Jerome ``Jerry'' Kuenster, formerly Senior VP of Domestic Sales, OddzOn, Inc., and Cap Candy, a division of Hasbro, has joined Trendmasters, Inc. as Executive Vice President. Initially, Jerry will have overall responsibilities for sales and marketing, working with the Vice Presidents of Domestic and International Sales. Jerry will be utilizing his extensive operational experience in coordinating sales activities with various operational functions within Trendmasters, including accounting, information systems, customer service, marketing and production.

Prior to the acquisition of OddzOn by Hasbro, Jerry was Vice President of Domestic Sales for OddzOn Products, division of Russ Berrie Enterprises and Vice President of Sales and Operations for OddzOn Products when it was an independent company. In those roles, he had responsibility for the overall management of domestic sales, including all channels of distribution, marketing to mass merchandisers, management of sales representatives, customer service and trade marketing. Further, his past experience includes extensive involvement in operational issues, such as warehousing, shipment, distribution, purchasing and Hong Kong production management.

In making the announcement, J. Russell Hornsby, Co-Founder and CEO of Trendmasters, Inc., stated that Jerry will be bringing many of the skills obtained working within the Hasbro organization in order to assist Trendmasters as it grows to the next level of sophistication and capabilities. ``Bringing Jerry within our management group is one more step toward building the foundation which will help us expand Trendmasters' revenue, profits and capabilities.'' Hornsby has been overseeing operational as well as developmental aspects of Trendmasters' business since the beginning of the year, when co-founder Leo Hauser retired.

Trendmasters, Inc. is a vertically integrated, privately held toy boutique that creates, designs, manufactures and sells all its products, and is known industry wide for innovation and leading technology. Trendmasters has a novel approach to offering high value products with amazing play patterns, such as the robotic dogs, Big Scratch and Lil' Scratch, as well as Wuv Luv, a plush creature that gives birth and interacts with her babies. Trendmasters pioneered the use of ``trend-tech'' - an accumulation of patented technologies, combined in clever ways to create such illusions as ``artificial intelligence'' and ``fuzzy logic.'' This approach is analogous to NASA's own ``cheaper, better, smarter'' philosophy. The company has showrooms in New York with production facilities in Hong Kong.

Trendmasters has major licensing agreements with prominent licensors that represent properties such as Powerpuff Girls, X-Men, Pokemon, Toy Story, Thomas the Tank, Looney Tunes and Spy Kids.

[Posted 7/31/2000]