In January 2011, TenCate notified FieldTurf Tarkett ("FieldTurf") that it would
terminate an exclusive supply agreement with FieldTurf. Soon thereafter,
FieldTurf filed a lawsuit against TenCate in the District Court for the Northern
District of Georgia (USA). The suit alleges defects in products that for the
most part were supplied to FieldTurf by a company, Mattex Leisure Industries
(Dubai), during several years before TenCate acquired certain assets of the
Mattex business in early 2007.
TenCate denies the suit has any legal basis. As a policy, TenCate does not
comment on the particulars of any pending legal case.
No material impact arising from the claim
TenCate strongly denies the claim asserted by FieldTurf. The claim is unfounded
and without any valid legal basis. TenCate is confident regarding the outcome of
the lawsuit and looks forward to the opportunity to defend against these
allegations and thus protect its longstanding and good reputation as the
industry-leading manufacturer of synthetic turf components. TenCate believes
that, once the facts are disclosed in the course of litigation, TenCate will be
fully vindicated. No material financial damage for TenCate is anticipated.
Furthermore, TenCate is preparing counterclaims against FieldTurf, including
claims for disparaging the good name of TenCate, disparaging products of
TenCate, and for breaches of the supply agreement that occurred prior to its
termination.
Downstream strategy of TenCate Grass
Through dedicated partners, TenCate is succeeding in its goal of further
improving the quality and durability of its total synthetic turf systems. In
this respect, TenCate cooperates with most FIFA-preferred producers and other
leading partners in the industry. TenCate is providing these partners with
customer-specific fibers and systems to differentiate these brands in the
marketplace.
Royal Ten Cate
Almelo, the Netherlands, Monday, 4 April 2011
For further information:
Royal Ten Cate
Frank Spaan, Corporate Director Business Development & Investor Relations
Telephone    : +31 546 544 977
Mobile         : +31 6 129 617 24
E-mail          :f.spaan@tencate.com
Internet        :www.tencate.com
TenCate Grass develops and produces synthetic turf components and designs
systems for top-flight sports, recreation and landscaping projects. Together
with its partners TenCate Grass pursues a system approach. This provides users
with security on game properties and durability. TenCate Grass has plants in
Europe, Middle-East, North-America and Asia.
Royal Ten Cate (TenCate) is a multinational company that combines textile
technology with chemical processes and material technology in the development
and production of functional materials with distinctive characteristics. TenCate
products are sold throughout the world.
Systems and materials from TenCate come under four areas of applications: safety
and protection; space and aerospace; infrastructure and the environment; sport
and recreation. TenCate occupies leading positions in protective fabrics,
composites for space and aerospace, antiballistics, geosynthetics and synthetic
turf. TenCate is listed on NYSE Euronext (AMX).
Press release as PDF:
http://hugin.info/130798/R/1502950/437904.pdf
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Source: Koninklijke Ten Cate NV via Thomson Reuters ONE
[HUG#1502950]