HUNTINGDON VALLEY, Pa.—Wireless Xcessories Group signed a manufacturing and supply agreement with Sanyo Energy (U.S.A.) Corp. to manufacture mobile phone accessories for the electronics maker. The agreement links the modestly sized accessory maker to a manufacturer and retailer with notable presence in the North American market.
Sanyo has an exclusive agreement with Sprint Nextel Corp. to supply the carrier with CDMA phones. Sanyo is one of the carrier’s most important handset suppliers.
Wireless Xcessories will make vehicle and home chargers, leather holsters and cases and a variety of hands-free devices for its new partner. Sanyo, in turn, will offer the product line through its retail customers in the United States.
Wireless Xcessories said the deal will boost its sales figures starting in the second quarter.
Wireless Xcessories designs, manufactures and distributes accessories for cellular phones in the United States and Canada. The company had a solid 2005 with gross revenues up 44 percent over the prior year—despite the loss in the third quarter of nearly a half-million dollars in revenue from its formerly largest and unnamed customer, which shifted its business to a Chinese accessory maker. Wireless Xcessories attributed its 2005 growth to accessories for Apple Computer Inc. iPods, MP3 players and personal digital assistants.
Sanyo Energy, based in San Diego, is an affiliate of Sanyo North America Corp., a subsidiary of Japan-based Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. Sanyo builds phones in the United States, Japan and elsewhere, and recently signed a major joint venture agreement with Nokia Corp. for CDMA phones.
