Marchpole announces three new contracts

British apparel firm Marchpole Holdings plc has announced that it has agreed to three significant contracts for their Jean Charles de Castelbajac (JCC) business.

The company has extended its design agreement with Itochu for a further six years, from 2005 to 2011. Itochu manufacture, wholesale and retail Castelbajac for the Japanese market with sales at wholesale prices for 2004 of over EUR 25 million (GBP 17.94 million).

Castelbajac has also been asked to design and launch a new collection for the summer by leading skiwear brand Rossignol. JCC first designed and launched a Skiwear collection for the Autumn/Winter 2002 season, in collaboration with Rossignol. In the wake of its success, with sales increasing over the last two years from EUR 0.5 million to EUR 3.2 million for Autumn/Winter 2004, Rossignol invited Castelbajac to embark on a new partnership. The new collection is geared towards the Trekking Outdoor market and will launch in the Spring/Summer of 2006. The new agreement is for 5 years, with minimum guaranteed royalties over the period totalling EUR325.000.

JCC has also signed an agreement with Codir SA to launch Castelbajac eyewear in Europe. Codir are the leader in market share with over 2700 retail outlets and sales of more than EUR 700 million. The contract is for a period of three years and will launch in this season. A minimum of guaranteed royalties for the period will amount to EUR 230.000.

Marchpole Chief Executive said: "'Marchpole acquired the Castelbajac business in 2004 with the aim of creating a strong worldwide brand under its ownership. These new contracts, and the significant marketing contribution from the licensees, clearly demonstrate our ability to transform and grow this brand. We are successfully increasing our presence across a wide assortment of product categories and establishing the brand in both Asia and Europe."