Sears Unveils DieHard® and Craftsman® Motorcycles Designed by Orange County Choppers
DieHard Bike on Display Feb. 8 at the International Motorcycle Show in Rosemont, Ill.
This week, Sears Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ: SHLD) will unveil DieHard and Craftsman branded bikes, designed by Orange County Choppers™. Sears also announced a marketing agreement with Orange County Choppers (OCC) that makes DieHard the "Official Battery of Orange County Choppers". With this agreement, all custom motorcycles created as part of the "American Chopper" TV series (as seen on TLC) will be powered by DieHard.
In addition, the partnership will include the following:
-- OCC will sell DieHard batteries in their new retail store in
Newburgh, NY
-- DieHard battery signage in the OCC shop along with a unique battery
maintainer station
-- A link to diehardbatteries.com from orangecountychoppers.com
-- DieHard branding on shirts worn by OCC mechanics
"This agreement brings two powerful brands together and enables DieHard to reach an important user segment -- powersports enthusiasts -- who demand the best from their motorcycles," said Richard Gerstein, senior vice president and chief marketing officer at Sears, Roebuck and Co.
"By partnering with the most recognizable brand name in batteries, we've definitely strengthened our production line of bikes," said Paul Teutul, Jr. "Thanks to Sears!"
The DieHard Orange County Chopper
"DieHard is America's most preferred automotive battery," said George Kurkowski, DieHard brand manager. "Our new relationship with OCC showcases the fact that the same AGM technology and legendary performance of DieHard is available to our motorcycle customers in a DieHard Gold battery. Every OCC bike leaving "America's Favorite" custom bike shop will have a DieHard battery in it."
For a preview of the DieHard bike, go to http://www.diehardbatteries.com/. Consumers interested in viewing the DieHard chopper in person should visit the International Bike Show at the Stephenson Center in Rosemont, Ill. on Feb. 8-10. For more information, go to http://www.motorcycleshows.com/.
Bike enthusiasts should tune into American Chopper on Feb. 28 and March 6 on TLC network at 8 p.m. Central to see the episodes featuring the DieHard (designed by Paul Teutul, Jr.) and Craftsman (designed by Paul Teutul, Sr.) OCC bikes. The intense competition to build the "best brand" bike is heightened by their natural father/son competition, a hallmark of the television show.
The Craftsman Orange County Chopper
The Craftsman chopper will be introduced at the Craftsman booth (W3043) in the International Builders Show in Orlando, Feb. 13-15.
"Consumers have already named Craftsman as the most trusted brand in America and the brand with the highest expectations," said Mike Cassar, Craftsman brand manager.
"We will be doing some amazing things in 2008 to get their attention on the innovation, quality and know-how fronts that are trademarks of our brand. This bike is a visual punctuation of our brand's message, delivered in an iconic, over-the-top way. Paul Teutul, Sr. told me early on that he's a Craftsman tool fan, ultimately his passion for our brand as well as the bike building craft has really come through in the finished piece. This bike really reinforces our belief that 'There's a Craftsman in All of Us'," Cassar added.
The DieHard brand of batteries is now available at more than 2,500 locations in the U.S., including 870 Sears full-line stores, Sears Auto Centers and through a limited number of Sears Hardware, Sears Dealer and Orchard Supply Hardware stores. DieHard batteries are also available in 1,400 Kmart stores.
About Sears, Roebuck and Co.
Sears, Roebuck and Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: SHLD), is a leading broadline retailer providing merchandise and related services. Sears, Roebuck offers its wide range of home merchandise, apparel and automotive products and services through more than 2,400 Sears-branded and affiliated stores in the United States and Canada, which includes approximately 870 full-line and 1,100 specialty stores in the U.S. Sears, Roebuck also offers a variety of merchandise and services through sears.com, landsend.com, and specialty catalogs. Sears, Roebuck offers consumers leading proprietary brands including Kenmore, Craftsman, DieHard and Lands' End -- among the most trusted and preferred brands in the U.S. The company is the nation's largest provider of home services, with more than 14 million service calls made annually. For more information, visit the Sears, Roebuck website at http://www.sears.com/ or the Sears Holdings Corporation website at http://www.searsholdings.com/ .
