing shorter lead times for customer orders, the highest quality order shipments, and long-term cost savings that can be re-invested in the business.

“Easton-Bell Sports has enjoyed a long and productive history in Champaign County with a loyal, dedicated workforce and highly supportive local community,” said Donna Flood, Chief Operations Officer and President of Giro / Easton Cycling. “Creating a more efficient, fully-modernized facility provides a number of important benefits for our business while strengthening our commitment to this area and our people.”

Easton-Bell Sports’ history in Champaign County dates back to 1983, when Bell Sports acquired a motorcycle accessories manufacturing facility in Rantoul. The company has expanded its local presence over the last three decades, shipping more than 13 million units annually and serving as one of the area’s largest employers.

Site selection for the proposed facility was made with support from the Champaign County Economic Development Corporation, the Village of Rantoul and the State of Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

“We have a well-trained workforce in the area and when state and local government work together with our economic development agencies, we see opportunities for successes like this,” said Illinois State Senator Mike Frerichs. “I want to thank Easton-Bell Sports for continuing to believe in northern Champaign County.”

John Dimit, President and CEO of the Champaign County Economic Development Corporation, added, “Easton-Bell Sports’ new center would have a significant year-over-year impact on our local community. This includes $53 million direct economic impact of wages in the East Central Illinois Region, $10 million indirect economic impact of secondary wage spending in the East Central Illinois Region and $11 million induced impact of tertiary wages spent in the East Central Illinois Region.”

The new center, which is subject to final approval of economic incentives by various governmental agencies, would handle products under the company’s Bell, Easton Cycling, Giro and Riddell brands. The planned site location is Rantoul’s Village Industrial Park (at the NW intersection of Highway 136 and Interstate 57), with scheduled completion in late 2013. A mix of internal/private and public investment is expected to fund the project. The specific cost is not being disclosed at this time.

About Easton-Bell Sports, Inc.
Easton-Bell Sports, Inc. is a leading designer, developer and marketer of branded sports equipment, protective products and related accessories. The company markets and licenses products under such well-known brands as Easton, Bell, Giro, Riddell and Blackburn. Its products incorporate leading technology and designs and are used by professional athletes and enthusiasts alike. Headquartered in Van Nuys, California, the company has 32 facilities worldwide. More information is available at www.eastonbellsports.com.

Easton-Bell Sports Distribution Site Simulation

The new center would be home to the company’s current 300 team members and serve as one of the company’s primary North American sites for assembling, distributing and servicing products from its market-leading sports brand portfolio.

Easton-Bell Sports currently operates multiple manufacturing and distribution facilities in Rantoul. The new center would consolidate these facilities into a single, 800,000 square-foot structure with advanced technology and design capable of producing shorter lead times for customer orders, the highest quality order shipments, and long-term cost savings that can be re-invested in the business.

The planned site location is Rantoul’s Village Industrial Park (at the NW intersection of Highway 136 and Interstate 57), with scheduled completion in late 2013.

Final plat approved for distribution center site

Article Source: The News-Gazette, Dave Hinton, May 31, 2012

RANTOUL — The village board will be asked to approve the final plat for a subdivision of land that could be the site of a nearly 800,000-square-foot distribution center west of the village.

The name of the company and what would be distributed from the new plant has not been disclosed.

Members of the Rantoul Plan Commission this week unanimously approved a preliminary plat for the two-lot subdivision and recommended the final plat be approved by the village board.

Village Inspector Dan Culkin said the proposed distribution facility would span 792,000 square feet “with a future expansion (possible) of 428,000 square feet.”

The two-lot subdivision would be located east of Evans Road, north of the current village limits and west of Interstate 57 on the Milton R. Ingleman Trust and Beth Kirchner Trust properties, east of the Jeld-Wen plant, which is in the village industrial park.

Village Attorney Ken Beth said the property is not within village limits, but it is contiguous.

“There is a proposed annexation agreement with the owners of this property that they will annex this property,” Beth said.

As part of the annexation agreement, Beth said, the owners would seek to have both lots rezoned I-2 (industrial). Currently they are zoned agricultural.

Culkin said Lot 1 would encompass about 71 acres and would be the site of the distribution center, and lot 2 would be about 84 acres and would remain farmland, at least initially. An additional 5 acres would be dedicated for a street right of way.

“Lot 1 will be used for industrial, which is in line with our comprehensive plan,” Culkin said.

He said construction of a new east-west street called Gravity Court Road off of Evans Road is also proposed and would include an 80-foot right of way. Culkin said village staff reviewed the project regarding easements, drainage and other plans, and recommended the plan commission approve the preliminary plat.

He said the project, which is being called Project Gravity, will be developed by Rantoul 57 Development Inc.

