Archives for April 2010

When the people from HeatTrak told us they are the world’s first and only manufacturer of portable outdoor heated mats designed to melt snow and ice on contact, our team took notice and listened carefully! The comany’s mats keep walkways and stairs around the home and workplace safe and slip-free. If attending, company representatives will show you the full product line of heated safety mats at booth # 10165.

Being a staff of public / media relations professionals specializing in the Home, Garden and Design Industries, we especially are excited to say this product has been featured in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, This Old House magazine, and other print media. Also, featured on several national TV networks including ABC, FOX, NBC, and morning shows across the country, the word is out about this product.

Here is a linked YouTube clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8010kI1Sqi4.

The story of how HeatTrak got started will catch your attention as well. HeatTrak’s inventor, Hillel Glazer, created the product at the age of 16 and started the company in 2004 when he was just 24. Today, HeatTrak sells its products worldwide through hardware and retail stores including Costco, Home Depot and others. We’ll be featuring Hillel and his story in one of our post-National Hardware Show articles. So, be sure to come back to our blog and Facebook Fanpage for more stories, product profiles, our “Best of Products and Innovations” picks, and trend reports after the show. Follow us on Twitter http://twitter.com/eberlycollardpr for our tweets from the show floor as well. – See everyone in Vegas!

~ Don

For years, our PR firm has publicized products and services for clients having the audience of growers, retailers, home gardeners, homeowners, landscapers, builders, architects, etc. So, we are enjoying becoming acquainted with Bethel Organics and its Organic Seed Starting Kits, Peel N Seed™ (packet) hang tags, and DOT Pots. The company’s combined audience, in part, is very similar to that of our some of our clients. Company leaders with Bethel Organics created a website showcasing portals to the grower, retailer and homeowner segments. Watch for upcoming information about the Peel N Seed product online and the National Hardware Show.

Our “Sneak Peek” pick is the company’s Peel N Seed packets, since they are an easy way to start an organic vegetable garden. They are hang cards containing three popular vegetables. Consumers can peel off the seed labels, plant the seeds and water the soil. Two reasons we selected this product: First, it ingeniously uses very little merchandising space and makes a perfect impulse (consumer) buy for participating retailers. Second, it addresses the trends of veggie gardening and garden to table, giving retailers something easy and attainable to entice customers in the aisles or at Point-of-Purchase.

If attending the show, find Bethel Organics on the show floor. – Media folks, if you need help with writing or sourcing articles about vegetable gardening for your 2010 editorial calendars, email us anytime. We have many options for byline articles on the topic and photos and sources for your own written articles. – Everyone, share your questions and comments about seeds, veggie gardening subject matter, and the like below.

~ Don

Our next “Sneak Peek” product for the National Hardware Show is simple and smart. Gutter-Aid, LLC, which is the brainchild of Kansas City remodeling contractor Bill Christie and his son Justin, will be displaying the Gutter-Aid product system at the show May 4-6. The Gutter-Aid product is a revolutionary gutter-cleaning system for homeowners and professionals, consisting of a high density gutter tub and contoured scraper. The system is used to remove gutter debris.

Rather than throwing leaves and debris to the ground or trying to capture it in a bag while atop a ladder, users are able to place debris directly into an affixed tub. A molded scraper contours to gutter shapes and is used to scrape up to three gallons of debris into the tub. And, yes, we asked about testing. The makers spent over twenty-four months developing, testing, and refining the unique gutter cleaning system.

If you are a member of the media and cannot attend the show this year, let us know any questions at jcollard@eberlycollardpr.com . We can connect you to Bill Christie. Comments may be posted below this narrative, so tell us what you think.

~ Jeff

So far, all of our “Sneak Peeks” for the upcoming National Hardware Show have featured fantastic products that enhance a home or garden. This “Sneak Peek” is one that is solely focused on enhancing people, people’s wellbeing that is. Bullfrog Spas will be displaying three of its spas at the show: Model 251, Model 131 and Model 562. While these are all great spas perfect for the home, it was Model 562 that really caught our eye.

As feature-rich as this spa is, it is priced at a good value. Made completely wood free, Bullfrog Spas are extremely durable based on the company’s state-of-the-art injection molded composites for the bases and supporting structures. As seen in the picture above, this spa model is portable and accommodates up to six adults, including the comfortable lounge seat with calf jets for full-body hydrotherapy. This model also boasts numerous additional features and style choices to cater exactly to a customer’s needs.

