February 2010 - Oser Communications Group

Transcription

MARKET WATCH:
BUYERS’ GUIDE:
SPECIAL FEATURE:
TRADE SHOW UPDATES
COFFEE & TEA PRODUCTS
CERTIFIABLY GREEN
SEE PAGE 22
SEE PAGE 8
SEE PAGE 11
&
K ITCHENWARE NEWS
H o u s e w,a r e s R e v i e w
S E RV I N G K I T C H E N WA R E
VOLUME 16, NUMBER 2
H O U S E WA R E S A N D TA B L E T O P M A R K E T S
FEBR UARY 2010
Suppliers Travel
Greener Paths
by Joanne Friedrick
It’s no mystery that consumers want to “go
green.” The only question is, ‘what motivates
them to do so, and how can retailers and
manufacturers respond appropriately?’
Market research firm GfK Custom Research
North America calls it the “age of green
pragmatism,” with Americans moving beyond
altruistic reasons for making eco-friendly
choices, and basing their decisions on practical
motives such as saving money, improving health,
getting a better value and promoting safety.
Many companies within the kitchenware and
housewares industry have recognized changing
consumer attitudes and have either reformulated
their existing products or added new lines that
address this desire.
Continued on Page 15
U.S. Companies
Think Global by
Attending Ambiente
by Kelly Lewis
A handful of American companies will take
their products overseas this month in hopes of
expanding their market by showcasing at the
2010 Ambiente Feb. 12 to 16 in Frankfurt,
Germany. From first-timers to seasoned pros,
company representatives say they believe the
Ambiente trade fair is the best way to reach an
international market, and detail the products
they will be showcasing.
Fat Daddios Debuts 200 Items as
First Time Ambiente Exhibitor
Showing at Ambiente for the first time this
year, Co-Owner Greg Skipper said Fat Daddios
will be introducing 200 items of pastry tools and
equipment to the European market.
“It's the most ambitious introduction we've ever
done as a company in over 40 years of manufacturing,” Skipper said. “But also, in 40 years, I've
never been as excited for a product introduction.”
Fat Daddios has been selling in the North
American market now for many years, starting
off as a family business in the 1960s, which rebranded in 2002 to become Fat Daddios.
Continued on Page 18
w w w . k i t c h e n w a r e n e w s . c o m
{ n e w p ro d u c t s }
CUISINART’S GREENGOURMET
ELECTRIC SKILLET
Cuisinart’s GreenGourmet Electric Skillet
is 14 inches in diameter, and just like the
cookware line that inspired it, is coated
in exclusive Cuisinart Ceramica, a
petroleum-free ceramic-based cooking
surface that contains no PTFE or PFOA.
This unique nonstick coating allows
home cooks to sear, fry, griddle, simmer
and braise a wide variety of foods with
little or no oil or butter and is extremely
easy to clean. It features an adjustable
temperature control dial that ranges
from warm to 450°F. The electric skillet
comes with a recipe booklet that
contains more than 30 recipes. The
GreenGourmet Electric Skillet is
designed with 1800 watts of power, a
tempered glass lid with stainless steel rim
and die-cast stainless steel handles. The
exterior of the pan has a polished
stainless steel finish, and the unit also
has an indicator light that turns off when
the desired temperature is reached.
Suggested Retail Price: $149
Cuisinart
[tel] 203-975-4600
www.cuisinart.com
JESSIE STEELE’S
RESUABLE RETRO CHERRIES TOTE
Expanding on its popular aprons and
accessories line, Jessie Steele has
added reusable tote bags for spring
2010. Not just for the grocery store, the
coordinating shopping totes are
designed with the same Jessie Steele
signature prints found on their
fashionable aprons. Some of the bestselling prints include Cherry Cupcakes,
Brown and Pink Dot, Café Toile, Retro
Cherries and Summer Lemons. Made
from durable and reinforced canvas,
these oversized rectangular totes
feature long shoulder straps and a
sturdy design and are extremely
versatile. Jessie Steele was founded in
2002 by mother-daughter team Helena
and Claire Steele.
Suggested Retail Price: $21.95
Jessie Steele
[tel] 877-953-7743
www.jessiesteele.com
2
Kitchenware News & Housewares Review • FEBRUARY 2010
www.kitchenwarenews.com
february 2010
contents
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{shorts}
NEWS ON SIX
MARKET WATCH
GUEST COLUMN
CALENDAR
AD INDEX
a
f
Wilton Armetale Runs Table-Setting Contest
Wilton Armetale, a family-owned
manufacturing company, launched a tablesetting contest to encourage customers to
send in pictures of their best setting
featuring at least one piece of Wilton
Armetale. Wilton Armetale has been in
business since 1892 and produces Armetale
metal cookware and serveware.
The company offered cash prizes. The
contest was conducted through the
company’s website, with consumers sending
their photo in via e-mail. “The spirit of the
contest is to get consumers involved with the
product and show their creativity using
Wilton Armetale,” stated President Ken
Lefever in a prepared release. “There is a
large collector base around the country that
brings out their collection during the
holidays for entertaining. We want to
celebrate and capture these moments.”
people to use their imaginations and
stretch their creativity. “We don't want to
lock people into just a traditional or
holiday setting or theme,” said Lefever.
“Just like the product, the versatility and
ability to work well in any theme or
environment is a major part of the appeal.”
Under the contest rules, consumers were
free to set their table in any fashion as
long as they showed at least one item of
Wilton Armetale brand products. There
are no categories or theme restrictions for
the contest. The company encouraged
The contest, which ran through Jan. 15,
offered the following prizes: $1,000 for first,
$500 for second and third prize, $250. All
non-winning entries were entered in a chance
to win a Wilton Armetale product selection
valued at $100 or more.
San Francisco International Gift Fair
Partners with Non-Profits
Urban Expositions, managers of the
semi-annual San Francisco International
Gift Fair, have established a charitable
partnership program that will benefit
the San Francisco Food Bank and Under
One Roof.
Attendees at the gift fair, which runs
Feb. 6 to 9 at the Moscone Convention
Center in San Francisco, were asked to
donate three non-perishable food items to
the Food Bank via drop offs in barrels
inside the convention center lobby. In
return, donators received a $5 parking or
public transportation credit. At the end
of the gift fair, exhibitors also donate
thousands of dollars in merchandise to
Under One Roof, a retail outlet for
AIDS/HIV relief. The donated items are
sold at the store’s Castro District location.
“We look forward to building upon the gift
fair’s relationship with those two important
non-profits,” said Doug Miller, president of
Urban Expositions in a prepared statement.
“This partnership gives exhibitors and
attendees alike the opportunity to actively give
back to the San Francisco community.”
Attendees who were unable to make food
donations were encouraged to make a
monetary donation to the gift fair or use a
portion of their parking or transportation
rebate as a donation to the food bank.
Urban Expositions, based here, is a producer
of gift, souvenir and resort merchandise trade
shows, including gift shows in Philadelphia,
Seattle, Boston, Ft. Lauderdale, Galveston
and Orlando. For more information, contact
Urban Expositions at www.urban-expo.com.
e
c
b
d
ON THE COVER
a
HIGH COUNTRY INDUSTRIES
Grillex Indoor Brazilian Barbecue
[tel] 208-899-4054
www.grillex.com
b
LINDEN SWEDEN
Daloplast Anita Board,
Spreader and Cover Set
[tel] 952-465-0052
www.lindensweden.com
c
ANCHOR HOCKING
Anchor Home Collections
3-piece Wedge Server
[tel] 740-687-2500
www.anchorhocking.com
d
BODUM USA
Bodum ICE French Press Coffee Maker
[tel] 877-992-6386
www.bodumusa.com
e
EDGEWARE
Mandoline Slicer
[tel] 800-221-4156
www.edgewareproducts.com
f
FULL CIRCLE
Reach Bottle Brush
[tel] 866-259-0727
www.fullcirclehome.com
3
Going
Green:
publisher’s
note
By the Numbers
Survey conducted by GfKRoper
and released by Tiller LLC. Posted
on www.treehugger.com.
75
The percent who said they are “very
likely” or “somewhat likely” to
reduce their home's energy
consumption this year.
74
The percent who said they are
likely to recycle more.
66
The percent who said they are likely
to reduce household chemicals.
43
The percent who said they are likely
to reduce their carbon footprint.
42
I would like to extend a warm welcome to Joanne Friedrick, our new
managing editor, effective with this issue of Kitchenware News &
Housewares Review. Joanne and I worked together when she was editor of Gourmet News
and I was helping launch Kitchenware News a few years back. She has an extensive
journalistic background and is looking forward to hearing from the industry. You’ll get
to meet her at the IH+HA show next month. Please join me in welcoming her to the
KNHR team.
The percentage of American adults
who recycle something in their home.
23
The percentage of American adults
who recycle nothing at all.
88 & 86
4
w w w. k i t c h e n w a r e n e w s . c o m
PUBLISHER
Karen Taylor
[email protected]
[tel] (323) 397-9507
MANAGING EDITOR
Joanne Friedrick
[email protected]
[tel] (207) 780-8656
ASSOCIATE EDITORS
Kelly Lewis
[email protected]
Our guest column this month is about the green certification process in woodenware by
John Rodrigues, vice president of J.K. Adams Co., a Vermont-based manufacturer of wood
kitchenware products. Our goal with this new feature, introduced in January, is to provide
a forum to share expertise and knowledge from all segments of our segment of the
industry and to offer an opportunity for other voices to be heard. Please feel free to contact
me if you have a burning desire to contribute to this monthly feature.
JoEllen Lowry
[email protected]
Ellen Ranta
[email protected]
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Valerie Wilson
[email protected]
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Advertisers, if you haven’t already booked your space for the all-important March IH+HA
show, there may still be time, so please give me a shout and let’s get those ads booked!
Along with what’s new at the show, we’ll be featuring a section on ethnic cookware, tracking
new trends in this important and growing category of cookware, trends in retail and product
colors to be seen at the show, a barbecue accessories buyers’ guide and market watch on
outdoor living products.
Yasmine Brown
[email protected]
SUBSCRIBER SERVICES
1877 N. Kolb Road
Tucson, Arizona 85715
[tel] (520) 721-1300
[fax] (520) 721-6300
Looking forward to seeing you in March!
KITCHENWARE/HOUSEWARES ADVERTISING
Karen Taylor, Publisher
[email protected]
SENIOR
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER
editor’s
note
Without revealing my age, I’ll tell you that when I was in high
school, I participated in one of the first Earth Day events. It
seemed like such a strange phenomenon back then, talking about recycling and
preserving the earth’s resources.
Today, many (make that many, many) years later, we continue to explore ways in which
to preserve and conserve resources. It’s good to see that the kitchenware and
housewares industry is front and center in this process. Whether it is manufacturing
methods, materials or packaging, companies are interested in being good stewards
to the earth and are reflecting this in the products they are creating.
Likewise, retailers are doing their part by promoting these green and eco-friendly
products, selling reusable bags in their stores and being more conscious of energy
use, waste management and so forth.
The percentage of people on the
East and West coasts, respectively,
who recycle.
That’s not to say that there isn’t room for further developments on the environmental
front. Like the organic standards that helped weed out false or misleading claims of
organic status, certification for green products will go a long way toward making the
claims companies make about their products truly resonate with retail buyers and
consumers. Too often people want to get on the bandwagon without actually doing
the necessary work, and that’s where certification or standards can set the bar.
68 & 70
Let us all hope that what seemed like a novel and even pie-in-the-sky concept in my
youth will become part of the mainstream in the future. To achieve this, however,
companies need to become truly green in deed, not just word. And retailers must offer
consumers the opportunity to purchase these products regularly and at prices that
can keep them special, but not out of the realm of the everyday shopper.
The percentage of people in the
South and Midwest, respectively,
who recycle.
Housewares Review
You will notice a cleaner format on the pages of KNHR in 2010. We’ve tweaked our layout
to make the publication more user-friendly and will be adding more features as we
embrace the new year and will continue to strive to bring our readers and advertisers the
freshest product we can.
