Promotion Recognizes Contribution to Successful Turnaround
THORNTON, Colo., March 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Ultimate Acquisition Partners, L.P., which owns and operates 32 Ultimate Electronics home entertainment superstores in nine states, has named Jim Pearse to serve as the company's president. Pearse has held several positions with Ultimate Electronics since 1993, most recently serving as senior vice president of merchandising.
Bruce Giesbrecht, CEO of Ultimate Electronics commented, "This promotion recognizes Jim's contribution to Ultimate Electronics' successful turnaround. Before the acquisition by Wattles Capital Management in April 2005, Ultimate Electronics stores experienced years of deteriorating sales performance and declining EBITDA caused by problems in merchandising, marketing and store operations. Since then, we have fixed the product assortment, rationalized the pricing and promotional strategies, and rebuilt a sales culture in the stores. As a result, same store sales and EBITDA have improved each year since the acquisition. During the most recent quarter ending January 31, 2008, we experienced a 3 percent increase in same store sales, and significant improvement in both gross margin and EBITDA." Giesbrecht added, "I am proud of our results and want to congratulate Jim and thank the entire Ultimate Electronics team for their outstanding performance." About Ultimate Electronics Ultimate Electronics is a leading retailer of home entertainment solutions with 32 superstores in nine states, including Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico and Oklahoma. The average Ultimate Electronics store is 32,000 square feet and offers an industry-leading selection of name brand consumer electronics with a 60-day lowest price guarantee. Ultimate Electronics stores also offer an enhanced shopping experience, with multiple home theater and audio demonstration rooms, and service-oriented sales consultants who are knowledgeable and passionate about consumer electronics. Ultimate Electronics is a registered trademark of Ultimate Acquisition Partners, L.P., an indirect subsidiary of Wattles Capital Management, LLC.
About Wattles Capital Management, LLC Wattles Capital Management, LLC ("WCM") makes public and private investments primarily in retail, entertainment and consumer products companies where it sees the potential to increase value through growth or an operating turnaround. WCM was founded and is managed by Mark Wattles, the founder, chairman and CEO responsible for building more than 2,000 Hollywood Video superstores and 700 Game Crazy specialty stores before selling the company for approximately $1.25 billion in April 2005. WCM has an operating group with significant expertise in managing both rapid growth and turnaround situations. As such, WCM is well positioned to invest in companies that it believes require more active involvement in order to realize value. In addition to its indirect ownership of Ultimate Electronics, WCM and its affiliates also own a 6.5 percent stake in Circuit City Stores, Inc. (NYSE:CC). DATASOURCE: Wattles Capital Management, LLC CONTACT: Alison Fisker of LANE PR, +1-503-546-7894, , for Ultimate Electronics; or Alex Bond, Managing Director of Wattles Capital Management, LLC, +1-503-348-0933,
|