JAKKS Pacific Inc. Partners With Pebble Beach Resort and E-Z-Go Textron to Develop New Line of Die-Cast Collectible Golf Carts

Business Wire, Feb 17, 1999

MALIBU, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 17, 1999--JAKKS Pacific, Inc. (Nasdaq/NMS:JAKK) Wednesday announced that it has signed a licensing agreement with Pebble Beach Resort and E-Z-Go Textron Corp. to design, manufacture and market a premier line of die-cast collectible golf carts.

Carts in the collection will be exact replicas of E-Z-Go Textron golf carts from the Pebble Beach Resort's family of golf courses: Pebble Beach Golf Links, The Links at Spanish Bay, Spyglass Hill Gold Course and Del Monte Golf Course.

Located in Monterey, Calif., the renowned Pebble Beach Resort courses attract golfers from around the world. Guests collectively play more than 210,000 rounds of golf on the Pebble Beach courses annually, which enjoy more than two million visitors a year.

The first of JAKKS Pacific's new die-cast golf carts will be available at mass, specialty and hobby stores, as well as pro shops and golf specialty stores, beginning fall 1999.

"The Pebble Beach Resort family of golf courses are among the most prestigious golf resorts in the nation," said Stephen Berman, president and chief operating officer of JAKKS Pacific.

"In addition, we are particularly pleased to be affiliated with the leading name in golf cart manufacturing, E-Z-Go Textron. We look forward to developing this unique line of die-cast collectible vehicles backed by the strength, respect and reputation of both the Pebble Beach Resort family and the E-Z-Go Textron name."

Kim Canales, spokesperson for Pebble Beach Resort, said: "We are excited about partnering with JAKKS Pacific and creating a one-of-a-kind collectible for the Pebble Beach Resort family. The company's expertise with their successful Road Champs(R) and Remco(R) lines made them the obvious choice for this alliance."

"As manufacturer of the number-one golf cart in the world, we think it is only fitting that E-Z-Go is the first die-cast collectible golf cart," said Ronald Skenes, communications manager for Augusta, Ga.-based E-Z-Go Textron. "We are pleased that JAKKS Pacific selected us as a partner in this exciting project."

JAKKS Pacific and its affiliates develop, manufacture and market toys and related products for children, including action figures featuring characters from the World Wrestling Federation(R), die-cast collectible and toy vehicles under the Road Champs and Remco brand names, Child Guidance(R) pre-school toys and a line of fashion dolls and accessories.

"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This news release contains forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect the current views of the company with respect to future events and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Although the company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual future results or events may vary materially from those described herein.