The percent who said they would carry
reusable bags to the grocery store.
77
&
KITCHENWARE NEWS
Kate Seymour
[email protected]
[tel] (520) 721-1300
Kitchenware News & Housewares Review is a
publication of ELM Communications, a division of
Oser Communications Group, Inc.
1877 N. Kolb Road Tucson, AZ 85715
www.oser.com
PRESIDENT
Lee M. Oser
Periodicals postage paid at Tucson, AZ and additional mailing office. Kitchenware News & Housewares Review (USPS012625) is published 12 times per year (Jan., Feb., March, April,
May, June, July, Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov. and Dec.) by Oser
Communications Group, 1877 N. Kolb Road, Tucson, AZ,
85715 (520) 721-1300. Publisher assumes no responsibility
for unsolicited material or prices quoted in newspaper.
Contributors are responsible for proper release of proprietary
classified information. ©2010 by Oser Communications Group.
All rights reserved. Reproduction, in whole or in part, without written permission of the publisher, is expressly prohibited. Back issues, when available, cost $8 each within the past
12 months. Back issue orders must be paid in advance by
check. Kitchenware News & Housewares Review is distributed
without charge in North America to qualified professionals in
the retail and distribution channels of the upscale kitchenware
and tabletop trade. For subscriber services, including subscription information, call (520) 721-1300. Printed in the USA.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Kitchenware News
& Housewares Review, 1877 N. Kolb Road, Tucson, AZ 85715.
Joanne Friedrick, Managing Editor
[email protected]
ZOJIRUSHI’S 3-IN-1 GOURMET
D’EXPERT ELECTRIC SKILLET
MUD PIE’S CLASSIC
SHELL BAMBOO CRACKER SET
Mud Pie from Stone Mountain, Ga.,
introduces Classic Shell, a variety of seathemed tabletop and home décor gift
items. The collection offers more than 45
gift items, including the Bamboo
Cracker Set. Made from eco-friendly
bamboo, the set features a blue classic
shell glass insert in the tray and cast
metal spreader. The tray measures
7" x 13".
A variety of entrees, appetizers and
soups can be prepared in the 3-in-1
Gourmet D’Expert Electric Skillet. The
skillet allows users to grill, simmer and
steam foods. It is equipped with two
sizes of titanium ceramic nonstick plates.
A 2.5-inch deep pan allows for soup
preparation, while the 12-inch wide
griddle provides for grilling or making
pancakes. There is also a steaming
plate. Other features include stay-cool
handles, a see-through tempered glass
lid and a detachable power cord.
Zojirushi America Corp.
[tel] 310-769-1900
www.zojirushi.com
Mud Pie
[tel] 800-998-1633
www.mud-pie.com
TODCO’S MENO
TRIGGER GRIP COOKING TOOLS
TODCO has introduced five new
cooking tools designed with a
comfortable grip for positive feeling
and control without fatigue for
individuals who enjoy the art of cooking.
Introduced under the Meno brand,
the new tools are a ceramic peeler,
paring knife, mini-spatula, 4-inch
diameter pizza cutter and an ice
cream scoop. The cooking tools are
ideal for both left- and right-handed
individuals. Like other Meno Trigger
Grip cooking tools, the expanded line
has been designed with a unique,
patented handle with a proven
curvature that makes it easy to use
and grip comfortably and securely.
The tools are sold individually and
available in black and red. The paring
knife and ice cream scoop are made
of stainless steel. The peeler’s strong
ceramic tip allows it to stay sharp
longer without rusting. The minispatula is made of stainless steel and
the pizza cutter has a four-inch nylon
wheel for use on nonstick pans.
Suggested Retail Prices: $5.99 to $9.99
TODCO/The Hannon Group Ltd.
[tel] 888-282-0797
www.hannongroup.com
5
{ news on six }
Bodum, a maker of coffee, tea and other
household and kitchenware products, was
the recipient of 14 2010 iF Product Design
Awards. Bodum won for products such as
its Bistro Flatbed Toaster, Twin Salt and
Pepper Grinder, Travel Press Stainless Steel
Mug, Cool Water Jug, Nissen Christmas
Tree Holder, Presso Storage Jar and
Canteen Double Wall Porcelain Mug.
Thomas Perez, president of Bodum USA,
New York, said, “We are very proud that the
Bodum design team has done it again. We
feel the strong growth Bodum has achieved
in 2009 will continue in 2010 and beyond.”
The iF Product Design Award, based in
Germany, recognizes products that unite
functionality, comfort and aesthetics as well
as embracing the challenges of innovation.
The 2,800 products submitted for the
award are judged over three days by an
international jury based on a catalog of
criteria. For more information, contact
Bodum USA at 800-232-6386 or visit
www.bodumusa.com.
Dexter-Russell Inc., a manufacturer of
professional cutlery, has promoted Craig
Giguere to treasurer and chief financial
officer at the Southbridge, Mass.-based
company. Giguere, a certified public
accountant, joined the company in 2008 as
controller. He is a graduate of Worcester
State College. Before joining DexterRussell, he worked for 10 years in general
accounting and auditing, including serving
an audit supervisor at Bollus Lynch LLP
6
and Worcester College. Dexter-Russell
was founded in 1818 and is the oldest
manufacturer of professional cutlery in the
United States. For more information,
contact Dexter-Russell at 508-765-0201 or
visit www.dexter-russell.com.
Onewayshopping.com LLC, a comprehensive price comparison website, announced
that among online shoppers, home appliances
were among the most searched for items.
Based on data gathered a over Black Friday
and Cyber Monday, Anderson Koibita, chief
executive officer at the company, based in
Kissimmee, Fla., said top product searches
included KitchenAid mixers, waffle makers,
George Foreman grills, cooking tool sets
and cookware. He said shoppers were not
only shopping for gifts, but also looking
for attractive discounts and deals.
Onewayshopping.com is a comprehensive
search engine designed to connect online
shoppers with sellers. The site maintains free
sample product listings and accepts any data
feed format from online merchants. For more
information, contact Onewayshopping.com
at [email protected].
Diamond Sharp, a leading knife
sharpening and cutlery exchange service,
has expanded its customer base beyond
California. Cliff Wallman, spokesperson
for Diamond Sharp, said, “We are excited
to say that we are expanding in a time
when many other companies are
downsizing. With our upsizing, we can
assure our clientele that we have the
backup needed to continue providing
excellent service.” For 20 years, Diamond
Sharp, based in Brea, Calif., has provided
blade sharpening via a mail order service
to both consumers and businesses. To meet
the demands of an expanded customer
base, Diamond Sharp is hiring more
employees for its headquarters in both
sales and sharpening. In addition to
growing the knife sharpening and cutlery
exchange divisions, Diamond Sharp’s new
growth will enable it to concentrate on
other aspects such as repair, maintenance,
sales and parts. For more information,
contact Diamond Sharp at 800-400-6414
or visit www.diamondsharp.net.
CooksPlus, a culinary retail store on Hilton
Head Island in South Carolina, has launched
a new website to support its retail operation.
Features of the new site include faster and
more powerful search capabilities, improved
checkout, simpler site layout and enhanced
security. CooksPlus is also adding new
products weekly to its online catalog based
on customer requests and the latest
innovations in kitchenware. Internal staff
and chefs from the store’s cooking classes
have tested all products on the CooksPlus
website. With three decades of experience
in housewares, the CooksPlus staff is
available to answer questions via its tollfree number. For more information, contact
CooksPlus at 866-689-9701 or visit
www.cooksplus.com.
Verilux Inc., makers of home, office, travel,
wellness and skincare products, raised
more than $60,000 in 2009 to benefit more
than 25 international, national and local
non-profit organizations. Verilux, based
in Waitsfield, Vt., donated a portion of
all sales of its eco-friendly compact
fluorescent bulbs to its charitable
give-back program. “Contributing to
communities on a local, national and
world-wide bases is a cherished tradition
for our company,” said Nicholas Harmon,
President of Verilux. Verilux supports
non-profit groups focused on protecting
the environment and human rights, aiding
the poor, seeking cancer cures and
enhancing local communities in Vermont
and elsewhere in America. These charities
include the Environmental Defense
Fund, Nature Conservancy, National
Wildlife Foundation, Greenpeace, Natural
Resources Defense Council, Union of
Concerned Scientists, the Sierra Club and
Amnesty International, CARE, UNICEF,
the New Sudan Educational Initiative,
Breast Cancer.org, Breast Cancer Site,
Susan G. Komen Foundation, Avon
Foundation Breast Cancer Crusade, the
National Breast Cancer Foundation,
Lighthouse International, the Vermont
Natural Resources Council, the Vermont
Food Bank, the Mad River Valley
Community Fund and other local
nonprofit groups. For more information,
contact Verilux at 800-454-4408 or visit
www.verilux.com.
{ headlines }
IHA Introduces Social Media Tools for Association Show
In an effort to further connect with
members, industry profes-sionals and
consumers, the International Housewares
Association debuted a strategic social media
plan on Nov. 19.
IHA initiated memberships on Facebook,
Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. In
addition, it posted Wikipedia pages for
both IHA and the International Home +
Housewares Show, and started a blog on
its website, www.housewares.org.
“The rapid development of social media
over the past few years has enabled
individuals to connect with other users
who share common interests,” said Derek
Miller, vice president, international for
IHA. “Being a trade association, the IHA
is uniquely positioned to help facilitate
networking and group discussions within
the housewares industry.”
feed, housewaresShow, was developed for
show buyer attendees, with a focus on preshow preparation and show events, but also
provides industry information.
Like Facebook, IHA’s LinkedIn group
displays member networking opportunities
and provides discussion boards to facilitate
contact, but it has a strict focus on business
relationships. Individuals can join both the
IHA group and a more specific subgroup
for the show.
The new blog on IHA’s website will feature
contributions from several authors discussing
by Ellen Ranta
topics, ranging from the latest consumer
lifestyle trends to behind the scenes happenings
at the International Home + Housewares
Show. So far, all of the writers for the blog have
been IHA staff members, Miller said, but the
association expects to feature industry experts
as guest writers from time to time.
large number of people in a very short
period of time,” Miller said.
Lastly, IHA has two new Wikipedia sites—
one that explains the history and mission of
the association, and one that focuses on the
show. Users can sign up for any of these tools
at www.housewares.org/sm/.
“Social media is a buzz right now with
countless people jumping in. Although many
claim to be experts, I believe that everyone
is still moving up the learning curve at this
point and doubt anyone has reached the top;
social media is simply evolving too fast for
anyone to have completely figured it out.”
“Social media has the potential to reach a
On the flip side, Miller noted, “Social media’s
biggest advantage of being able to reach a
large audience quickly may also be its biggest
disadvantage, if you have negative press.
The association’s Facebook page includes IHA
information and photos as well as a wall feed
to facilitate communication with and
networking among industry professionals. It
also includes show event information and
allows attendees to register for their badges
through the page, access pre-show planning
and read about the latest news in the industry.
Facebook links directly to IHA’s YouTube
channel, which includes videos of IHA events
as well as others from the industry.
IHA also has two Twitter accounts. The
first Twitter feed, housewaresAssoc, provides
IHA members with important information
about the industry and exhibiting at the
show—things like key dates, reminders and
tips for having a successful show. The second
Seguso USA
Renews Lease at
Forty One Madison
Seguso USA, a tenant at Forty One
Madison since 1996, has renewed its
permanent showroom lease on the ninth
floor. Seguso USA is one of the oldest
Murano glass brands, presenting art glass
gifts, collectibles and tableware sold
through
high-end
specialty
and
department stores.
Pierpaolo Seguso, creative director, said in a
prepared statement about the newly
reconfigured showroom, “We are redesigning
the space to meet both the needs of our
tableware and gift market buyers; at the same
time, becoming more designer friendly and
creating a unique ‘Murano glass destination’
at Forty One Madison.”
