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European Charger Brand Coming To U.S.

Salo, Finland — Salcomp, a European OEM of chargers for portable
devices, will enter the U.S. retail market with a consumer line of charging
devices under the Chargz brand name.

The Chargz brand will be sold through traditional retail,
e-commerce and distribution channels, the company said. The brand’s initial
launch will take place in North America, followed by Asia-Pacific and Europe.

“Introducing our own brand is a natural strategic step for
Salcomp, as we have 35 years of experience in developing and manufacturing
chargers. Although chargers sold directly to mobile phone manufacturers still
remain our core business, we also want to be involved in this growing segment
of accessory chargers,” said Markku Hangasjärvi, president/CEO.

Salcomp’s flagship product overseas is its Twist charger
platform, a line of chargers with zero standby power draw. The plugged-in
charger can be set to zero-standby mode by twisting the charger against the
plug. The Twist line includes chargers for cellphones, GPS/PND units, digital
cameras, Bluetooth headsets and media players, among others.

The first Chargz products for the U.S. will be introduced in the
fourth quarter. The company said the initial line will include small and
energy-efficient USB chargers and car chargers, but offered no further details.

The company did say it “has reinforced the global sales and
R&D organizations in North America, Asia-Pacific and Europe,” in
preparation for its North America launch.

“Our mission was to provide the highest quality charging
solutions in the world, yet affordable for our customers. We believe we have
achieved that goal with the new Chargz brand,” said Patrick J. Byrne, North
American sales and marketing VP.

According to the company’s most recent financial report, Salcomp
held a 23-percent market share in the OEM charger market in Europe in Q2. Net
sales for the first half of 2010 hit 131.8 million euros.

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