Enesco Acquires Department 56 from Lenox

(BUSINESS WIRE) Enesco, LLC, a global leader in the giftware and home and garden décor industries, announced today that it has completed the acquisition of the Department 56 brand and key portfolio brands from Lenox Corporation. Established in 1976, Department 56 has been a major global force in the giftware, collectibles and holiday decorating industry for more than 30 years.

The acquisition includes brands such as Villages, Snowbabies^® and Possible Dreams as well as key D56 holiday and licensed lines. Enesco has also hired a substantial portion of Department 56's current employees, including the sales force, and acquired certain inventory and other assets of Department 56. The company intends to keep offices in both Minnesota and California.

"Department 56 is a very important and strategic addition to our family," stated Matt Bousquette, Executive Chairman of Enesco, LLC. "Department 56's stable of core brands, enormously talented pool of individuals, expansive retail footprint and reputation are much-coveted assets in the gift industry. We look forward to having other great designers and brands join the company in the near future. All of us at Enesco, including our new D56 colleagues, remain committed to supporting our retailers and consumers with brands and products that are unique and innovative."

Peter Cameron, Lenox Corporation's CEO said: "We are very pleased to have found an appropriate home for Department 56 and its employees. We have great confidence that Department 56 will flourish as part of the Enesco family, an owner with a significant focus on giftware products. This sale allows Lenox to focus on its core tabletop, designer partnerships and bridal businesses."

The acquisition of Department 56 builds on Enesco's strategy of growth via strategic acquisitions, licensing and internal brand development. Department 56 joins other recently acquired or licensed brands, including: Charming Tails, Gund^®, The Boyds Collection, Our Name is Mud^®, Country Artists^®, Gallery of Light , My Soul's Window and The Potter's Shed .

About Enesco, LLC.

Enesco, LLC, is a global leader in the giftware and home and garden décor industries. Serving more than 44,000 customers worldwide, Enesco distributes products to a wide variety of specialty card and gift retailers, home décor boutiques, mass-market chains and direct mail retailers. With subsidiaries in the United Kingdom, France, Canada and Hong Kong, Enesco serves markets operating in Europe, the Americas, Australia and Asia. The company's product lines include some of the world's most recognized brands including Heartwood Creek by Jim Shore, Foundations, Our Name is Mud®, Gund®, Boyds®, Country Artists®, Walt Disney Classics Collection, Disney Traditions , Border Fine Arts , Cherished Teddies, Bilston & Battersea Enamels®, and Lilliput Lane®, among others. Further information is available on the company's Web site at www.enesco.com.

About Lenox

Lenox Corporation is a market leader in quality tabletop, and giftware products sold under the Lenox, Dansk and Gorham brand names. The company sells its products through wholesale customers who operate gift, specialty and department store locations in the United States and Canada, company-operated retail stores, and direct-to-consumer channels, including catalog, direct mail, media, telemarketing and the Internet. For further information about Lenox, go to www.lenox.com.

Hannah Schroder
JSH&A Public Relations
630-932-7938
hannah@jsha.com