“We are delighted to continue to be part of
Seguso’s expansion in the United States and
their new showcase that will show the
diversity of their products,” said Laurie
Burns, senior vice president and director of
Forty One Madison, in a prepared statement.
7
BUYERS’ GUIDE
coffee & tea
products
CUISINART’S PERFECTEMP TEAKETTLE
The Cuisinart 3-quart PerfecTemp Teakettle features
a built-in precision gauge that provides the exact
water temperature to brew every variety of tea
properly. Other features are an ergonomic handle,
boiling whistle, porcelain enamel exterior and
interior with an iron core for quick heating and
efficient heat retention.
Cuisinart
[tel] 203-975-4600
www.cuisinart.com
CAPRESSO’S PERFECTEA
The PerfecTea cordless glass water kettle has five
temperature settings to allow tea lovers to heat water
to the optimal temperature for any type of tea they
desire. With a turn of the knob and the press of a
button, choose one of five temperature settings: 100°,
160°, 175°, 195° or Boil. Inside the kettle, a stainless
steel dome conceals the highly efficient heating
element that boils water faster and uses less energy
than stovetop kettles. Once the water has reached
the desired temperature, PerfecTea will automatically
shut off. A temperature guide that provides the ideal
temperature settings for black tea, oolong tea, white
tea, green tea, French press coffee and water for
warming is easily accessible in a convenient slide-out
drawer. PerfecTea is made of durable and scratchresistant safety glass with matte black and polished
chrome accents. An easy-to-read water level indicator
makes it clear how many ounces are being prepared.
The gently curving polypropylene handle is designed
for comfort and features a slip-free coating for safe
pouring. Perfect for left- or right-handers, the water
kettle easily lifts from the power base, giving the user
cord-free pouring. With its 48-ounce capacity, this
cordless water kettle is also a great way to heat water
for a variety of other food and beverages. As an
added safety feature, the unit comes with a dry boil
protection, turning off if there is no water inside.
HEARTHWARE HOME PRODUCTS’ I-ROAST 2
RÖSLE’S CAPSULE TOWER
The i-Roast 2 from Hearthware brings out the true
essence of coffee while allowing users to personalize
the cup by roasting their own coffee. The software of
the i-Roast 2 ensures an accurate roasting
temperature during each stage of roasting. Preset
roasting profiles plus 10 memory functions give a
multitude of options to create a range of perfectly
balanced coffees. The easy-to-read LCD displays time,
temperature, stages and other functional information
to ensure roasting perfection.
At 13.3-inches tall, the Rösle
Capsule Tower
provides
innovative storage for Nespresso
coffee capsules. The design
provides easy selection and
access to any chosen capsule,
which easily attach and
detach.A stable revolving stand
offers safe positioning and
turning.The tower stores up to 40
capsules, 10 per side, with
additional storage space inside
for 40 capsules in a four-stack
configuration. The tower is
manufactured in 18/10 stainless
steel and synthetic material.
Hearthware Home Products
www.i-roast.com or www.hearthware.com
Rösle
[tel] 302-326-4801
www.rosle.com
VACU VIN’S VACUUM COFFEE SAVER STARTER SET
When coffee or tea is exposed to the air it can quickly
deteriorate, affecting taste and flavor. The new, larger
capacity vacuum pump extracts the air from the
vacuum storage container, creating a vacuum which
optimizes storage conditions. Tea and coffee are
protected from the harmful effects of light by the
specially tinted color. The unit is dishwasher safe.
Capresso
[tel] 800-767-3554
www.capresso.com
Vacu Vin/International Innovation Co.
[tel] 704-882-3521
www.vacuvin.com
KUHN RIKON’S EASY-POUR KETTLE
Kuhn Rikon presents the stainless steel Easy-Pour
Kettle that features an innovative, ergonomic design
that makes pouring hot water easier. When the
handle is lifted, the spout automatically opens. The
spout shuts automatically when the handle is
released. The handle is positioned to keep the hand
away from hot steam for safety. This whistling kettle
features a heavy metal base that heats water
quickly and efficiently. With its 2.2-quart capacity, the
kettle is ideally sized for everyday use. It performs on
all cooktops, including induction.
Kuhn Rikon
[tel] 800-662-5882
www.kuhnrikon.com
8
9
BUYERS’ GUIDE
coffee & tea
CUISIPRO’S
CLICK-N-SIP
The 13-ounce Click-nSip travel mug is
designed for sipping or
drinking rather than
spilling.
The
mug,
available in black, red
or gray, features a spillproof lid. A one-handed
push button that opens
and closes the lid is
located in the center of
the lid. The 360-degree
drinking hole feature is
convenient, allowing
the mug to be refilled without taking the lid off. If the
open and close button is pushed to 'open,' coffee or
other beverages can be poured into the top. Clickn-Sip travel mugs fit into most car cup holders and the
lid disassembles for cleaning. The mug and lid can be
cleaned in the dishwasher’s top shelf. The travel mug
is backed by a 25-year warranty.
Cuisipro USA
[tel] 302-326-4802
www.cuisiprousa.com
WILLIAM BOUNDS’ SILI GOURMET TEA ME
The Sili Gourmet Tea Me from William Bounds Ltd.
marries stainless steel and silicone to create a highly
effective and convenient way to strain freshly brewed
loose leaf teas into the cup. Designed to safely sit on
the top of a teacup or mug, the stay-cool stainless
steel wings hold the colorful silicone strainer in place,
eliminating the need to hold the strainer while you
pour. The heat-resistant strainer, made of red silicone,
resists stains and odors. It is dishwasher safe and easy
to clean by hand.
William Bounds
[tel] 800-473-0504
www.wmboundsltd.com
products
DURALEX PICARDIE TUMBLERS
Coffee and tea lovers can enjoy their beverages in
crystal clear, gently faceted, French Duralex Picardie
glassware. Picardie glasses are recognized throughout
France and remain the icon of French taverns, bistros
and inns. Not only is the shape a classic design, but
they also fit in the hand beautifully and easily. They are
extremely tough and durable, and with even a little
bit of care will last for decades without breaking or
chipping. Duralex products go in the dishwasher and
are also microwave safe. The tempered glass is nonporous so it does not retain odors, scratches or stains.
There are eight sizes ranging from 3.25 ounces to
nearly 17 ounces. The most popular coffee size is the
10.5-ounce size.
Suggested Retail Price: $2.50 to $5
GIBSON EVERYDAY’S
MR. COFFEE INDULGENCE KIT
The Mr. Coffee Indulgence Kit consists of a 1.2-quart
coffee press, battery-operated frother, two latte glasses
and a plastic measuring scoop. The coffee press brews
more than 38 ounces of coffee, retaining the beans’
oil for a rich, complex flavor. The press has a sturdy,
stainless steel frame with an easy-to-clean glass carafe
and stainless steel press mechanism. The unit is
dishwasher safe. For retailers, endcap plan-o-grams
and pallet loads are available.
Suggested Retail Price: $24.99 for the set
Duralex USA
[tel] 302-326-4804
www.duralexusa.com
Gibson Everyday
[tel] 800-281-2810
www.gibsonusa.com
FRIELING’S MILK 2 FROTH
The Frieling USA Milk 2 Froth provides food safety and
convenience when frothing milk. This unit, which
connects to commercial espresso machines, keeps
milk at the proper temperature while making it easier
to prepare cappuccinos, lattes and other milk-based
beverages on demand. Now retailers can store up to
1½ quarts of milk at a safe temperature, right next to
the espresso machine. The Milk 2 Froth is designed to
connect to any commercial espresso machine’s
frothing mechanism with a piece of flexible tubing.
Designed for simplicity, the tubing reaches the bottom
of the unit’s interior plastic milk container on one end,
with the other end attaching to the espresso machine’s
automatic cappuccino attachment. The commercialgrade unit is durable for any retail environment, and
because there is no contact between the unit and the
milk inside, its unique design makes contamination
virtually impossible. There is no need to continually
monitor the unit. Illuminated indicators light up when
the milk container needs to be refilled. Featuring
Advanced Thermo-Electric Cooling Technology
combined with superior thermal insulation, the Milk 2
Froth provides improved cooling efficiency. It is energy
efficient, running on approximately 50 watts of electricity.
Its compact size (7" wide x 11½" high x 10½" deep) fits
nicely next to any commercial espresso machine. The
machine comes in black housing.
Frieling USA
[tel] 800-827-2582
www.frieling.com
10
&
K ITCHENWARE NEWS
H o u s e w,a r e s R e v i e w
S E RV I N G K I T C H E N WA R E
VOLUME 16, NUMBER 2
H O U S E WA R E S A N D TA B L E T O P M A R K E T S
FEBR UARY 2010
Certifiably
Green
certifiably
green
Lifetime Brands Creates Energy Efficient Distribution Center
In 1999, Lifetime Brands Inc. began laying
plans for a Greenfield distribution center
in New Jersey that would consolidate its
three manual distribution operations into
a single, highly efficient and very
automated facility. In a staged approach
over eight years, the company built out
not only the distribution center’s material
handling equipment but also its physical
size to accommodate its needs, expanding
its total space to 700,000 square feet. But
this was to be no ordinary distribution
center. Lifetime Brands brought in
Dematic Corp. to engineer, build and
install conveying, picking and sortation
equipment that would optimize energy
usage while maintaining the highest
possible uptime reliability.
Lifetime Brands is a leading designer,
developer and marketer of kitchenware,
cutlery and cutting boards, bakeware,
cookware, pantryware, tabletop, home
decor, picture frames and bath accessories.
The company markets its products under
some of the industry's best known brands,
including KitchenAid, Farberware,
Mikasa, Cuisinart, Calvin Klein and
Nautica, as well as environmentally
friendly products such as EcoWorld.
Lifetime Brands’ products are distributed
through almost every major retailer in the
United States. In 2007, the Garden City,
N.Y.-based company had net sales
exceeding $493 million, a 7.9 percent
increase over the prior year. This growth
has been influenced by the company’s
vigorous brand acquisitions, which in
recent years has included Mikasa, Wallace,
Towle, Syratech and Pfaltzgraff brands.
palletized, and then put away into storage
or used on current orders using a cross
dock operation. A WMS helps direct
picking, as well as replenishment of the
product, from the stored pallets. Batch
waving is utilized through the picking
and sortation process. Full cases make
up the majority of products needed for
orders. The higher volume items are
selected directly onto conveyors in five
multi-level pick towers using pick labels.
About 20 percent of the center’s product
is split-case, manually picked and scanned
to carts using RF scanning technology,
which are then inducted into the sortation
at one of several induction points.
Split-case items include kitchen gadgets
and food preparation items, which are
usually pick-and-pack to a specific store
rather than shipping bulk to wholesale.
Normally, the distribution center is
shipping to a distribution center in
bulk, but split-case items are packed per
store then shipped consolidated to a
distribution center.
comes back. This is achieved through
Dematic’s control system by using photo
eyes strategically located throughout the
conveyor equipment. This operates in
conjunction with selectable timers so the
equipment is only running at planned
intervals. It is a very simple and very
effective energy conservation module that
we developed and integrated into the
system for Lifetime Brands.”
The hub of the Robbinsville distribution
center, and where it realizes much of its
most profound efficiencies, is with its
sortation and conveying systems, which
reduce manual labor. “We have energy
conservation built in throughout the
entire conveyor and sortation material
handling systems,” said Bob Poth, with
Dematic. “Lifetime Brands is able to
determine when product is moving
through any part of the facility, and turn
off a section of the system automatically
when it is not in use, and then turn each
section back on when the product volume
The center’s energy conservation module,
conveyors and sortation is run under
Dematic’s SortDirector warehouse control
system (WCS), which integrates with the
Robbinsville WMS and coordinates all
product movement inside the distribution
center. SortDirector runs on a Windowsbased Pentium PC using an SQL
database. It uses modular components of
code to make it easily configurable.
Providing graphic system monitoring for
the entire conveying operation, it gives
operators real-time control of product
movement, and real-time reporting.
