Hampton Products Accelerates Growth Pace with Strategic Acquisition of Keeper Corporation

FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif.--Jan. 2, 20063, 2006--Hampton Products International Corporation (HPIC) announced the purchase of privately-held Keeper Corporation, located in North Windham, Connecticut. Keeper becomes a subsidiary of Hampton Automotive Group, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of HPIC.

Keeper Corporation is the retail market share leader and most widely distributed supplier of automotive cargo management products in the U.S. The company enjoys distribution in over 25,000 home center, auto parts and hardware retail outlets.

The acquisition of Keeper is a substantial growth step for Hampton, the second largest marketer of padlocks in the United States and a significant supplier of door locks, lighting, home and builder's hardware. Hampton is best known for its branded Hampton(R) and Brinks(R) security products. This focus on the automotive category is a tie back to Hampton's 1973 roots, when the company's first launch was a weatherproof padlock for spare tires.

"This acquisition is a significant investment which reinforces and expands our emphasis in security related products," said HPIC's Chairman/CEO, Kim Kelley. "Keeper adds cargo management capabilities to our collection of branded, high value, easy-to-use security hardware and related accessory products for the home, vehicle and workplace. In the first year alone, Keeper's sales will represent about one-third of Hampton's overall sales."

Keeper Corporation currently operates two large manufacturing and warehousing facilities, with over 170 employees. "Our people, facilities and culture will remain intact under the new subsidiary," said Ken Porter, who continues as President & CEO of Keeper. The companies spent nearly a year and a half getting to know each other prior to the purchase by HPIC. "We became convinced that Hampton's marketing, engineering, financial and sourcing strength--combined with Keeper's category success and very broad distribution--will result in market share growth, innovative product introductions and additional customer benefits," said Porter.

Hampton was equally optimistic about the synergy coming from the acquisition. "Our combined companies are already producing innovative ideas," said Kelley. "During the courting phase, our two R&D teams worked together to develop several new products, including a revolutionary bungee cord with a built-in carabiner style hook. It was introduced at the Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX) in Las Vegas last November and is already generating excitement with the company's key customers." Together, Hampton Automotive Group and Keeper plan to launch over 200 new and proprietary towing, towing security, cargo management products and merchandising concepts "to meet the needs of a changing marketplace," he added.

"We identified towing and automotive cargo accessories as strong growth categories, and decided Keeper was a great fit with our automotive group's expansion plans," Kelley stated. These categories enjoyed nearly 10% average annual growth for the past ten years, according to the 2004 annual report of the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA).

Porter started Keeper in 1979. The company developed a manufacturing niche in cargo management by specializing in tie-downs, lashing straps, bungee cords, tow ropes and straps. Both Hampton and Keeper have frequently earned 'vendor-of-the-year' recognition from key customers. With facilities at both ends of the country, Connecticut and California, Porter and Kelley anticipate "significant growth and even greater customer satisfaction."

About Hampton Products International Corp.

Hampton Products International Corporation, headquartered in Foothill Ranch, California, is the second largest marketer of padlocks in the U.S. The Company, whose roots in automotive security locks trace back to 1973, markets major brands including Brinks(R), Hampton(R) and Mountain Security(R) security products, and the recently introduced revolutionary, patented Lynx(TM) re-keyable locking technology. Hampton and the Hampton Automotive Group currently market padlocks, home hardware, door hardware, security lighting and automotive cargo management and towing products.

The Keeper Corporation subsidiary, of North Windham, Connecticut, is the retail category leader and most widely distributed supplier of cargo management products in the U.S.

For information on Hampton Products International Corporation and its product offerings, contact Rick Tysdal, Chief Operating Officer, at 50 Icon, Foothill Ranch, CA 92610; (800) 562-5625 or at www.hamptonproducts.com. For information on Keeper Corporation, contact Ken Porter at 6 Industrial Park Drive, N. Windham, CT 06256; (860) 456-4151 or visit www.keepercorp.com