SPRINGFIELD, MO: September 17, 2003: (AMEX: DCZ) - The Board of Directors of Decorize, Inc. announced that an Executive Committee has been appointed after the resignation of Jon Baker, the company's former President and Chief Executive Officer. The new Executive Committee is taking an active role in developing strategy and management practices for the company. Kevin Bohren will serve as Chairman, and Dr. John Bagalay, Jr., and Jim Parsons have been appointed to serve as members of the Executive Committee.
Mr. Bohren was elected a director of Decorize on June 29, 2001. Mr. Bohren serves as Chairman of the Executive Committee and as a member of the Audit Committee. Mr. Bohren is currently Chairman of the Board of BigTick Financial Services, a Chicago based company. Prior to BigTick, Mr. Bohren served as Vice President of Business Development and Communications with RLX Technologies. From January 1997 to October 1998, Mr. Bohren served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Traveling Software, Inc. Mr. Bohren worked with Compaq Computer Corp. for 14 years, serving in various capacities including Vice President and General Manager of the Commercial Desktop Division, Vice President for Consumer Product Marketing, and Vice President for Systems Marketing. While there, he successfully launched the Presario, Compaq's first consumer desktop brand.
Dr. John E. Bagalay, Jr. was appointed as a director of Decorize on December 12, 2002. He serves as Chairman of the Audit Committee and as a member of the Executive Committee. Dr. Bagalay has been the Senior Advisor to the Chancellor of Boston University since January 1998. He is Chairman of the Board of Directors of Wave Systems Corp. Dr. Bagalay was the Chief Operating Officer of Eurus Technologies, Inc. from January 1999 to December 1999 and Chief Financial Officer of Eurus International, Limited (formerly known as Eurus Technologies, Inc.) since January 1999. He served as the President and CEO of Cytogen Corporation from January 1998 to January 1999 and Chief Financial Officer from October 1997 to September 1998. Prior to that time, he served as Managing Director of the Community Technology Fund, a venture capital affiliate of Boston University from September 1989 to December 1997. He was the former General Counsel of the Lower Colorado River Authority, Texas Commerce Bancshares, Inc. and Houston First Financial Group. Dr. Bagalay currently serves as a director of Wave Systems Corp., Cytogen Corporation, and several privately held companies.
Mr. Parsons was appointed by the Board of Directors as President and Chief Executive Officer on August 25, 2003. Mr. Parsons also serves as a member of the Executive Committee. Mr. Parsons was a founder of Decorize and he has served as director and Executive Vice President since June 29, 2001. From 1983 to the present, Mr. Parsons has served as President of GuildMaster, which he founded, and which is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Decorize. GuildMaster has been recognized as a design leader in the industry and has created such successful brands as the Arnold Palmer Home Collection, Tin Revival and America Country West. Previously, Mr. Parsons founded and owned a collection of home furnishings-related businesses in Springfield, Missouri and a design studio in Kansas City, Missouri.
The Executive Committee acts through a working group of the company's officers and senior managers, including the Chief Financial Officer; the Director of Operations; the Director of Sales; the Vice President of Finance; the Director of Information Technology; and the Corporate Secretary.
About Decorize, Inc.
Decorize, Inc. has developed a sourcing, logistics and technology model that reduces various costs that have traditionally been channeled into the home furnishings category. The company delivers products directly from the Far East to its retailer customers and reduces or eliminates handling and storage costs, which results in substantial cost savings. Decorize has served more than 2,000 small and large retail accounts, including national brand names such as Dillard's, Rooms To Go and Sears -- The Great Indoors.
Decorize's business model seeks to provide aggressive savings for large retailers and also for small retailers. Small retailers can ship directly from the Far East with a minimum order of $500 while enjoying substantial cost savings over competitors' wholesale prices. Decorize offers over 10,000 SKUs through its brands: Faith Walk, GuildMaster and decorize.com. Additional information on the company and its products can be found at http://www.decorize.com.
Statements about the future performance of Decorize, economic trends, and other forward-looking statements in this release are made pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Investors are cautioned that such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including without limitation, continued acceptance of Decorize's products, increased levels of competition for the company, new products and technological changes, Decorize's dependence on third-party suppliers, and other risks detailed from time to time in Decorize's periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Decorize provides no assurance regarding the actual outcome of the events contemplated by any forward-looking statements included in this release.