Two Dematic RS Series high-speed sliding
shoe sorters are utilized in the distribution
center. The interleaving extruded
aluminum slats in the sorters provide a
wide, flat carrying surface that prevents
jams. It allows the sorting of a wide range
of product sizes and types with quiet and
positive sortation and ultra-high
throughput. Coming into and out of the
sorters, the distribution center is utilizing
zero-pressure accumulation conveyors to
temporarily stop, hold and release material.
They allow product accumulation along a
line without pressure buildup.
By
mid-2007,
Lifetime
Brands’
Robbinsville distribution center had the
capability of handling 45,000 cartons per
day, at an extremely high order accuracy
rate. “The energy efficiencies at our New
Jersey facility have helped cut our
distribution operating costs,” said Craig
Phillips, senior vice president for
distribution at Lifetime Brands. “We have
reduced our distribution expense, as a
percentage of sales, by 3.75 percent over
the past five years.”
“Uptime reliability is also critical to
running an efficient DC,” continued
Phillips. “A key operational metric we look
at is our system’s uptime, and at
Robbinsville it is over 99 percent. We also
attribute much of our inventory and order
accuracy to the systems we have in place.”
Dematic Corp. is the world’s leading
supplier of logistics automation solutions,
systems and service. Dematic provides
integrated material handling solutions that
incorporate process improvements,
material flow technologies, controls and
software to reduce operational costs,
maximize productivity and optimize supply
chain performance. A global company with
operations in 22 countries, Dematic’s
North American presence includes an
engineering/manufacturing headquarters
in Grand Rapids, Mich., and 18
sales/engineering/service offices. For more
information, visit www.dematic.us.
For more information on Lifetime
Brands, visit the company’s website
at www.lifetimebrands.com.
The
company’s
newly
upgraded
Robbinsville, N.J. distribution center
handles Lifetime Brands’ lines of
kitchenware, distributing nationally some
7,600 SKUs of food-prep items like baking
products, kitchen gadgets, dinnerware,
barware, cutting boards and cutlery sets.
The
original
550,000-square-foot
Robbinsville building was completed and
operational in 2001. Pick tower equipment
additions were made in 2004, and in 2006
the building was expanded by 150,000
square feet to accommodate additional
conveying and high-speed sortation
equipment, another pick tower and
additional very narrow aisle ( VNA)
high-rise pallet racking to accommodate
100,000 pallets. The center has 4.7 miles
of VNA wire-guided aisles. Finally, in
July 2007, a fifth pick tower was added, a
third high-speed sorter and additional
conveying equipment.
Ninety-five percent of Lifetime Brands’
7,600 SKUs come into the Robbinsville
distribution center by container. The
containers are opened and the product is
12
Craig Phillips, vice president of distribution for Lifetime Brands in the Robbinsville, N.J. distribution center.
featured
products
Green Home, Green Design: Housewares Design Awards
Announces Green House Design Award Winners
Celebrating the practical beauty of ecofriendly design for the things we use every
day, the Housewares Design Awards
announces the winners of their annual
“Green House” Design Award competition.
The “Green House” honorees—Batten
Industries, Electrolux and NextLife—
were chosen for their new product
innovation in meeting the needs of today’s
eco-conscious consumer with smart new
eco-friendly design.
“Green is becoming one of the most
important factors in housewares product
design, adding a new dimension beyond
beauty and function. Environmental
consciousness is inspiring a new era of
creativity in product innovation,” said
Peter Giannetti, editor-in-chief of
HomeWorld Business.
The Housewares Design Awards are
presented by HomeWorld Business with
educational support from the International
Housewares Association and sponsorship by
DuPont Teflon Housewares and the New
York International Gift Fair.
Products judged were introduced to the
United States market between Oct. 1, 2008
and Sept. 30, 2009.
The “Green House” Design Award is part
of the prestigious Housewares Design
Awards Program, now in its seventh year
as the premier design award focused on
the housewares industry. The “Green
House” winners were chosen from hundred
of entries vying for recognition as the best
designed products of the year.
The three Green House Award winners, along
with all Housewares Design Awards winners,
will be honored at a ceremony and luncheon
Feb. 3 at the Marriott New York Marquis
overlooking New York’s Times Square. For
more information on the entire program and
the “Green House” Design Award winners,
visit www.housewaresdesignawards.com.
“green honorees
house”
BATTEN INDUSTRIES
NELLIE’S PVC-FREE DRYERBALLS
ELECTROLUX ULTRASILENCER GREEN
Nellie's second generation Dryerballs
are now PVC free. Unlike previous
versions that were made from PVC, this
new TPR material is not harmful to
factory workers during processing and
is readily recyclable. PVC-free dryerballs
eliminate the need for chemical fabric
softeners and dryer sheets while
reducing drying time 15-25 percent, thus
saving energy. Optional fragrance
sticks are available and come in four
varieties. Fragrance sticks are made
from 100 percent essential oils.
A cleaner environment starts at home.
With greener innovation in mind, the
Electrolux global design team created
UltraSilencer Green, an environmentally
friendlier vacuum cleaner designed to
help consumers clean greener without
sacrificing performance. Unlike other
“green” cleaners, Electrolux built a
vacuum that embraces recycling, reusing and reducing. Designers started
by building UltraSilencer Green with
55 percent recycled plastic, mostly
from shredded cars, and building a
sleek canister vacuum with highperformance and power. Energyefficient, and compatible with the
Electrolux design palette, UltraSilencer
Green uses nine amps of power at a
reduced noise level for a cleaner,
greener home environment.
NEXTLIFE RAINSTORE
The “Green Team” at NextLife has
completely
re-engineered
the
pedestrian “rain barrel” from the
bottom up to maximize rainwater
collection and reuse, while minimizing
wasteful environmental behavior. Like
every NextLife-branded product, the
“RainStore” has been scientifically
proven to carry a lower carbon
footprint than comparable products
through
the
incorporation
of
sustainable manufacturing, packaging
and transportation practices. The
design, including a self-watering
planter on top, sets a new standard for
a category, which was historically
driven by function. No one said “eco”
has to be ugly! And just for good
measure, NextLife went an eco-step
further by incorporating at least 40
percent high-quality, post-consumer
recycled plastic into every “RainStore”
thereby, alleviating the stress on
overburdened landfills as well as the
shrinking supply of fresh water.
13
certifiably
green
Rock, Paper...Paper Made From Rocks?
Leaving no stone unturned, the developers
at Toyota have found a way to make a
newer and stronger paper...out of rock.
TerraSkin® is a unique tree-free paper
made of stone (calcium carbonate) and
non-toxic polyethylene resin. When the
two materials are combined they create
a water and tear-resistant substrate that
requires no water or bleaching to
achieve its bright white quality. It is
great for bags, boxes, foodware and
signage/marketing materials.
The raw material comes from postindustrial recycled marble and limestone
from the building industry. TerraSkin® is
naturally bright white without the use of
any bleach and it's production requires no
water and 50 percent less energy than
traditional paper.
TerraSkin® is not a fiber so it doesn’t absorb
ink like regular paper—consequently 20-30
percent less ink is used for printing. It is
also water and tear resistant which makes
it wonderful for shopping bags and other
applications. TerraSkin® will degrade back
to its source—the powder of stone—when
left out in nature for approximately three
to nine months.
To date the product has been test marketed
with Burt’s Bees, who uses TerraSkin® to
wrap their bars of soap. The Museum of
Modern Art in New York City was
evolutionary in their decision to transform
their packaging from paper to TerraSkin®.
Shopping bags made of TerraSkin® will
be showcased at the New York
International Gift Fair, Jan. 30-Feb. 4.
They will be featured in Accent on Design
in booth 3734.
For more information, to see a video and
for sample product inquiries please visit
their website at www.terraskin.com.
Whirlpool Brand Makes an Eco-Kitchen Possible
More than half of U.S. adults have made
changes in their lives they believe will help
sustain the environment, according to a
2008 Harris Interactive Environmental
study. Taking this commitment to the
kitchen, Whirlpool brand introduced the
Eco Kitchen, helping consumers integrate
environmentally-friendly changes in one
of the biggest energy-consuming living
spaces of the home. The Eco Kitchen,
which includes the Resource Saver™
refrigerator, Resource Saver™ dishwasher,
Velos® SpeedCook oven and Energy Save
range, is the brand’s most energy-efficient
kitchen ever.
According to the U.S. Department of
Energy, lighting, refrigeration and cooking
are responsible for 41.5 percent of a home’s
energy consumption. With consumer
insights in mind, Whirlpool brand wanted
to offer simple ways for consumers to
reduce the impact energy use has on the
environment and their wallets. As a result,
the company identified appliances that can
bring real efficiency when it comes to
water, energy and cost savings to one of the
most wasteful rooms in the home.
powering a 60-watt light bulb.
Cooking for the Environment
Recent innovations by Whirlpool brand
address consumers’ energy consumption
concerns when cooking. Two ranges in the
Whirlpool Gold® series are equipped with
the industry-first Energy Save mode to
conserve electricity when the oven is not
in use. Similar to a sleep mode on a
computer, this Energy Save mode dims
control features and clock when not in use
making these models more efficient than
previous Whirlpool brand ranges.
As these ranges are produced, Whirlpool
continues to keep the environment top of
mind. Energy Save ranges are made with
SCHOTT CERAN® glass ceramic cook
tops, the only eco-friendly glass-ceramic
cooktop panel manufactured without releasing
hazardous heavy metals into the earth.
In addition to energy savings, Whirlpool
brand understands consumers often look
for flexibility in appliances. Whirlpool
brand’s over-the-range SpeedCook oven,
the Velos® system, combines the power
of an oven with the convenience of a
microwave, and can grill, broil, bake and
steam. The Velos oven also saves energy
and time, cooking up to 47 percent
faster than a traditional oven when in
SpeedCook mode.
Energy-Saving Cleaning
As Whirlpool brand’s quietest model to
date, the Resource Saver dishwasher uses
one-third less water and energy than
dishwashers manufactured just eight years
ago. In addition to energy, water savings
is also important when it comes to kitchen
clean-up. The Whirlpool brand Resource
Saver™ dishwasher uses far less water than
hand washing a load of dishes, saving up
to 20 gallons per load (which equates to
4,300 gallons/year in water savings). With
improved wash performance through
increased water pressure and focused wash
action, there is no need to pre-wash dishes.
The Resource Saver refrigerator
(GS5VHAXWY ) is available at
retailers nationwide and online at
www.whirlpool.com with an MSRP of
$2,099. The Velos oven (GH7208XRS)
is available at retailers nationwide
and online at www.whirlpool.com with
an MSRP of $919. The EnergySave
range (GFE471LV ) is available at
retailers nationwide and online at
www.whirlpool.com with an MSRP
starting at $699. The Resource Saver
dishwasher (GU3600XTV ) is available
at retailers nationwide and online at
www.whirlpool.com with an MSRP
starting at $799.
“There are definitely some kitchen
appliances which are more ‘green’ than
others,” said Tomas Diaz, Whirlpool brand
marketing director, in a prepared statement.
“We created the Eco Kitchen to help
families minimize their energy and water
consumption, offering consumers some
simple ways to help the environment.”
The Eco Kitchen provides the most energy
efficient options in food preservation,
cleaning and cooking for Whirlpool brand.
Efficient Food Preservation
The Resource Saver™ refrigerator exceeds
federal efficiency standards by 30 percent,
making it the most energy efficient sideby-side refrigerator ever. The energy
savings continue even as groceries are
unloaded into the refrigerator. To better
preserve food, 6th Sense™ technology
helps quickly cool food and adjusts
temperatures inside the refrigerator to
normal operating temperatures. The
refrigerator’s energy use is equivalent to
14
Companies with a green message often
reach out to potential customers via
advertising and packaging, said Coumbias.
“We let the products tell the story and
emphasize putting them in peoples’ hands
via creative partnerships and strategic
sampling,” said Perserve’s Webb. “We almost
always hear, ‘Wow, why didn’t I think of
this?’ when someone new tries one of our
products.” He noted retailers can sign up for
the company’s monthly newsletter, and he
also urged retailers and consumers to “hang
out with us on Facebook.”