The real bang for your buck is Bullfrog Spas’ JetPak® technology found in each of the modular jetted seatbacks for each spa. This exclusive system allows customizable, interchangeable and upgradable choices for each seat in a spa. Imagine the health and wellness benefits that can result from this…honestly, who doesn’t need a bit of help relieving stress? And, retailers, you can sell “stress relief” by carrying these spas.

You can learn more about Bullfrog Spas at the show next week; just stop by booth #10666 and see Bullfrog Spas for yourself.

~ Sarah Kate

We haven’t come across a paint for lawns we like – until now. Easy Green Lawn Paint was designed and developed for a fast and economical way to restore the natural green color to dormant or distressed turf. While for home and commercial lawn use, it is also highly recommended for golf courses, football and soccer fields, and similar sports areas. A big plus – and why we picked it as a “Sneak Peek” – it is environmentally friendly and contains no hazardous chemicals, heavy metals, or other inert ingredients harmful to turf.

While we do endorse and promote landscaping to yield green and lush grass, there are troubled areas of turf, sometimes whole lawns, that can benefit from “make-overs” or “make-up” until fresh seed can grow. For some, it is an all-year alternative. Using lawn paint has many advantages. Easy Green Lawn Paint is a means to quickly improve curb appeal. The dye is harmless to the lawn, pets, and people, and it dries in less than an hour. It is safe and lasts up to 3 months (or until mowed of course). Easy Green Lawn Paint will be in booth number 10535 at The National Hardware Show in Las Vegas next week. – Editors working on lawn care and curb appeal articles in 2010, this product and some related how-to-use-it tips from the folks at Easy Care Lawn Paint could serve as an applicable sidebar.

~ Adam

Decades before the phrases green and eco-friendly became ubiquitous trends, The Old Fashioned Milk Paint Company finished experimentation of its all-natural Milk Paint. Then used for furniture and other porous surfaces, now, the newest line of Milk Paint is an organic, durable, non-polluting matte paint for walls. Appropriately named, SafePaint is a fantastic solution for those sensitive to standard paints or opting for a more natural paint choice. That is exactly why we want to preview this “Sneak Peek” product for editors and consumers alike.

This year at the National Hardware Show, The Old Fashioned Milk Paint Company will be a first-time exhibitor even though it has been creating Milk Paint since 1974. This newest SafePaint line is made from the same ingredients – crushed limestone, milk proteins and earth pigments. The powdered Milk Paints are available in 20 colors, but may also be blended together or diluted with white Milk Paint for numerous color choices. All one has to do is add water and mix with a drill paint paddle or even a portable kitchen beater.

We really love that the ingredients are bio-degradable and yet permanent when mixed and painted on walls. And, we give SafePaint our stamp of approval because it promises the same great adhesion and luminescent qualities as the original Milk Paint, or a full refund is guaranteed.

If you will be in Vegas for the show, stop by the Milk Paint booth (#2534) and check out SafePaint for yourself. And, as always, let us know what you think by leaving a comment below.

~ Sarah Kate

Four days and counting until the National Hardware Show in Las Vegas. We have been receiving nice feedback about our “Sneak Peek” product reviews from numerous editor and producer contacts of our firm. This is a good sign the show will draw a good deal of media attention. Show planners have executed one of the best showings of tradeshow media relations we have seen in some time. We are excited to be a part of covering select products, brands, manufactures, and exhibitors on our blog and in articles. This “Sneak Peek” stems from a creative company called PF WaterWorks. PF WaterWorks offers innovative, eco-friendly and convenient products to improve self-sufficiency in the residential, commercial, industrial, and hospitality sectors.

PF WaterWorks is a Houston-based product development and manufacturing company targeting “green” drain management. Company leaders are focusing product development upon the fact its customers lead busy lives and work schedules. We were impressed, in that, they are committed to helping improve the environment and save customers time and money.

The company announced recently it will be introducing its new ClogFREE™ magnetic stopper for sink drains, which eliminates the need for standard pop-up stopper connecting rods, at the National Hardware Show, Las Vegas. The product’s design was invented without a typical connecting rod to avoid the obstruction of caught hair and debris. This permits an easy flow of water and reduces the need for maintenance with plumbing snakes, dangerous drain cleaners and messy disassembly. Unlike more common drain apparatus, the ClogFREE™ magnetic stopper addresses health, safety and environmental concerns associated with clogged sinks (pictured left).