Asked by plan commission member Bonnie Moran why it is being called Project Gravity, Culkin said there is no significance in the name.

“I guess that’s as good as any (name) at this time,” Culkin said.

Asked by commission member Jeff Schlueter what would be distributed at the plant, Village Administrator Bruce Sandahl said that information can’t be released at this time. Sandahl also said the number of employees can’t be released.

Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald of Champaign, representing the land owners, told the commission that “at this point … at this particular meeting, what we need to focus on … are the horizontal issues dealing with the property, the subdivision, the platting.”

He said discussions are ongoing with the state of Illinois regarding the development.

“We’ve got to work through some issues there, but we hope to be back soon before your community, and at that time we can disclose all of the relevant details and hopefully be part of the Rantoul, Illinois, community.”

‘Community experience plan’ has spot on Rantoul’s to-do list

Article Source: The News-Gazette, Dave Hinton, March 4, 2012

RANTOUL — Betty Brennan tells of a time when she was vacationing in Spain. She had some time to kill before meeting friends and asked residents of a town called Granollers what there was to do there.

They told her there wasn’t much of anything to do there and recommended she make the 45-minute trip to Barcelona instead.

Undeterred, Brennan set out on her own and began exploring Granollers. She was amazed.

“There were museums, old churches, wonderful places to eat,” Brennan said. “I wandered around the place and was in awe.”

There was nightlife. There were violinists serenading people as they ate.

“They didn’t realize the gems that were surrounding them,” Brennan said of the residents.

Many communities are like that, Brennan said, including Rantoul. They can’t see the forest for the trees and don’t realize what assets their communities have.

Taylor Studios, of which Brennan is president and owner, and the Rantoul Area Chamber of Commerce want to take advantage of Rantoul’s assets and let the world know.

Pinpointing and highlighting a sense of identity for Rantoul will be one focus as a “community experience plan” is developed for the village.

The community experience plan is Brennan’s brainchild.

“One of the goals is to provide a sense of place for a community, which is really an identity that the community can latch onto and identify with,” said Pete Salmon, an interpretive planner at Taylor Studios, which is described on its website as an interpretive planning, design and fabrication firm that assists museums, nature centers, zoos and other clients in creating high-quality exhibits.

Add developing community experience planning to the company’s list of offerings.

A community experience plan “looks at the people of the community, the resources of the community, some of the uniqueness of the community,” Salmon explains, “and tries to establish what this community has that others don’t.”

A community experience plan meeting will be held at noon March 15 at Rantoul Business Center. It will be co-hosted by Rantoul Area Chamber of Commerce and Taylor Studios.

“There’s a lot of different pieces to it,” said Chris Kaler, chamber director. “We’re trying to boil it down to one thing we can kind of rally around.”

Kaler said he looks at the plan perhaps differently than Taylor Studios might.

“I’m looking at it from the way, maybe we can do some development downtown,” he said.

“I want to see improvement of the downtown. I see it as a critical piece of what our community looks like to people who come to visit as well as to the people who live here.”

Kaler said if a downtown is “rundown and doesn’t look very prosperous,” visitors will get the idea that the entire town is that way.

But it won’t be just Chamber of Commerce and Taylor Studios officials who will be able to contribute to the discussion at the meeting. Organizers want anyone from the public who might have ideas or who want to improve the community to attend and become involved.

The purpose of the community experience plan is to develop, through discussion, a number of focus areas, including:

— How to improve Rantoul’s quality of life.

— Develop the downtown district

— Increase community pride.

— Promote new businesses.

— Promote tourism.

— Create a community “brand.”

Salmon said there are several motivations behind Taylor Studios’ implementation of the community experience plan.

He said Brennan has become more active in the community, “and as she met more and more people, she realized she wanted to give back in some way. As she was determining how,” she developed the company’s community experience planning product.

“We’re just bringing that to market,” Salmon said. “It’s a new product line. She thought it would be mutually beneficial to create the plan for Rantoul so we can get the kinks out while still bringing a quality product (to the community). She saw it as a win-win situation.”

Brennan said Taylor Studios is writing a community experience plan for Highland, a city in southwestern Illinois.

She said Taylor Studios has been doing something similar in writing interpretative plans for museums and other sites. The community experience plan takes it a step further and focuses on entire communities.

The company wrote a plan for Fort Totten, N.D., which Brennan said “has a long history. We wrote one for the whole fort, gave them a five-year plan of when to add new signage and where it would be added and started working with the tourism group and the Native Americans and state officials.

“It seems like it could easily apply to communities.”

The community experience plan will focus on areas for which Rantoul is best known and what it wants to be known for. It will ask if that will bring people into the community.

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