GREEN (cont. from page 1)
When asked why companies should move
in this direction, Juanita Coumbias,
international sales and marketing director
at Starfrit USA Inc., stated clearly: “It
would be selfish and inconsiderate to not
do so for all our futures.” Starfrit,
headquartered in Lonueuil, Quebec, makes
cookware from recycled aluminum and
uses PFOA-free nonstick coatings or
ceramic coatings on its nonstick pieces.
According to GfK Roper Consulting, price
is still a barrier for some shoppers, with 60
percent of those surveyed by the company
saying green products are too expensive.
And 28 percent reported they were “too
busy” to go green.
Ferreira said Lamson stresses its green
message in its literature and on its website,
emphasizing “That Lamson’s goal is to remain
a responsible American manufacturer.”
One topic that is on retailers’ and
manufacturers’ minds is the certification of
products calling themselves “green” and “ecofriendly.” “We are watching the proliferation
of certifications closely and are interested to
see the few that wind up leading the
industry,” said Webb. “We focus on honesty
and transparency, telling our Preservers [as
they call their customers] anything they
want to know about how and why we do
what we do,” he said. “We are excited that
people are asking more and harder questions
about the products they bring into their
homes.” Webb added the industry “should
answer those questions openly and honestly.”
For Coumbias, the next step on the
certification road should be “to ensure that
the message and the products themselves
are verifiable and that companies refrain
from using ‘greenwashing’ to mislead
consumers.” She said government
standards or product certifications could
achieve this goal.
“Consumers are demanding it,” as a part
of doing business, explained C.A. Webb,
marketing director at Preserve, a Waltham,
Mass.-based company that makes
sustainably designed and manufactured
products, including reusable plastic
dishware and kitchen tools such as mixing
bowls, paper and plastic cutting boards
and storage containers.
At Lamson & Goodnow, a high-end
cutlery and kitchen tool maker based in
Shelburne Falls, Mass., age-old tradition is
meeting modern needs in its new
GoodNow line, which uses 100 percent
post-consumer recycled paper for the
handle and 90 percent post-consumer
high-carbon steel for the blades. The
company uses hydroelectric power to run
the facility and then recycles 100 percent
of all the scrap and grinding shavings,
explained Paul Ferreira, who handles sales
and marketing.
While the line is 21st century, Ferreira
said
the
company
has
been
“environmentally responsible” since 1837.
Today, he said, “There is certainly a
groundswell of consumers who are driven
to purchase only eco-friendly products.
We are happy to hear when customers call
or write us that they appreciate being able
to purchase high-quality, American-made
products from a responsible manufacturer.”
For Starfrit, the decision to embark on a
“green” mission began in 2007, said
Coumbias, when they implemented
changes, “both internally and at the factory
and product level...with several new
measures being added on an annual basis.”
While Coumbias said the changes haven’t
impacted the business, “either positively or
negatively, [it] may be one of the reasons
that weight in our favor if a buyer has to
choose from two companies with equal
products, price and promotional strategies.”
For consumers, buying green may not be
a priority, she said, “But the ones who do
are customers for life.”
15
{ headlines }
Cookware Sale Under The Big Top
Consultant with ties to the industry launches
unique fundraiser, shopping, recycling event.
Drawing on his background in the
kitchenware industry for 16 years, Joel Kaplan
launched Cook’sware aFaire in December—
an event that combined a cookware sale with
both a fund-raising event for the Oakland
Zoo and a recycling project for people looking
to rid themselves of old cookware.
Conducted within an 8,000-square-foot
heated tent on the zoo’s property,
Cook’sware aFaire ran from Dec. 11 to 31
and offered zoo visitors an opportunity to
purchase cookware from brands such as
Rachael Ray, Paula Deen, Circulon,
Farberware, Anolon, Earth Pan and
KitchenAid at discounts of up to 75
percent off the MSRP. “I decided to do it
in December because of gift-giving time,”
he said, “but there’s no reason to assume
this can’t be done at other times of year,
such as Mother’s Day or Father’s Day.”
Kaplan, who runs his own consulting
business and counts the Oakland Zoo as
a client, said what began as a fund-raising
event for the zoo quickly turned into an
opportunity as well for manufacturers that
were interested in gaining some
incremental business around the holidays.
The short-term event was easy for the
businesses to explain to their regular retail
customers, he said, who otherwise may
have been concerned about competition.
For consumers, it was a chance to buy
products at a discount, while having a good
time viewing cooking demonstrations.
Customers also received an additional two
percent discount if they brought in old
pots and pans for recycling by Aaron
Metals, a local recycler. Kaplan said they
collected about a ton of old cookware.
Being the first such event, Kaplan said he
experimented with the concept, which he
plans to take to other locations in Northern
California and then around the United
States. Such a project, said Kaplan, could
be difficult without his industry
connections. “In terms of marketing, the
barriers to entry were high,” he explained,
with a substantial commitment to both
acquiring the goods for sale and setting up
retailer
profile
by Joanne Friedrick
Art of the Table
Owning a retail store is like raising a small
child, said Amy Ruis. They may grow beyond
infancy, but you still need to hold their hand.
For six years, Ruis, who operates Art of the
Table on historic Wealthy Street in Michigan,
has been nurturing her fledgling retail
operation—a combination gourmet food,
wine and tabletop store. Over that time, she
said, “We’ve stayed the same more than we
have changed.” She has the same mix of
products (although brands, colors and flavors
have evolved) and mostly the same employees
on her nine-person staff.
What change there has been, she said, has
come mostly in how she approaches her
business. “I’ve been able to delegate more,”
she explained, “once they (the staff ) sees
and knows my vision.” By doing this, she
said, “It makes us more of a team, if they
have responsibility and can take some
things off my plate. That gives them a
sense of ownership.”
Running a nearly $1 million a year business
now, Ruis said she’s turned over some buying
to her staff, mostly with the cheese and meat
offerings. She still buys all the other gourmet
foods and tabletop, and this year handled
the beer, wine and liquor buying.
The neighborhood in which her store is
located has gone through a renaissance in
the past years, she said, with many eclectic
16
shops, theaters and eateries sprouting up.
Ruis keeps her store open until 8 p.m. to
capture the before and after dinner crowd.
Unlike some businesses that have experienced
a drop off because of the economy, Ruis said
the past year was her best since 2006. In
part, she credited her improved sales with the
fiscal cautiousness of her clientele and the
business growth within the city. While some
communities are contracting, Grand Rapids
has seven new buildings going up in its
downtown, she said.
Still, said Ruis, she made measured purchases
for the holidays, concentrating on items that
could fill out a Christmas table rather than
replace everything people already had.
“Serving piece were a big deal; things that
could fit in with what they had.” Customers
weren’t making major purchases, such as a
new set of dishes, she said, but bought
individual aluminum or ceramic bowls with
holiday designs and fun tablecloths and
napkins. “In 2006 and 2007, I sold entire
sets of holiday dishes,” noted Ruis. “This
year I didn’t have any in stock, but no one
asked for them, either.”
Accessories were also big for the holidays.
“Candles flew out the door,” she said,
including smokeless and dripless tapers and
non-scented pillar candles. While Ruis
hadn’t yet analyzed the reason for these
purchases, she expected it was tied to more
at-home entertaining.
by Joanne Friedrick
the infrastructure for a multi-week sale.
Kaplan was able to use the zoo’s
membership database as a key marketing
tool, he said. E-mails were sent to the
members informing them of the event. “It’s
important to start with a non-profit with
an established marketing base so it’s
cost effective to advertise to them,” he
said. In addition to reaching out to the
zoo’s members, Kaplan also advertised in a
20-mile radius of the zoo to reach
non-members as well. What he learned,
however, is that the zoo draws people from
as far away as 50 miles, so many who
purchased at Cook’sware aFaire hadn’t heard
of it beforehand. That’s one of the lessons
learned during this premier event, he said.
Originally, said Kaplan, he had wanted to
sell discounted merchandise or seconds,
but realized that such a formula would have
required him to bring in more merchandise.
“So I rethought the model and brought in
best-sellers,” among the various cookware
lines, he explained, “plus a handful of lowerpriced SKUs that would sell well.” He also
experienced bad weather and slow sales
Locally made items resonated with customers
as well, Ruis said, from handmade
marshmallows and chocolates to pottery
butter keepers. Often customers would
purchase complementary gift items:
hot chocolate, a decorative mug, a spoon
or other stirring utensil and homemade
marshmallows. A popular gift basket featured
Michigan-made or related products. “I sold
60 Michigan oven mitts,” said Ruis, “and I
could have sold more if I’d had them.”
Displays have always been a focal point within
Art of the Table, and Ruis prides herself on
creating vignettes that showcase products and
how they relate to one another. For the
Christmas season, she said, she did tables
with themes on holiday baking, with
bakeware, cookbooks and cookie cutters, warm
drinks with mulling spices, teas, cups and a
French press, a cheese presentation that
included cheese boards and knives, a green and
red table with dishes featuring pine boughs
and colored drinking glasses and a main
display with all silver and gold items.
during the beginning of the event, which
was scheduled to last 10 days, so he
extended it through the end of December.
The demos featured local chefs, caterers
and cooking school instructors who
donated their time in exchange for the
opportunity to promote their skills and
businesses, said Kaplan. “I found chefs
through the Internet or they were referred
to me,” he said. Different cuisines were
showcased, as were healthy cooking
programs. One of the chefs, Amy Klein, is
interested in combating childhood obesity,
said Kaplan, so she made that a focus of
her demos. Kaplan also brought in young
chefs—ages 12 to 17—to demonstrate that
kids can cook and eat healthy, too.
While Kaplan declined to discuss the
financial success of the venture, he noted
that the average transaction was higher than
expected. Originally he thought customers
would spend about $75 each, while the
actual total was closer to $90. Because the
event was at the zoo, many families
attended, though the typical buyer was a
female age 25 to 45, he said. Based on the
success of the Oakland sale, Kaplan said he
is in negotiations for additional events.
Looking at her plans for
this year, Ruis said she’s
excited to find products
that fill her customer
requests, such as more
serveware, Dutch ovens,
baking pans and mixing
bowls. “People are baking
Amy Ruis
more, so I’m looking for
oven to tableware.” The challenge comes in
finding ways to put more into her 1,200square-foot space, said Ruis. She hasn’t
gotten into appliances, in part because of
the space they take up and also because they
generate more returns than the food or
tabletop products.
And there’s no room to expand, so buying has
to be done with an eye on what fits. Her plan
when looking at new products is to bring
them in as part of a temporary display. “And
if it sells well, then I’ll keep it,” she said.
The latter, said Ruis, featured two “glitzy”
centerpieces in silver and gold, which
although they were meant to be part of the
display, were eventually sold to customers at
$150 each. Ruis said she learned early on
that everything should be for sale, because
customers will ask for it. Other featured
products included silver placemats and
ornaments and glass and wooden trees. “We
sold so many things from that display that I
had to keep reworking the table,” she noted.
To fill her shelves, Ruis said she attends
several trade shows each year, including the
Fancy Food Show in either San Francisco or
New York, the gift show in Atlanta or New
York and possibly the housewares show in
Chicago. She also relies on manufacturers
reps to bring her ideas, along with scouting
trade publications for new products.
At Art of the Table, displays can be found throughout
the store.
17
Metrokane Returns to Ambiente
With New and Enhanced Products
Metrokane has been exhibiting at
Ambiente in Frankfurt for the past 10
years, developing a close network of
distributors
and
retailers
both
internationally and domestically.
“The Frankfurt show is my absolute
favorite, it's a great launching pad, the
timing is right, the coverage is tremendous,
it provides the ideal environment and
the exposure is really quite extensive,”
said Riki Kane, founder and president
of Metrokane. “It is a worldwide,
international, global show that attracts
buyers not just from Europe and the
United States, but from South America,
Australia and Asia and it has always been
a very important, productive, first show
of the year for us.”
