Newell Rubbermaid’s Lenox Brand Launches New Saw Blades that Deliver Faster Cutting, Lowest Cost Per Cut

ATLANTA - New Blade Geometry Enables Longest Lasting Blades on the Market

Newell Rubbermaid’s (NYSE: NWL) Lenox(R) brand of premium industrial products including power tool accessories, hand tools, torches, solder and band saw blades, today announced the introduction of T2 Technology Reciprocating Saw Blades and Hacksaw Blades - the longest lasting blades on the market. The revolutionary new T2 reciprocating blade design delivers up to 100 percent longer blade life and 25 percent faster performance in metal cutting applications versus the prior generation of Lenox blades, creating a new standard of excellence. Lenox also introduced the HT50 Hacksaw Frame that has the highest tension of any frame available today.

(Photo: www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090512/CL14046)

“T2 Technology offers our core consumers - professional tradesmen - a significant value proposition by doubling blade life and producing a much faster cut. This leads to higher productivity on the jobsite as more time is spent cutting and less time is spent changing blades,” said Rich Mathews, vice president of marketing for Newell Rubbermaid’s Industrial Products and Services global business unit. “T2 Technology was developed and refined using our Consumer Driven Innovation (CDI) process. The resulting T2 blades are best-in-class products that deliver the key performance benefits sought by professional plumbers, electricians and general construction contractors worldwide.”

T2 Technology Reciprocating Saw Blades

Lenox has applied the new T2 Technology to its entire range of metal cutting reciprocating saw blades including Lenox Gold(TM), Lazer(TM) and standard Bi-Metal in order to provide superior cutting performance for materials commonly encountered by trade professionals on the jobsite including black pipe, angle iron, threaded rod, uni-strut and electrical metal tubing (EMT). Independent lab testing verifies that T2 Reciprocating Saw Blades offer dramatically longer blade life and faster cutting performance than competitors’ blades.

T2 Technology blades feature a customized tooth geometry for each tooth per inch (TPI) specification. The patent-pending design dramatically improves cutting efficiency, which minimizes friction and heat build-up when cutting through the widest variety of metal materials. By minimizing heat build-up, T2 blades resist premature tooth dulling and blade failure.

HT50 Hacksaw Frame and Blades

Hacksaw blades were the first products manufactured by Lenox in 1915. Today, the Lenox HT50 Hacksaw Frame and T2 Hacksaw Blades extend the brand’s heritage as the industry leader in this category, addressing the two factors most significant to professional tradesmen - cutting speed and quality - to enable fast, straight cuts and long blade life. Combined, the high tension and reduced blade bend of the Lenox HT50 and the extended blade life of the T2 Hacksaw Blade allow users to get through material fast.

The Lenox T2 Hacksaw Blade provides two times the life of the prior generation of Lenox blades, and the new frame design has the highest tension of any hacksaw in the world. At 50,000 psi, the Lenox HT50 Hacksaw offers significantly more tension than the standard 30,000 psi of other frames on the market. The unique I-beam construction allows the frame to attain this high tension, which minimizes blade movement for those faster, straighter cuts. The improved design also features a comfortable handle grip that absorbs shock, reduces discomfort in cold weather and can be used by both right- and left-handed users. The convenient blade storage area opens without a tool and can hold up to five extra blades. The Lenox HT50 can also easily convert to a jab saw.

Lenox T2 Technology products will be available through thousands of industrial distributors in Europe, Asia, Latin America and North America. For more information, call +1-800-628-8810 or visit www.lenoxtools.com.

About Newell Rubbermaid

Newell Rubbermaid Inc., an S&P 500 company, is a global marketer of consumer and commercial products with sales of over US$6 billion and a strong portfolio of brands, including Rubbermaid(R), Sharpie(R), Graco(R), Calphalon(R), Irwin(R), Lenox(R), Levolor(R), Paper Mate(R), Dymo(R), Waterman(R), Parker(R), Goody(R), Technical Concepts(TM) and Aprica(R).

This press release and additional information about Newell Rubbermaid are available on the company’s Web site, www.newellrubbermaid.com.

NWL-PR

Source: Newell Rubbermaid

Nancy O’Donnell, Vice President, Investor Relations, +1-770-418-7723, or Connie Bryant, Manager, Public Relations, +1-770-418-7516. Photo: https://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090512/CL14046