7/13/2011

In case you missed this, below is a news release from Hermes Fulfilment announcing the engagement of Kenco Logistic Services to provide US warehouse services. Please contact me if you have questions or need additional information.

For further information contact:

Bill Fahrenwald

James Street Associates

708-371-0110 Ext. 1-#

bfahrenwald@jamesstreetassoc.com

Hermes Fulfilment Engages Kenco Logistic Services to Provide Wolford With Warehouse Services
Luxury Brand Gets Off to a Successful Start With Online Sales in the Unites States

HAMBURG, GERMANY--(Marketwire - Jun 27, 2011) - Hermes Fulfilment, a 100% subsidiary of Germany's Otto Group, a globally operating retailer and retail services provider, has engaged American logistics services provider Kenco Logistic Services LLC (KLS) to provide warehouse services for the web store of Wolford, an Austrian luxury lingerie brand. At its distribution centre in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Kenco will handle the storage, order picking and distribution of the Wolford merchandise. The product range includes swimwear and hosiery. Kenco will also process customer orders placed through the Wolford web store. It will also provide returns management services for the American market.

"After an in-depth examination of the logistics services provided by Kenco we feel sure that we have found a trustworthy and reliable partner to whom we can confidently hand over responsibility for our prestigious customer," explains Dieter Urbanke, managing director of Hermes Fulfilment. The Otto Group subsidiary is making its debut with a client in the American e-commerce marketplace. The call centre for the Wolford web store in the U.S. is operated by Global Response in Fort Lauderdale. All other services connected with the web store in the United States will be performed by Hermes Fulfilment in Germany.

For its online retail business Wolford has been relying on the services of Hermes Fulfilment since mid-2009. In addition to the USA, Wolford's web store now operates in 14 European countries. These include Germany, Austria, Holland, Ireland, Belgium, Luxembourg, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Switzerland. Other countries including Norway, Poland and Canada will be following soon. "We are very pleased that Wolford has chosen to continue to work with us on the execution of its internationalization strategy," says Dieter Urbanke.

The services being provided by Hermes Fulfilment include all back office processes from the development and management of the web store to payment management, accounts receivable management and returns processing. Furthermore, Hermes Fulfilment will provide Wolford with storage and shipping services. For the European web stores these conventional logistics services will be performed at the Haldensleben distribution centre in Saxony-Anhalt, one of Germany's 16 states. It is one of the largest high-performance distribution centers in Europe. As part of its internationalization process Wolford has also installed a global customer relationship management system which can be used to inform customers about special offers or to invite them to fashion shows. All these systems and services are coordinated from Germany without any additional interfaces.

About Wolford:

Wolford AG has its headquarters in Bregenz in Austria. It has 14 subsidiaries worldwide and sells its products in 65 different countries via a network of Wolford boutiques and retail partners. Backed by over 60 years of experience, Wolford has become an internationally acclaimed premium brand with an extensive product portfolio. Wolford's product groups include ready-to-wear garments, legwear, lingerie, swimwear and accessories -- exclusivity from head to toe. The Austrian garment manufacturer produces two collections a year.

About Hermes Fulfilment:

Hamburg based Hermes Fulfilment GmbH (HF) is a 100% subsidiary of Germany's Otto Group and provides a wide range of services to the distance selling retail sector. Backed by its extensive experience in all areas of the retail sector, HF manages the entire supply chain and offers services ranging from web store design and operation, accounts receivable and returns management, financial services and customer care to procurement, warehousing services and distribution. Hermes Fulfilment provides logistics services for as many as 600,000 different products and handles some 260 million items a year. The spectrum of goods ranges from mobile phones, camcorders and textiles to jewelry, furniture and washing machines. The clients of HF primarily operate in the consumer goods industry. Shipments are made to end-consumers, retail stores and other B2B customers.

Hermes Fulfilment sees itself in the market as an impartial service provider, providing integrated fulfilment services not just within the Otto Group but also to external companies. Hermes Fulfilment GmbH operates under the Hermes umbrella brand, partnering with other Hermes business segments to provide sourcing, quality assurance, transport logistics, parcel and 2-man handling services.
 
About Kenco Logistic Services:

Kenco Logistic Services is one of the nation's leading third-party logistics providers (3PL), managing over 100 facilities and 25 million square feet of warehouse space in 30 states and Canada. Kenco currently provides logistics services for many industry-leading, Fortune 500 companies such as Whirlpool, GlaxoSmithKline, Cummins, and DuPont. Kenco specializes in facilities and services for the pharmaceutical, apparel, automotive, food, textile, and appliance industries. Learn more at www.kencologisticservices.com.