About Orange County Choppers
Orange County Choppers (OCC) is a Montgomery, New York based custom motorcycle company founded by Paul Teutul, Sr. and Paul Teutul, Jr. in 1999. OCC started as a sideline to the family's steel manufacturing business which was founded by Paul, Sr. in the 1970s. The OCC shop is featured on 'American Chopper,' a reality TV show that airs on Thursday nights on TLC at 9pm EST/8pm CST.
2007 DieHard Chopper Specs
Owner: DieHard
City: Hoffman Estates, IL.
General
Designer/Builder: Orange County Choppers
Year: 2007
Model: DieHard Custom Theme Bike
Frame
Year/Make: 2007 Rolling Thunder Rigid, right Side Drive, 0" up
Rake: 38 degrees in neck
Stretch: 5 inches out
Chroming: Chrome Masters
Engine
Year and Make: 2007 S&S
Displacement: 100" CID Evolution Big Twin 9.6:1 w/S&S 520 CAM
Carburetor: S&S Super G
Air Cleaner: DieHard "40th" Anniversary
Ignition: Super Stock
Pipes: OCC (Flat Black)
Coil Cover: OCC dagger (chrome)
Transmission
Year/Make: 2007 Baker (polished)
Shifting: 6 speed
Paint
Painter: OCC Design Team
Color: DieHard Branded
Accessories
Handlebars: OCC drag style with risers (chrome)
Hand Controls: (H&D) Chrome
Fenders: OCC
Indicator lights: OCC DieHard Alkaline "D" Battery replica
Rear Brake light: Primo tail light with Lisc. Plate holder
Foot controls: OCC/Accutronics
Shift Linkage: 13 inch OCC shift linkage
Mirrors: OCC DieHard Battery replica
Gas Tank: OCC
Oil tank: Hidden under transmission plate
Seat: OCC Black Leather
Primary Cover: Open DieHard Branded "Start With The Best"
Battery: DieHard Gold 20HL-BS
Front End
Type: OCC Razor (chrome)
Wheels
Make: OCC Negative and Positive (chrome with black epoxy inlay)
Size: 21x3.5" front tire and a 300 mm rear
Tires: Metzler
DieHard Facts
-- Consumers rank DieHard overwhelmingly as "America's Most Preferred
Automotive Battery" according to a 2007 ASI/IPsos Consumer Survey.
Over 37% of consumers polled in an unaided survey mentioned DieHard
compared to its two nearest competitors, a distant, 2nd and 3rd.
-- DieHard celebrated its 40th anniversary as an auto battery brand in
2007.
-- Sears revolutionized the automotive batter replacement category in
1967 with the introduction of DieHard -- a tough, thin-walled
translucent plastic case 50% thinner than conventional black, rubber
type battery enclosures. The result: bigger plates, more acid and
extra starting power. More than nine years of research and development
was conducted prior to the launch of DieHard in 1967.
-- The name DieHard is derived from its unfailing operation over several
million miles on test vehicles at high and low speeds in varying
climates at high and low altitudes. Not a single failure was reported
in over 26,000 starts in temperatures ranging from sub-zero to more
than 100 degrees.
-- DieHard is the "Official Battery of Orange County Choppers".
-- In the past decade, Sears extended the DieHard brand to other
categories including battery chargers, booster cables, consumer
alkaline batteries, work boots for men and most recently, to batteries
for Craftsman cordless tools.
-- In 1970 DieHard batteries were used in sets of three to provide the
36-volt starting power for most of the 33 cars entered in the
Indianapolis 500.
-- More than 200 million DieHard automotive batteries have been sold
since 1967.
-- In 1983, Sears introduced the first DieHard Motorcycle battery, tough
enough for select Harley-Davidson Motorcycles.
-- In addition to its legendary performance as an auto battery, DieHard
has batteries to power motorcycles, boats, golf carts, garden
tractors, snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles, personal watercraft and
various mobility equipment for the handicapped. DieHard "AAA", "AA",
"C", "D" and 9-volt alkaline batteries are also available at Sears and
Kmart.
First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:
SOURCE: Sears Holdings
CONTACT: Larry Costello of Sears Holdings, +1-847-286-9036
Web site: http://www.sears.com/
http://www.searsholdings.com/
http://www.diehardbatteries.com/
http://www.motorcycleshows.com/