McDermott Handcrafted Cues and Leonard Bludworth Announce Exclusive Distribution Agreement

MENOMONEE FALLS, WI.—January 25, 2005—McDermott Handcrafted Cues today announced that it has entered into an agreement with the Bludworth Originals Company and its President, Leonard Bludworth, to be the exclusive distributor of the Bludworth Originals cue line. All future Bludworth cues will ship from the McDermott world headquarters in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. The move will be completed by February 1, 2005. McDermott will continue the uninterrupted distribution of the popular Bludworth Originals, said President and CEO Claude Napier.

“Consolidating the Bludworth operations in with our state-of-the-art facility in Menomonee Falls provides great opportunities to support and grow the Bludworth brand,” said Napier. “We’ve built a world class cue facility at our headquarters and can leverage that investment to preserve, protect and enhance Bludworth’s reputation for precision craftsmanship. With this move, we are assuring that Bludworth Originals remain the finest cues of their type in the world.”

McDermott Vice President of Global Sales Link Pendley said that he expects the Bludworth brand to flourish under the new distribution agreement.

“With the Bludworth cue distribution transferring from Texas to Menomonee Falls, I expect to see much wider distribution of the Bludworth brand,” said Pendley. “McDermott has earned a reputation through the years for outstanding products and the addition of the Bludworth line will be a perfect complement for us.”

Leonard Bludworth began looking for a long-term partner to expand his custom cue business last year. “I was very particular in my choice as I was seeking the finest company in America to align myself with…and my obvious choice was McDermott,” said Bludworth. “I am ready to take my custom business to the next level as current market conditions have dictated. In order to maintain my autonomy, I sought out a strong partner so players who have never been able to afford my custom cues will now have an opportunity to purchase them at much more reasonable prices.”

The two companies agree that this arrangement will allow Bludworth to emerge as a stronger brand in 2005. Mr. Bludworth will remain loyal to his o­ne-of-a-kind cue customers as he will be able to focus more of his time and attention to this segment of his business while McDermott takes care of the broader distribution of the Bludworth line.

Since 1975, McDermott Handcrafted Cues has consistently raised the performance standards for what billiard players expect from a high performance cue. McDermott builds billiard equipment for people who view playing pool as an end in itself, drawing o­n cutting-edge technology and tasteful yet aggressive design. McDermott equipment is rooted in performance, using the latest technology in a state-of-the-art facility and utilizing the finest materials available. For further information about McDermott Handcrafted Cues, please visit our website at www.mcdermottcue.com.

CONTACT:
McDermott Handcrafted Cues
Nat Rosasco
262-251-4090

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