NEC Hits the `Shut Down' Button on Packard Bell Brand - Brief Article

Brandweek, Nov 8, 1999

SACRAMENTO, CALIF--Packard Bell NEC, in an abrupt change in plans, disclosed last week it will phase out the money-losing Packard Bell operation in the U.S. in order to focus on corporate sales under the NEC brand. The announcement came in sharp contrast to remarks made by Mal Ransom, svp-marketing for the consumer division, only weeks earlier, when he insisted to Brandweek (Sept.27) there were no plans to retire the PB label, a pioneer in consumer PCs that lost its top-ranked market share at retail due to incursions by brands like Hewlett-Packard and quality problems that long tarred its reputation.

The Sacramento manufacturing facility will be closed, and 12 of the top 13 executive positions, including Ransom's, are being eliminated.