SALT LAKE CITY, Jan. 13, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Black Diamond, Inc. (Nasdaq: BDE ) (the "Company" or "Black Diamond") subsidiary POC, a leading manufacturer of snow and cycling helmets, apparel and accessories, has partnered with Volvo Car Group to explore new ideas to fuel safety and design innovation.
Engineers and product designers from both brands will work together and plan to apply the findings to upcoming products.
"With POC's mission of doing the best we can to possibly save lives and reduce the consequences of accidents for gravity sports athletes and cyclists, it's a treasure to interact on cycling safety together with Volvo Cars," said Stefan Ytterborn, POC founder and CEO. "They have the vision, competence and experience and have been leading the development within road safety for more than 80 years."
The collaboration will work to improve the interactions between cyclists and motorists. POC's upcoming AVIP road cycling product line is designed to increase the visibility of cyclists and improve the communication between the two groups. Volvo is working to create technology that will notify both the cyclists and the driver of each other's presence. The first results will be presented during the second half of 2014.
"Communication with cyclists around the car is a possible extension of our ground-breaking Pedestrian and Cyclist Detection technology," said Jan Ivarsson, Senior Manager, Safety Strategy and Requirements at Volvo Car Group. "Providing the cyclist with a confirmation that he or she is seen by the vehicle can make interaction between cars and cyclists smoother and safer in urban areas."
"The partnership with POC will be inspiring and fruitful," said Thomas Ingenlath, Senior Vice President Design of Volvo Car Group. "Both of our companies have a strong emphasis on safety and protection. POC can inspire us to make safety an emotional experience and to create even more desirable cars. Their products blend functional design with lightweight, high performance materials that offer the ultimate sense of freedom and protection when things really get rough. This is perfectly in tune with our aim to make functionality and safety an emotional experience."
About POC
POC Sweden AB was founded on a strong mission to seek to do everything possible to save lives and reduce the consequences of accidents for gravity sports athletes by developing and continually renewing what personal protection is all about. In many ways, POC believes it has set a new standard when it comes to technical solutions, construction, material combinations and engineering, with patented solutions to increase its athletes' degree of protection. POC's line of products includes helmets, body armor, goggles, eyewear, gloves and apparel. POC also has a retail store in Chamonix, France. For additional information, please visit www.POCsports.com .
About Black Diamond, Inc.
Black Diamond, Inc. is a global leader in the design, manufacturing and marketing of innovative active outdoor performance products for climbing, mountaineering, backpacking, skiing, cycling and other outdoor recreation activities for a wide range of year-round use. The Company's principal brands, Black Diamond®, Gregory™, POC™ and PIEPS™, are iconic in the active outdoor industry and linked intrinsically with the modern history of these sports. Black Diamond is synonymous with performance, innovation, durability and safety that the outdoor and action sport communities rely on and embrace in their active lifestyle. Headquartered in Salt Lake City at the base of the Wasatch Mountains, the Company's products are created and tested on some of the best alpine peaks, slopes, crags, roads and trails in the world. These close connections to the Black Diamond lifestyle enhance the authenticity of the Company's brands, inspire product innovation and strengthen customer loyalty. The Company's products are sold by leading specialty retailers in the U.S. and 50 countries around the world. For additional information, please visit the Company's websites at www.blackdiamond-inc.com , www.blackdiamondequipment.com , www.gregorypacks.com , www.pocsports.com or www.pieps.com .
Company Contact: Warren B. Kanders Executive Chairman Tel 1-203-428-2000 or Peter Metcalf President & CEO Tel 1-801-278-5552 Investor Relations: Liolios Group, Inc. Scott Liolios or Cody Slach Tel 1-949-574-3860
