EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Sept. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Today, Robert
Eckert, chairman and chief executive officer of Mattel, Inc., told a
Congressional Committee that he would take personal responsibility for
ensuring that Mattel's systems and people are dedicated to safe toys. In
testimony before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Mr. Eckert
affirmed Mattel's commitment to continued safety improvements and the
company's willingness to work with regulators and others in the industry.
"I'm the person responsible for making sure all our systems and all our
people are dedicated to safe toys for our kids to enjoy, without worry or
concern," Mr. Eckert told the Committee. "My job is to find out what
happened and to make sure it never happens again."
Mr. Eckert told the committee that Mattel's own investigation has
identified what happened and his written statement submitted to the
committee earlier this week contains detailed information about the
sequence of events related to the recent recalls.
In his testimony before the committee, Mr. Eckert focused on how Mattel
plans to ensure that the company's standards are met in the future. He
outlined Mattel's three-stage lead-paint safety check that subjects
products manufactured for Mattel to lead-paint rules throughout the
production cycle and assured the Committee that samples of each batch of
toys will be tested prior to reaching store shelves. He also stated that
Mattel has increased the number of auditors to monitor every major
manufacturer's compliance with Mattel standards. And, Mattel employees will
conduct surprise inspections, as well.
Mr. Eckert announced that Mattel would initiate third-party audits of
its product safety and quality systems and begin a dialogue with government
and community organizations to identify new ways to communicate about
recalls as broadly as possible.
Mr. Eckert also announced Mattel's plan to share their experience with
their competitors. "I can assure this Committee that we'll share with other
toy companies what we've learned to help improve industry practices
overall, and to ensure that children play with safe toys regardless of who
made them or where they were made," Mr. Eckert said.
Mr. Eckert told the Committee he will travel back to China this month
to inspect the implementation of the new procedures, to discuss the
company's action plans with local managers and to make clear his
expectations for the safety of Mattel toys.
The full testimony given at today's hearing can be found at
http://www.shareholder.com/mattel/default.cfm.
About Mattel
Mattel, Inc., (NYSE: MAT) (http://www.mattel.com) is the worldwide
leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of toys and family
products. The Mattel family is comprised of such best-selling brands as
Barbie(R), the most popular fashion doll ever introduced, Hot Wheels(R),
Matchbox(R), American Girl(R), Radica(R) and Tyco(R) R/C, as well as
Fisher-Price(R) brands, including Little People(R), Power Wheels(R) and a
wide array of entertainment-inspired toy lines. Mattel is recognized as one
of the 100 Most Trustworthy U.S. Companies by Forbes Magazine and is ranked
among the 100 Best Corporate Citizens by CRO Magazine. Committed to ethical
manufacturing practices, Mattel marks a 10-year milestone in 2007 for its
ever-evolving Global Manufacturing Principles and focus on sustainable
business practices. With global headquarters in El Segundo, Calif., Mattel
employs more than 30,000 people in 43 countries and territories and sells
products in more than 150 nations. Mattel's vision is to be the world's
premier toy brands -- today and tomorrow.
SOURCE Mattel, Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.mattel.com
http://www.shareholder.com/mattel/default.cfm
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/540363.html /
CONTACT:
Mattel Corporate Communications,
+1-310-252-4705, corporate.communications@mattel.com
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