4 April 2011 – 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.
ABOUT TENCATE
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). www.tencate.com
CONTACT
Frank Spaan
Corporate Director Business Development & Investor Relations
+31 546 544 977
Mobile: +31 6 129 617 24
f.spaan@tencate.com
