New Era Employees Support Victims of Hurricane Katrina

New Era Employees Support Victims of Hurricane Katrina

Buffalo-Area Employees Prepare Relief Shipment for Alabama Co-Workers

Donations from Local Residence for Alabama Victims Requested

DERBY, N.Y., Sept. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- New Era Cap Co. Inc., the Buffalo-area headwear manufacturer, announced that its local employees have rallied in support of the company's Alabama-area employees affected by the devastating blow that Hurricane Katrina handed them. In an effort to aid their Alabama co-workers, New Era's Buffalo-area employees are donating and collecting relief products for shipment to Alabama, where New Era has facilities in Demopolis, Jackson, and Mobile. The company has approximately 920 employees in Alabama.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with all of those affected by Hurricane Katrina," said New Era CEO Christopher H. Koch. "It is too early to truly know the full impact of this disaster to our country, or even our own employees and their families in that area, but we are greatly concerned about their well being and feel the urgency to support."

Tomorrow, Friday, September 2nd, at 2:00 p.m., a truck donated by TMSI, will be loaded up with collected non-perishables and toiletries will be driven to New Era's Jackson, Alabama facility, where the much needed items will be distributed to employees there and in Demopolis and Mobile, Alabama.

New Era is also calling for Buffalo-area residents to take up the charge of helping victims of the hurricane by donating items for the relief package being sent to Alabama. The company is prepared to receive donations at its Derby location, 8061 Erie Rd., beginning immediately today, Thursday, September 1 until 4:30 p.m., this afternoon, through tomorrow, Friday, September 2nd from 8:00 a.m. - 12 noon. Appropriate donation items include bottled water and packaged beverages, powdered milk and baby formula, jarred baby food, non-perishable meats (pouched & canned tuna, ham and dried beef products), ready to eat foods (crackers and canned fruit), flash lights, batteries, paper products, pampers, disinfectant and baby wipes, hand sanitizers and other personal hygiene items.

Although early inspections of New Era's Alabama facilities revealed that its facilities were relatively unharmed, employees of the company were affected to varying degrees in the three locations; some were unaffected while others lost their homes and cars due to the rain/flooding, fallen trees and debris.

New Era's facilities were closed late last week. The Demopolis and Jackson facilities were re-opened on Tuesday evening for 3rd shift embroidery. Power was restored in Mobile yesterday and employees were called to return to work for this morning's first shift.

New Era Cap is a Derby, NY-based sports headwear designer, developer and manufacturer, with sales offices in Canada, Europe and Japan. Making more than 20 million licensed and non-licensed, performance and fashion units per year, New Era is the exclusive manufacturer and marketer of Major League Baseball's official uniform caps, worn on the field of play by every Major and Minor League player; its other licenses include National Basketball Association, National Hockey League, Arena Football, NCAA Champions, College - Bowl Games and National Championships and Little League. Founded in 1920, New Era is a privately owned company employing more than 1,500 people in New York and Alabama and overseas. New Era is a Category A member of the Fair Labor Association.

Source: New Era Cap Co. Inc.

CONTACT: Crystal Howard, New Era Cap Co. Inc., +1-716-400-3057 (cell),
crystal.howard@neweracap.com

Web site: http://neweracap.com/

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