Newell Rubbermaid opens global headquarters, announces expansion

ATLANTA – Governor Sonny Perdue and Mark Ketchum, president and CEO of Newell Rubbermaid, Inc., announced today that the company will add up to 200 new jobs in its latest Georgia expansion.  The announcement came today during ribbon-cutting ceremonies for Newell Rubbermaid’s new global headquarters building in Sandy Springs, Ga.

"I am honored to help welcome Newell Rubbermaid employees to their new offices," said Governor Perdue. "We are proud this great company has found continued success by putting down deeper roots in Georgia."

The Fortune 500 company will welcome its Baby and Parenting Essentials global business unit, comprised of the Graco, Aprica and Teutonia brands, to the building in summer 2009, bringing up to 200 jobs to Georgia – the majority of which will be filled locally.

As previously announced, Newell Rubbermaid also will open a new 800,000-square-foot Southeast distribution center in Union City later this year, ultimately employing a workforce of 300 – 200 of which will be new jobs added to the Georgia economy.

Newell Rubbermaid moved its worldwide headquarters to Atlanta in 2003. Its Georgia workforce will have grown from 200 people in 2003 to approximately 1,000 employees by the end of 2009.

"The State of Georgia and metro Atlanta have been extremely welcoming to Newell Rubbermaid. In addition to being an international hub, metro Atlanta is home to exceptional talent from a variety of backgrounds, which will help ensure that our employee population ultimately reflects the diversity of our consumer population,” said Newell Rubbermaid President and CEO Mark Ketchum. “This building symbolizes so many of the intangibles that are critical to our future success: the opportunity to build one culture, bring our values to life, and declare to the world who we are and what we are about."

Newell Rubbermaid's 350,000-square-foot, 14-story global headquarters building is located at Three Glenlake Parkway in the Perimeter Center area of Atlanta. The building was developed by Greenstone Properties in partnership with Pope & Land and Granite Properties. Architects were Pickard Chilton and Wakefield Beasley. Employees from three separate Atlanta sites are united in the new headquarters, which includes a training facility, fitness center, café, company store and other worker-friendly amenities. The company has the option to expand further and construct a second building on the site.

Partnering with Newell Rubbermaid on its expansion were the Georgia Department of Economic Development, Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce, Development Authority of Fulton County and City of Sandy Springs

About the Company
Newell Rubbermaid Inc, an S&P 500 company, is a global marketer of consumer and commercial products with sales of over $6 billion and a strong portfolio of brands, including Rubbermaid®, Sharpie®, Graco®, Calphalon®, Irwin®, Lenox®, Levolor®, Paper Mate®, Dymo®, Waterman®, Parker®, Goody®, BernzOmatic®,and Amerock®. The company is headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., and has approximately 22,500 employees worldwide.

This press release and additional information about Newell Rubbermaid are available on the company's Web site, www.newellrubbermaid.com. (NWL-CO)

###