Press Release Source: RG Global Lifestyles, Inc.
RG Global Lifestyles CEO Lou Knickerbocker Passes Away Unexpectedly
Tuesday April 24, 5:09 pm ET
RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, Calif., April 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- RG Global Lifestyles (OTC Bulletin Board: RGBL - News) sadly announces that CEO Louis L. Knickerbocker, 67, suddenly and unexpectedly passed away after collapsing earlier today. The cause of death is unknown at this time.
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Grant King, President of RG Global Asia and a director of the company, has been appointed the Acting CEO of RG Global until a successor is named.
"This is an extremely sad day for the RG Global family," said Mr. King. "On behalf of the Board of Directors and all RG Global employees, we would like to extend our deepest condolences to the Knickerbocker family."
"All of us at RG Global were privileged to work with Lou and share close friendships that extended far beyond the office walls," Mr. King noted. "Lou enthusiastically led RG Global with great conviction and a creative entrepreneurial spirit. One of Lou's most important legacies is the innovative and talented executive team he put in place that is committed to pursuing his strategic vision."
RG Global's offices will be closed for the remainder of Tuesday. RG Global expects to continue normal operations when the office reopens on Wednesday, April 25th.
From a rocky start as a homeless boy at age 15, Mr. Knickerbocker was an inspiration to many. Mr. Knickerbocker's career as an entrepreneur spans more than 35 years in management, sales, marketing, real estate sales and finance. He founded several companies in the private sector, including the L.L. Knickerbocker Company that he successfully took public in 1996. As Chairman and CEO, Mr. Knickerbocker's companies, which marketed a wide variety of branded collectibles, jewelry and accessories and consumer products and had equity interests in multiple alternative energy companies, achieved sales of more than $100 million. Mr. Knickerbocker is credited with being the first visionary to utilize celebrities and expert spokespersons to build brands and to sell products on TV in the home shopping industry. Many of the programs initiated by him still exist today on QVC and HSN.
During the economic downturn at the turn of the millennium, the LL Knickerbocker Company failed and had to file bankruptcy. However, never one to give up, Lou accepted a loan of an aging vehicle from his long-time friend "Johnny" Evans and embarked on a comeback of amazing proportions.
Starting from scratch in 2002 at the age of 62, Mr. Knickerbocker got his real estate brokers license and, within five years, built a successful real estate company, a mortgage banking company and a 50% interest in a second real estate company. Always loyal to his friends, Mr. Knickerbocker's friend "Johnny" is the President of Pinnacle Fine Homes Real Estate, which Lou founded. Additionally, in 2005, Mr. Knickerbocker joined with a group of his original investors in L.L. Knickerbocker and was able to buy the company out of bankruptcy, and renamed it RG Global Lifestyles. At Lou's insistence, part of the deal required that former creditors and shareholders each receive 5% in stock in the new publicly traded company, which recently signed its first multi-million dollar contract in Wyoming to treat water used in the production of coal bed methane and is swiftly growing sales of multiple water treatment processes.
Mr. Knickerbocker was born in California and is a graduate of Santa Monica College with a major in Economics. From 1959 through 1961, he was an Army Paratrooper and continued in the reserve service for three more years. Mr. Knickerbocker leaves behind his wife, Netdao, and six children from previous marriages.
About RG Global Lifestyles, Inc.
RG Global Lifestyles, Inc. is the parent company of wholly owned subsidiary Aquair(TM), Inc. Aquair, was formed for the express purpose of developing and distributing quality industrial and residential water products using the latest in water production and treatment technologies to provide pure safe water around the world. RG Global's products address many water quality issues, including remedying the increasingly prevalent microbial water supply contamination and contamination resulting from oil and gas production. For more information, visit www.rgglife.com and www.aquair.com.
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