AMBIENTE (cont. from page 1)
The company has recently discovered
interest from distributors from all over the
world, and though Ambiente is an
expensive investment, Skipper said he
believes the chance to make European
connections is invaluable.
“The dollar isn’t favorable to the Euro and
this will be by far the most expensive show
we’ve ever done, but we look at the riskbenefit of it and we are anticipating a very
good show.”
From pastry tubes to roll-out mats and airbrush
tools, Fat Daddios specializes in bakeware as
its primary product line. This year, they have
developed a new line of baking tools, pastry
tools and commercial-quality equipment that
will be available to professionals.
“They are all available for sale as of
February,” Skipper said. “Everything we do
stays with our company focus and goal
and that is to be all things baking. There’s
not another company that has as deep of
a line as baking tools as we do.”
This year, Metrokane will be introducing
a new wine rack called The Z Rack, a line
of Rabbit bar tools, a pouring thermometer
for wine, and a cork-storing display unit
called “Corkhaus.” Metrokane will also be
introducing variations on the “Electric
Rabbit”—which sold out this past holiday
season at Macy's. The new Electric Rabbits
will be in special finishes such as black
velvet, silver and metallic red and in hot
new promotional colors in spring such as
electric orange, lime and grape. The
company will also debut a Vertical Houdini
and a Houdini Aerator.
“We have six new products that we’re
launching in Frankfurt,” said Kane.
“[Ambiente] always represents, to me, a
beginning. It’s a real launching pad and a
place to meet with many of our buyers in
advance of (the International Home +
Housewares Show in) Chicago.”
“We've been making iron covers for 100
years and now we have glass lids in colored
packaging,” said Bob Kellermann, CEO of
Lodge. “[They are] tempered glass
lids…oven-safe to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.”
Also being showcased at Ambiente is the new
Lodge 7 1/2 quart Dutch Oven in the Lodge
Color series, available in gradated red and blue.
are already a market leader here in the
United States, and we'll be fighting out
with the big guys in Europe, but we believe
in today's economy our company has the
advantage. We have the best cost and
benefit to our customers.”
Whether aiming to make a splash on the
international scene or returning to show off
a new line of products, these American
companies are hoping to make themselves
known at Ambiente by showcasing the best
of what’s to come for the kitchen in 2010.
“The largest pot available in the Lodge
Color series has been 6 quart, so we feel
the 7 1/2 quart will be a great new item,”
said Kellermann.
Additionally, Lodge Manufacturing is
introducing its new Double-Play Reversible
Griddle, which is a dual-side, seasoned,
griddle that's ribbed on one side and flat
on the other, making it easy to cook
everything from hamburgers to pancakes.
Hampton Forge Ltd. Aims To
Slice The Competition With
Line Of Flatware And Cutlery
Hampton Forge Ltd., a U.S. company that
specializes in flatware and cutlery, will aim
to slice the competition as first-year
exhibitors at Ambiente.
Revolutionary Cooling Systems
Debuts At Ambiente After 6-Year Wait
Revolutionary Cooling Systems is making
its debut at Ambiente this year after being
placed on a space-available waiting list for
the past six years.
The admission comes at a good time, as the
company gears up to launch two new
products that rapidly chill beverages:
The Blitz Chiller, which chills singleserve cans and bottles in two minutes
from a warm room temperature to 38
degrees
Fahrenheit,
and
the
VinPodium, a rapid chilling wine and
champagne cooler.
“We have two new products that we're
showcasing, and it has taken us six years
to get into Ambiente,” said Ed Carino,
director of sales and marketing.
“They’ve opened up a new hall and had
extra space, and it made sense for us to
try and go, to try and get our products
in front of an international crowd.”
Lodge Manufacturing Co.
Expands Line To Include Glass Lids
A 114-year-old family business based in
Tennessee, Lodge Manufacturing Co. is
the only U.S. producer of cast-iron
cookwear. While the company has had a
15-year presence at Ambiente, it is rolling
out a variety of new products for this
year's show—expanding its line to include
18
new glass lids and a some products for the
home cook.
EVRIHOLDER’S BATTERY HOLDER
“The show is very important to us because
this is the first year we are expanding our
business to the Latin American and
European markets,” said Levi Neto, sales
director for Latin America. “We expect it
to be excellent. We are (making) a great
investment so customers and distributors
can have the best first impression possible.”
Evriholder Products’ new Battery Holder
helps take the clutter out of buying and
storing batteries in the home, office—
virtually everywhere. The stand is self
supporting but can be wall mounted.
Measuring 5.15" wide x 3.38" deep x 9.09"
tall, the holder folds flat for easy storage.
When the stand is folded flat, it works for
merchandising in retail stores The battery
holder is made of durable ABS plastic
and comes in a variety of colors: White,
Green, Grey, Black and other translucent
colors. Designed to hold 6 AAA, 10 AA,
4 C, 4 D and (2) 9-Volt batteries.
From beautiful flatware to high-quality
cutlery, Hampton Forge Ltd. will take
signature pieces from its line to the
Frankfurt show, hoping to attract a wider
audience and bring their products to
international attention.
The BATTERY HOLDER joins Evriholder’s
creative line of Storage and
Organization solutions for the home,
including the Hang N Hold™ purse
organizer, the Evribox™ line of sock, bra
and shoe organization boxes and the
Hang N Hide™ laundry organizer.
Suggested Retail Price:$4.99
“It’s hard to anticipate because this will be
the first time that we are attending and
participating in the show,” said Neto. “For
us it's going to be very, very important. We
Evriholder Products LLC
[tel] 714-490-7878, 800-975-0335
www.evriholder.com
NAMBÉ’S COPPER COLLECTION
Nambé’s new Copper Canyon
Collection is a departure from their
traditional silver motif. Made from a
copper-coated Nambé alloy with clear
protective coating, the line represents
a celebration of the company’s New
Mexican Heritage. Nambé is based in
Santa Fe, New Mexico.
The collection, the shapes and colors
represent the canyons of the Southwest.
Designer Lisa Smith was inspired by her
trips to the Grand Canyon, Arches
National Park and Bryce Canyon. These
canyons are carved from water and wind.
The coppery sand and desert flora are
referenced by the copper and verdigris
on the ripples and ridges of Nambe’s new
Copper Canyon Collection. Due to subtly
varying verdigris (green patina), each
piece is unique—a sculpture of
contrasting color and texture.
Suggested Retail Price:
$25 (5" bowl)
$225 (3-tier server)
Nambe
[tel] 212-685-7698, 800-443-0339
www.nambe.com
FUCILLO DESIGN’S
ORGANIC FREEZER BIN
Fuccillo Design ® introduces the
Organic Freezer Bin, a composting bin
that is kept in the freezer. The bin’s
specially designed handle, combined
with the flexibility of the silicone allows
users to empty the bin quickly and
easily, without ever coming into
contact with its contents. While the
organic waste is frozen, it’s odor and
pest free. The bin holds 4 liters of
compost, and the ergonomic handle
makes it easy to lift. The bin comes in
four colors, all produced with natural
dyes. The walls are semi-transparent,
giving the user a constant indicator of
how full their bin is. Unlike other systems
such as biodegradable bags or
cardboard inserts, the Organic Freezer
Bin only needs to be bought once.
Fuccillo Design
[tel] 902-802-5796
www.fuccillodesign.com
STASHCAN
The StashCan is
a trashcan that
keeps the roll of
garbage can
liners in the can on
a roll at the top.
Adding a roll of trash liners to a trash
receptacle is a simple, but surprisingly
useful feature. The design fits a
standard 28-31 gallon kitchen trash
bag, with total dimensions (including
the bag storage unit in the back) at
12" x 32" x 19".
Suggested Retail Price:$54
Quirky
[tel] 917-720-2908
www.quirky.com/products/13
19
{ headlines }
Revised Shun Pro Collection Cuts to the Heart of Cutlery Needs
Product development can mean creating
something completely new, or it can be
about finding what works best from among
existing products. In the case of the
relaunched Shun Pro line of Asian knives
from Kai USA Ltd., it’s more a case of
the latter.
“The knife is such a simple tool, an old
tool, that it’s a daunting task to come up
with something new, cool and visually
pleasing, but also with enhanced
performance,” said Marc Wade, national
sales manager-housewares division for Kai.
Up until this year, there were two lines of
Shun Pro cutlery, he said, one that he
described as the “down and dirty” version,
and the other, the Shun Pro 2, which
had many of the ceremonial, ornate
characteristics of Japanese knives. While
there were customers for both lines, Wade
said it made more sense in the long run “to
take the best elements from the two lines”
and have a single offering.
Still sold under the Shun Pro name, the
relaunched line takes the blade stock from
original knives and gave it some high-end
characteristics, including a mirror finish on
the chiseled or beveled edge side and
graffiti etching on the other side.
The Deba, a multi-purpose prep knife, is
available in 4.5-, 6.5- and 8.25-inch sizes. The
Yanagiba is the traditional long
slicing
knife used for preparing sashimi and sushi,
although Wade
Having a mirror
said he also uses it
polish, said Wade,
to make precise
“is hard to do,
inch-thick cuts of
but the advantage
rib eye steaks.
is it reduces the
This knife is sold
amount of drag.”
in 8.25-, 9.5- and
A good sushi10.5-inch sizes.
grade knife should
The final knife in
glide as it cuts,
and the finish helps
the collection is
to accomplish that,
the Usuba, a
he
said. The
chopping knife
etching, which is
good for preparing
created by using Kai's new Shun Pro line features etched Japanese-style knives. vegetables.
acid on the metal, is all about the aesthetics
of the piece, said Wade. “It has to have
Wade said the Shun Pro line is aimed at
some element of flair,” he acknowledged.
two target markets: those who love to
prepare Asian and Japanese cuisine and
What results then is a line of knives with
want the right tools for the job, and those
both visual beauty and high performance.
who are more concerned about finding a
The Shun Pro line is crafted in Seki City, product to fit a particular need, like a great
Japan, and available in three styles and
slicing knife, and find that the single bevel
multiple sizes within those styles.
of the Asian knife gives them that ultra
product
review
SousVide Supreme
by Joanne Friedrick
Sous vide may be a slow-cooking process,
but this is certainly not your mother’s
slow cooker.
Using a combination of vacuum sealing
and slow cooking at lower temperatures in
a water bath, the SousVide Supreme from
Eades Appliance Technology takes a
technique first developed in France and
brings it into the American home kitchen.
I have to admit I was curious as to how
food would fair under this type of cooking
method. What immediately came to mind
was something akin to boil-in-bag meals
that were the precursors to microwaveable
meals. And my memories of those products
were not great.
For my test run on the SousVide Supreme,
I selected a recipe for “Tender and Juicy
Pork Chops” but modified it to use one of
the spice packages the company had included
with the sample machine instead of the
seasonings suggested (salt, pepper, onion and
garlic powder and paprika). I took a single,
1.5-inch thick pork chop and liberally rubbed
Cajun seasoning on both sides. I also took
the recipe’s suggestion of adding butter as
part of the seasoning process. Other
seasonings that can be added include frozen
herbed broth and chilled flavored oils. The
recipe had suggested that the pork chop
could be brined overnight, but I hadn’t
planned for that, so I omitted that step.
20
Setting up the machine is simple. There is
a main unit with a control panel on the
front that is about the size of a large bread
machine. Inside of that, you place a grill
on top of a wire handle—this is designed
to keep any food packaging away from the
bottom of the unit and helps you remove
the items after cooking. Atop the grill,
you place a universal rack that holds one
or more vacuum-sealed pouches of food.
Depending on the size of the package, the
rack can be configured in three positions
to accommodate average, large and long
pouches. A fill line indicates how much
water to put in, but it is important that
there be enough water to completely
immerse the package; therefore, you may
need to fill beyond that line, but not above
the maximum fill indicator.
