Mattel Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Robert Eckert Testifies at House Hearing on Toy Safety

EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Sept. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Today, Robert Eckert, chairman and chief executive officer of Mattel, Inc., told a Congressional Committee that he would take personal responsibility for ensuring that Mattel's systems and people are dedicated to safe toys. In testimony before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Mr. Eckert affirmed Mattel's commitment to continued safety improvements and the company's willingness to work with regulators and others in the industry.

"I'm the person responsible for making sure all our systems and all our people are dedicated to safe toys for our kids to enjoy, without worry or concern," Mr. Eckert told the Committee. "My job is to find out what happened and to make sure it never happens again."

Mr. Eckert told the committee that Mattel's own investigation has identified what happened and his written statement submitted to the committee earlier this week contains detailed information about the sequence of events related to the recent recalls.

In his testimony before the committee, Mr. Eckert focused on how Mattel plans to ensure that the company's standards are met in the future. He outlined Mattel's three-stage lead-paint safety check that subjects products manufactured for Mattel to lead-paint rules throughout the production cycle and assured the Committee that samples of each batch of toys will be tested prior to reaching store shelves. He also stated that Mattel has increased the number of auditors to monitor every major manufacturer's compliance with Mattel standards. And, Mattel employees will conduct surprise inspections, as well.

Mr. Eckert announced that Mattel would initiate third-party audits of its product safety and quality systems and begin a dialogue with government and community organizations to identify new ways to communicate about recalls as broadly as possible.

Mr. Eckert also announced Mattel's plan to share their experience with their competitors. "I can assure this Committee that we'll share with other toy companies what we've learned to help improve industry practices overall, and to ensure that children play with safe toys regardless of who made them or where they were made," Mr. Eckert said.

Mr. Eckert told the Committee he will travel back to China this month to inspect the implementation of the new procedures, to discuss the company's action plans with local managers and to make clear his expectations for the safety of Mattel toys.

The full testimony given at today's hearing can be found at http://www.shareholder.com/mattel/default.cfm.

About Mattel

Mattel, Inc., (http://www.mattel.com/) is the worldwide leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of toys and family products. The Mattel family is comprised of such best-selling brands as Barbie(R), the most popular fashion doll ever introduced, Hot Wheels(R), Matchbox(R), American Girl(R), Radica(R) and Tyco(R) R/C, as well as Fisher-Price(R) brands, including Little People(R), Power Wheels(R) and a wide array of entertainment-inspired toy lines. Mattel is recognized as one of the 100 Most Trustworthy U.S. Companies by Forbes Magazine and is ranked among the 100 Best Corporate Citizens by CRO Magazine. Committed to ethical manufacturing practices, Mattel marks a 10-year milestone in 2007 for its ever-evolving Global Manufacturing Principles and focus on sustainable business practices. With global headquarters in El Segundo, Calif., Mattel employs more than 30,000 people in 43 countries and territories and sells products in more than 150 nations. Mattel's vision is to be the world's premier toy brands -- today and tomorrow.