Harry Schulman

Applica Consumer Products, Inc. manufactures and distributes household appliances. It distributes small household appliances such as toaster ovens, hair dryers, irons, coffee makers, and automatic cat litter boxes. The firm markets products under Black & Decker, Windmere, Toast-R-Oven, SpaceMaker, Lids Off, Gizmo, and LitterMaid brands. The company is headquartered in Miramar, FL.

Hancock Fabrics, Inc. operated as a retailer of fashion and home decorating textiles, sewing accessories, needlecraft supplies and sewing machines. Its stores offered fabrics and notions used in apparel sewing, home decorating and quilting projects. The company was founded in 1957 and was headquartered in Baldwyn, MS.

Applica Incorporated is a marketer and distributor of a wide range of small appliances for use in and outside the home. Through its operating subsidiary, Applica Consumer Products, Inc., Applica markets products under licensed brand names such as Black & Decker, company-owned brand names such as Littermaid, Infrawave and private label brand names, primarily in North America, Latin America and the Caribbean. The word 'Applica' is derived from the English word 'appliance' and the Latin word 'plicare.' An 'appliance' is a device or instrument, especially one operated by electricity and designed for household use. The word 'plicare' means to fold into one unified whole. That is why innovation in design, development, and marketing of home appliances is not only their primary business but the hallmark of Applica Incorporated. Applica's Black & Decker Houshold Products division designs small kitchen and garment care appliances under Black & Decker licenses and markets these products to retailers and distributors in North America and Latin America. Applica also has several other sub-brands including Toast-R-Oven, SpaceMaker, Lids Off and Gizmo. Domestically, Applica, with its line of Black & Decker labeled products, holds a No. 1 market position in several product categories, including toaster ovens and irons. Additionally, Applica manufactures the LitterMaid computerized, infrared, automatic self-cleaning cat litter box.