Sous vide is definitely not something you
do without planning. But like a traditional
slow cooker, you can set up your meals in
advance and not have to check on them
until the time is up. The booklet that
accompanies the SousVide Supreme notes
that cooking times are determined not by
the weight of the food, but by the
thickness. The recipe I used said a 2-inch
pork chop would take 4 hours to cook, so
I figured one that is about 1.5 inches would
take 3 hours or so to prepare.
After the allotted time passed, I removed
the pouch with the wire handle, using (as
suggested) the interior of the lid for
draining the rack. I then proceeded with
the next recommended step, which was
quick searing. Foods in which a
caramelized exterior is preferred, like steaks
or chops, require this additional finishing
step. I could have broiled or used a kitchen
torch to sear the pork chop, but I chose to
finish it in a pan atop the stove. Just a
couple of minutes on each side provided
the necessary brownness.
Now for the taste: The end result was
By Joanne Friedrick
thin, exacting edge they need. For the latter
group, said Wade, trying a Shun Pro knife
can be an “aha” moment.
Using Asian knives doesn’t require any
special skills, although sharpening is best
accomplished with a whetstone because of
the chiseled edge. A traditional knife
sharpener that works on both sides of the
edge isn’t appropriate for this kind of knife,
said Wade.
Looking ahead, Wade said there is plenty
of room to expand the Shun Pro line
because Japan “already has more unique
knife shapes than any other knife culture
in the world.” He said because of that,
“our palette is wide open.” New knives will
likely be introduced based on customer
needs and changes in cooking culture. If a
new type of cooking emerges that requires
a special tool, Wade said the Shun Pro
line could incorporate that, either using
traditional Japanese knives as the basis or
creating a hybrid style. Right now, he said,
they are already working on some smaller
knives, along the line of paring knives, to
expand the line.
definitely tender and juicy, with the flavor
of the spices having permeated the meat
more fully than if I had just seasoned and
then broiled, pan-fried or baked the meat.
Is this a practical method for a single pork
chop? Probably not, but I can see
applications for families on the go, caterers
and even those among us who want to
experiment with cooking different cuts of
meat, especially ones that tend to be
tougher. One of the benefits of the sous
vide process is that it breaks down collagen
fibers during the low, slow cooking process,
so you can buy cheaper cuts of meat and
save money by preparing them this way.
Unless the bag comes open during cooking
(which it shouldn’t if sealed properly using
the right grade of bag), clean up is simply
a matter of unplugging the machine,
discarding the water and wiping down the
inside and accessories with a clean cloth.
The SousVide Supreme has a suggested
retail price of $449. For more information,
contact Eades Appliance Technology at
505-780-0579 or www.eadestech.com or
www.sousvidesupreme.com
Before putting any food into the SousVide
Supreme, you need to seal it in a vacuumsealed bag. I was provided several bags in
different sizes, along with a vacuum-sealing
tool, which isn’t part of the SousVide
Supreme. With my pork chop sealed
properly, I then filled the machine with
water, turned on the SousVide Supreme,
and waited about 10 minutes until the water
temperature hit the desired 140 degrees
Fahrenheit (you can set it up for Fahrenheit
or Celsius). Then I lowered the bag into
the water using the rack, put on the lid
and went back to work for about 3.5 hours
while the cooking process took place.
{ headlines }
Six Emerging Designers Debut in Accent on Design
Through A+: The Young Designers’ Platform at NYIGF
Six new design companies, reflecting a
range of design aesthetics from around the
world, were invited to participate in “A+:
The Young Designers’ Platform” showcase
within Accent on Design® at the winter
2010 New York International Gift
Fair® (NYIGF®).
“Our search for fresh and unique design
perspectives extends beyond geographical
boundaries,” said Dorothy Belshaw,
NYIGF director and GLM senior vice
president, in a statement. “We’re delighted
to introduce designers from Canada, South
Korea, Turkey and the United States to the
gift and home industry this winter.”
A+ Participant Profiles
Sangwoo Nam, Appree Co.
Sangwoo Nam is a young designer from
Seoul, South Korea whose functional home
accessories include the “Leaf-it” self-stick
memo notes in the color and shapes of
tree leaves, and Waterdrop Magnetic,
round translucent magnets of various sizes
which function as magnets while providing
an indirect link to nature.
Jung Woo Lee, ekdesign
Jung Woo Lee, principal product and
graphic designer at ekdesign in Seoul, South
Korea, strives to incorporate expressive
design into a variety of functional office
products, including cardboard file folders
and USB media players. For more
information, visit www.ekdesign.co.kr.
industrial design degrees from Montreal
University. For more information, visit
www.loyalluxe.com.
James Minola and Chelsea Green, Grain
James Minola and Chelsea Green, designers
from Bainbridge Island, Wash., embrace a
mission to unite sustainability and business
through design. Grain is a design collaborative
which creates and produces home and
personal accessories, including the “Ty”
recyclable shower curtain, made of ethicallyproduced, high density polyethylene (HDPE).
The new “D.I.Y.” edition comes with an
attached permanent marker to draw custom
designs on the curtain. Minola and Green,
both recipients of several design awards, met
while pursuing industrial design degrees at the
Rhode Island School of Design. For more
information, visit www.graindesign.com.
Jiyeon Ahn and Jieun Kim, Luca 12:00
This female design duo from Seoul, South
Korea, creates playful lighting and other
home accessories, in which everyday
objects become meaningful in a new
context. One of their newest designs is
“Soap, a portable light,” through which a
unique light lamp—in the shape and color
of a bar of soap—is controlled through
touch. By rubbing the lamp in the same
manner as a bar of soap, users can adjust
the luminous intensity, and the soap’s
holder acts as a charger. For more
information, visit www.luca12.com.
Marie-Pier Guilmain
and Maud Beauchamp, Loyal Luxe
Marie-Pier Guilmain and Maud
Beauchamp are pet accessory designers
based in Mont-St-Hilaire, Canada, whose
products are designed and manufactured
entirely in Quebec. Their showcase
work is the “chalet for cats,” a cardboard
house for cats or other small domestic pets.
Its innovative yet humorous design is
inspired by Canadian-style chalets. Both
Guilmain and Beauchamp received
Munire Kirmaci, munire kirmaci
Munire Kirmaci is an industrial, product
and spatial designer based in Brooklyn,
N.Y., who designs home accessories as
well as interior spaces. Her signature piece
is “Salt and Pepper in One,” a stainless
steel container which stores and dispenses
both salt and pepper in one piece. Kirmaci
received a Bachelor of Interior Architecture
and Environmental Design from Bilkent
University in Ankara, Turkey, and a
Masters of Industrial Design from the
Pratt Institute. For more information,
visit www.munirek.com.
SIMPLEHUMAN’S SINK CADDY
FAGOR’S ELECTRIC STEAMER
Available in two convenient sizes, 1
gallon small and 2 gallon large, the
Compost Pails come in black and white.
Suggested Retail Price: $19.99-$29.99
Fagor America is adding a stainless steel
electric steamer to its small electrics
product assortment. This 10-quart
capacity allows the flexibility to cook at
full capacity or with the individual
steaming baskets in combinations of one,
two or three tiers to prepare one small
dish up to several dishes at once. An
additional rice cooking bowl is included.
The unit is equipped with digital touch
controls and an LCD screen, 60-minute
timer with time delay setting and a keep
warm function. In addition, it has a water
level indicator with automatic shut off.
An external reservoir allows for water refill
to occur while the unit is in operation.
Anchor Hocking
[tel] 740-681-6478
www.anchorhocking.com
Fagor America Inc.
[tel] 201-804-3900
www.fagoramerica.com
The decorative pails are designed for
countertop use and have a built-in
carbon filter to eliminate odors. An
easy-carry handle makes trips to the
compost pile simple.
“A+: The Young Designers’ Platform” at
Accent on Design runs Sunday, Jan. 31,
through Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010, at New York
City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.
Fair hours are 9am-6pm daily, except for
Thursday, when the Fair closes at noon.
NYIGF is the nation’s premier gift, home and
lifestyle marketplace, with 2,700 exhibiting
companies featuring an extraordinary breadth
and depth of design-driven home fashion
products and complementary giftware.
Some 31,000 attendees from all 50 states
and 85 countries around the world were
expected as of press time. For more
information, visit www.nyigf.com.
Peking Handicraft Inc., a global
manufacturer and wholesaler of home
decor, tabletop and giftware items,
introduces new everyday textile
designs by Dena. Dena’s whimsical
everyday patterns blend vibrant
color, elegant florals and polka dot
designs on new kitchen towels and
aprons offered exclusively by Peking
Handicraft. The company’s Happi
Floral, Happi Monogram, Rachel and
Happi Cupcakes designs are both fun
and functional. The Happi Floral Guest
Towel is 14" x 22".
Simplehuman
[tel] 877-988-7770
www.simplehuman.com
Responding to the needs of consumers
who want the convenience of a
compost pile without going outside,
Anchor Home Collections™ introduces
a stylish Compost Pail for the indoors.
The A+ exhibit is curated by the American
Design Club (AmDC). Founded in 2008,
AmDC is a professional community of
American designers whose goal is to
heighten awareness for emerging designers
and provide exhibition opportunities.
PEKING HANDICRAFT’S
HAPPI FLORAL GUEST TOWEL
Simplehuman introduces a Sink Caddy
featuring four suction cups and a wire
ledge hanger to keep it securely
attached to the sink wall. The wire ledge
hanger has a soft, clear rubber coating
to keep the wire from scratching the
countertop or sink. A pop-up silicone
brush holder extends to hold longer
brushes, while a raised plastic divider
separates sponges and scourers for
faster drying.
PORTABLE COMPOST PAIL NEW FOR
ANCHOR HOME COLLECTIONS™
A+ showcases emerging talents alongside
some 200 established contemporary design
resources exhibiting in Accent on Design.
This type of participation offers young
designers and new companies an affordable
opportunity to expose their concepts,
prototypes and finished products to the
wholesale marketplace. The program,
which was launched in 2008, accepts
applications from nascent designers,
including students, recent graduates, or
new companies in business for one year or
less. Participants are selected on the basis
of design concept, creativity and originality.
Peking Handicraft Inc.
[tel] 800-872-6888
www.pkhc.com
21
{ market watch }
Trade Show Buzz
exhibitors’ one-minute platform speeches.
A monthly update on the goings-on at industry-related shows
Natural Products Expo West
March 11-14
Natural Products Expo West, now in its
30th year, will open March 11 in Anaheim,
Calif., with a strong showing of exhibitors
and attendees expected. Educational
opportunities
include
seminars,
presentations, tours and speakers. The
keynote session this year is Food, Economy
and 350 with Bill McKibben, the founder
of 350.org, an international climate
campaign and author of The End of
Nature. The featured speaker this year
is Robert Kenner, director of the movie
Food, Inc.
New York International Gift Fair
Jan. 30–Feb. 4
Held twice annually, the New York
International Gift Fair showcases a variety
of lines across the home, lifestyle and gift
spectrum. The fair also plays host to a
variety of seminars and events, providing
education and entertainment for the
30,000-plus attendees and 2,700 exhibitors.
This year, the focus is on creating an online
presence for small businesses, with
seminars on social media such as “A
Beginner’s Guide to Social Media” and
“Social Media 2.0: Using Online
Technologies to Build Your Business,” as
well as courses on Web basics and
e-marketing strategies— “Untangle the
Web: Web site Basics” and “Business
Boosting E-marketing Strategies.”
On Feb. 3, the Seventh Annual
Housewares Design Awards will
honor the best products in 13 categories
including
Tabletop,
Cookware,
Bakeware, Lighting, Home Décor and
Outdoor Living, at the Marriott Marquis
in Times Square.
Ambiente
Feb. 12-16
Three leading international trade fairs,
about 4,300 international exhibitors and
180,000 square meters of net floor space
will come together at Ambiente, Feb. 1216, in Frankfurt, Germany. The market
revolves around tableware, kitchenware,
household goods, gift items and
decorations as well as home furnishing
accessories. Under the Ambiente umbrella,
products are organized into three dedicated
fairs: Dining, Giving and Living.
Ambiente is debuting a new concept for
the halls this year, enabling exhibitors to
present their products in a clearly
structured and targeted framework.
The Dining Fair will occupy Halls 1.0-6.0,
while the Giving Fair will be in Halls 9.19.3, 10.0 and 11.1, and the Living Fair will
be in Halls 8.0, 9.0, 10.1, 10.2 and 11.0.
The halls will then be divided up into
categories such as Table Contemporary
Design (Hall 4.0), Kitchen Trends (Halls
1.1 and 1.2), and Gifts Unlimited (Halls
9.1 and 9.2), to name a few. This new
layout, which is based on product group,
style direction and market segment, is
designed to make both exhibiting and
attending more beneficial for all.
Coffee Fest
March 5-7
Coffee Fest packs up its bags to travel to
the East Coast for its spring show at
the Meadowlands Exposition Center,
Seacaucus, N.J., March 5-7, where
entrepreneurs and veteran specialty coffee
professionals will gather to network, learn
and accumulate a breadth of coffee
products and knowledge to transmute into
a healthy bottom line.
“We welcome the energy of the East Coast
and look forward to comparing notes with
professionals from the New York
metropolitan area,” said Greg Hartlein,
CEO of Coffee Fest, in a statement.
The show offers attendees a three-pronged
approach to business success—education and
training, networking and trend watching,
over the course of the three-day show.
Some highlights of this year’s East Coast
Coffee Fest are the Pacific Natural Foods
Top Cup Challenge, where soy plays the
starring role in a contest to see which
barista can whip up the tastiest and most
creative soy-based drink, and the Tinker's
Minute—an old-fashioned take on new
products, that highlights the latest
innovations the industry has to offer with
Foreign Presence Grows at
New York International Gift Fair
Some 46 countries will be represented at
the winter 2010 New York International
Gift Fair, with more than 300 international
companies included among the Fair’s 2,700
exhibitors. Global suppliers will be featured
throughout NYIGF’s eight divisions
through government-sponsored pavilions,
as independent exhibitors and—for the
first time this winter—within a newly
formed international “consortium” in
Accent on Design.
“No other U.S. market provides such an
extensive quantity of global resources,”
said Dorothy Belshaw, NYIGF director
and GLM senior vice president in a
prepared release. “Equally notable is the
quality of international merchandise on
display, reflecting the exceptional talent
and inspired aesthetics of designers and
22
craftsmen from around the world.”
Eleven international pavilions will be
featured at NYIGF this winter, with
expanded participation by groups from
Israel and Japan. Pavilion organizers are:
Africa Now!, representing nine African
nations, American Chamber of Commerce
from Peru, Ateliers d’Art de France,,
British Crafts Council, British Design
Group and British Jewellery and
Giftware Exports, Israel Export Institute,
Italian Trade Commission, JETRO New
York ( Japan), LMI-Leipziger Messe
International GmbH (Germany), and
ProMexico Trade & Investment.
This winter, the Israel Export Institute
will expand its presence beyond NYIGF’s
General Gift division to feature a
IHA, in a statement. “We are pleased to say
that we are ahead of last year’s pace in
signing up new exhibitors.”
As of Dec. 14, the show had 160 new
exhibitors scheduled. The new exhibitors are
spread throughout the four expos contained
within the show: clean + contain, dine +
design (which includes GOHO—Gourmet
Home and Food), wired + well, and global
crossroads (an international pavilion).
Expo West is also offering a business
program for newcomers to the industry.
The program will provide in-depth advice
for businesses and individuals from
branding, marketing and labeling to
industry trends, distribution, financing and
tips for success.
Attendees can also take advantage of a
chance to explore retail stores and
manufacturing plants throughout Southern
California, with two available bus tours.
The retail-store tour highlights the best
natural products and specialty stores, while
the manufacturing-plant tour will focus
on LEED-certified facilities and practices.
International Home + Housewares Show
March 14-16
Building on more than 400 new exhibitors
at the 2009 show, the International
Housewares Association announced a
broad range of new and returning
exhibitors slated to appear at the 2010
International Home + Housewares Show,
to held March 14-16 at Chicago’s
McCormick Place.
“The retailer audience told us that last year's
new exhibitors along with the thousands of
new offerings from long-time exhibitors
made the show innovation headquarters for
our industry,” said Phil Brandl, president of
collection of Israeli handcrafts within
NYIGF’s Handmade division; and JETRO
New York will expand its pavilion within
the General Gift division. In total, there
will be 25 Israeli companies exhibiting
with the Israel Export Institute and 12
Japanese companies exhibiting with
JETRO New York.
At the same time, four independent
Japanese exhibitors have formed a new
“Accent on Japan” consortium within
NYIGF’s Accent on Design division. The
four main participants–Gallery 91,
Inatome, Morihata International Ltd. Co.
and Tanuma Co. Ltd. (a first-time NYIGF
exhibitor)–have relocated next to each
other on the exhibit floor, to create a shared
space through which they will showcase
their gifts, accessories and tableware from
Japan and feature work from emerging
Japanese artists.
In total, 46 countries are represented at
NYIGF: Afghanistan, Argentina, Australia,
Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bolivia,
Brazil, Burkina Faso, Canada, China,
Czech Republic, Denmark, Ethiopia,
France, Germany, Ghana, Guatemala,
Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Ireland, Israel,
Italy, Japan, Kenya, Mali, Malaysia, Mexico,
Nepal, Nigeria, Peru, Philippines, Portugal,
Russia, Singapore, South Africa, South
Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania,
Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, United Kingdom
and the United States.
NYIGF is the nation’s premier gift, home
and lifestyle marketplace, with 2,700
exhibiting companies featuring an
extraordinary breadth and depth of designdriven home fashion products and
complementary giftware. Some 31,000
attendees from all 50 states and 85
countries around the world are expected.
The winter 2010 edition of NYIGF runs
Jan. 30, through Feb. 4, at New York City’s
Jacob K. Javits Convention Center and
Passenger Ship Terminal Pier 94.
2010 TRADE SHOW CALENDER
17-22 International Home
Furnishings Market
High Point, NC, 336-869-1000
www.ihfc.com
FEBR UARY 2010
7-11 Spring Fair Birmingham,
National Exhibition Centre
Birmingham, England 609-921-0222
www.springfair.com
12-16 Ambiente
Frankfurt Fair & Exhibition Center
Frankfurt, Germany 770-984-8016
www.messefrankfurt.com
21-24 Alberta Gift Show
Northlands Agricom
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, 800-633-8332
www.albertagiftshow.com
23-24 Upshow-Upper Midwest
Foodservice & Lodging Show
Minneapolis Convention Center
Minneapolis, MN, 914-421-3200
www.upshowonline.com
MAY 2010
15-18 International Contemporary
Furniture Fair
Jacob K. Javits Convention Center
New York, NY, 800-272-SHOW
www.icff.com
8-10 Licensing International Expo
Las Vegas, NV, 212-951-6612
www.licensingexpo.com
14-16 NEOCON World’s Trade Fair
The Merchandise Mart
Chicago, IL, 800-677-MART
www.neocon.com
27-March 1 Portland Gift &
Accessories Show
Oregon Convention Center
Portland, OR, 800-346-1212
www.portlandgift.com
23-29 Dallas Total Home & Gift Market
Dallas Market Center
Dallas, TX, 800-DAL-MKTS
www.dallasmarketcenter.com
MARCH 2010
JULY 2010
7-10 Montreal Gift Show
Place Bonaventure
Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 888-823-7469
www.montrealgiftshow.com
2-6 Tendence Lifestyle
Frankfurt Fair & Exhibition Center
Frankfurt, Germany, 770-984-8016
www.messefrankfurt.com
14-16 International Home
& Housewares Show
McCormick Place
Chicago, IL, 847-692-0109
www.housewares.org
14-21 Atlanta International Gift &
Home Furnishings Market
AmericasMart Atlanta
Atlanta, GA, 800-ATL-MART
www.americasmart.com
14-16 Spring Gift Show
LA Mart
Los Angeles, CA, 800-LAMART4
www.lamart.com
31-Aug 2 The Gourmet Housewares Show
Moscone Center
San Francisco, CA, 914-421-3206
www.thegourmetshow.com
21-24 Boston Gift Show
Boston Convention & Exhibition Center
Boston, MA, 800-272-SHOW
www.bostongiftshow.com
AUGUST 2010
14-19 New York International Gift Fair
Jacob K. Javits Convention Center
New York, NY, 800-272-SHOW
www.nyigf.com
SEPTEMBER 2010
11-13 Atlanta Fall Gift &
Home Furnishings Market and
The Atlanta Gourmet Market®
AmericasMart Atlanta
Atlanta, GA, 800-ATL-MART
www.americasmart.com
APRIL 2010
13-16 New York Tabletop Market
New York Showrooms, 41 Madison
7 West 34th, 230 Fifth Ave.
New York, NY, 212-686-1203, 212-279-6063
800-698-5617
www.41madison.com, www.7wnewyork.com
www.230fifthave.com
A D V E R T I S E R
I N D E X
D&H Distributing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Eades Appliance Technology LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Essenergy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
IHA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Kyocera Advanced Ceramics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Linden Sweden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
LSArts Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Parrish’s Cake Dec. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Prodyne . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
SCI Scandicrafts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Starfrit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Tervis Tumbler Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Zak Designs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
guest
JUNE 2010
column
Putting Words into
Deeds on Going Green
John Rodrigues, Vice President
J.K. Adams Co.
J.K. Adams made the decision to become
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
certified to bring validity to what it has
always practiced in the manufacturing of
its products, which is to purchase lumber
from suppliers who use sustainable forestry
practices. J.K. Adams felt that with
everyone claiming “green” on their
products the company wanted to be the
first manufacturer of its type to be certified
by the FSC, which is an independent, not
for profit organization whose mission is
to support environmentally appropriate,
socially beneficial, and economically
viable management of the world’s
forests. J.K.Adams is a manufacturer of
wood cutting boards, serving pieces and
knife, wine and spice storage to the
gourmet housewares industry for more
than 65 years.
The first step in the certification process
was to create a company FSC Chain-ofCustody Documented Control System.
This document outlines the procedures
and responsibilities of everyone in the
organization regarding the processing
of FSC certified products. This begins
from the time the order is taken to the
time the finished product leaves the
building. Every step in the process must
be documented and every person in the
process must understand their
responsibility. Upon completion of the
Chain-of-Custody documented control
system it was submitted to the FSC for
review and approval. Once we received
approval an audit was scheduled. A team
of five came to the facility to review and
ask questions about our processes and
ensure what we claimed was actually
happening throughout the factory.
Employees were interviewed to ensure
they were clear on the process and what
their role and responsibility was. The
review team was on site for the entire day
conducting their investigation.
Once the audit team was finished they
left to prepare their findings in a report.
Any shortcomings were noted and
were expected to be corrected before
certification was issued. Upon
satisfactory completion of the audit we
were issued our certificate. The process
from start to finish was nearly one year.
Each year an auditor comes in to review
our documentation before we are
recertified for the following year. Checks
are done to calculate all incoming FSC
certified materials, how they were
processed through the factory, and what
products they were made into. Incoming
lumber receipts, factory work orders,
packaging, and shipping documents are
verified for compliance. Everyone in the
process must be FSC certified including
the timber land owner to the lumber
mill who processes the trees into lumber.
J.K. Adams believes this process was
worth the effort and expense because it
is in line with its core beliefs and values
regarding how our forest resources
should be handled. J.K. Adams continues
to be the only manufacturer of its type
of product to carry this certification and
hopes others will come aboard and bring
legitimacy to the unregulated “green”
label that unfortunately is often loosely
applied to products that would never
meet the standards set forth by the FSC.
John Rodrigues is vice president of J.K.
Adams, located in Dorset, Vermont. He can
be reached at 802-362-2303, ext. 24.
23
24

February 2010 - Oser Communications Group

Transcription

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