In 2008, PF Waterworks successfully introduced the revolutionary PermaFLOW® − No Clog Drain, to replace a conventional P-Trap, a sister product that works seamlessly with the new ClogFREE™ Pop-UP Drain. The ClogFREE™ Pop-Up Drain is universal.

PF Waterworks will also launch the new

HairFREE™ – No-Hair Pop-Up at the show. It utilizes patent-pending HairGuard™ technology to stop drains from trapping hair and alleviate the build-up of clogs. The HairGuard™ isolates the pop-up stopper connecting rod, diverting water, hair and other debris safely down the drain. This addresses accumulation problems and allows for little to no maintenance. The HairFREE™ Pop-Up Drain Stopper is also universal (pictured right).

The PlungeMAX™ – No-mess Plunger™ additionally will be launched at the show. The product is being brought to market to easily unclog toilets without the usual mess and splashing. PF WaterWorks manufactured the new product to help rid of harsh chemical drain cleaners and old-fashioned plungers that host germs and dirt. This sounds good to us! – Retailers and media members alike, if you are attending the show, stop by booth 3317. If you are a member of the media and cannot attend the show this year, let us know any questions at

jcollard@eberlycollardpr.com. Blog comments (below) are welcome.

~ Jeff

Resurfacing outdoor surfaces is becoming an even more popular topic in trade publications and consumer magazines. In the words of an editor friend at Harris Publications (and we agree), resurfacing will continue to increase in homeowner interest based upon the current real estate market. With people staying in their homes longer, remodeling and renovation are the norm more so now than in recent years. Thus, our next National Hardware Show “Sneak Peek,” the new Solar Decking Tiles from Mr. Light. (Note: Check back on the product’s site – linked above – for details later if needed, as this is a new item being launched).

These snap-together outdoor solar decking tiles are a means for homeowners to resurface or remodel their old concrete patios, balconies, rooftop decks, and old wood decks quickly and easily. As with all the better DIY projects for busy people these days, installation is simple and comes without all the hard work of conventional installation methods.

After writing probably hundreds of outdoor room and deck articles over the years, we have learned a thing or two about decking, resurfacing, and the like. Our team agrees these tiles are viable options. They can be installed over almost any hard surface like concrete, brick, asphalt, existing wood decks, compacted gravel, other tiles, and even bare ground (with proper preparation) – just by snapping the tiles together.

Those lucky enough to be in Vegas at the show next week can see the Solar Decking Tiles at booth # 11962.

~ Jeff

The National Hardware Show is around the corner, and this is a “Sneak Peek” at Botanical Towers. When installed outdoors, they provide the utility of a triple shepherd’s hook and the functionality of a trellis, while offering defined charm and handcrafted quality.

Used as accent pieces in lawns and landscapes, we recommend them because they yield architectural interest like that which is similarly provided by larger structures, such as pergolas and arbors. They fit well in large landscape. But, designers and retailers can sell them for small-space gardens, courtyards, around condos, beside townhomes, and wherever exterior light and ambiance is desired.

Botanical Towers are constructed of western red cedar and assembled using cast-iron brackets and powder-coated hardware, creating three 15″ X 15″ display areas. This is a good item for magazines’ “Outdoor Accessories” product profile sections. National Hardware Show attendees can get an in-person look at Botanical Towers next week.

~ Don

Okay, DuneCraft, Inc’s Hydro-Dome product, a hydroponic method of growing plants in water (no soil) that uses mineral nutrient solutions, is right up our alley. Over the years, our team at ECPR has publicized and featured just about every type of plant and growing system on the market. Take it from us, this is a very cool product that will be enjoyed by home and garden magazine, newspaper, and blog readers. So, consumer publication editors, bloggers and garden writers, take a moment to keep reading.

And, for retailers interested in supplying customers with unique ways to garden indoors and at home with the kids, this all-in-one gardening hydro-system makes for a self-contained kit – something very different to address the garden-to-table and gardening-at-home trends.

At the National Hardware Show next week, DuneCraft will be exhibiting the hydroponic system, which includes a Hydro-Pump (a pump, airline and a diffuser stone). One of its best attributes is that, unlike some similar hobbyist offerings which are merely capillary wick systems, this is true hydroponic gardening on a small scale with a flood plain and bubbler system. Users can grow plants in rock-wool and net pots, which suspend plants in the air at the perfect height for maximum nutrition and aeration. In researching the kit, our staff most liked the fact it comes with everything needed: a greenhouse with hydroponic tray, two-part nutrient, net pots, rock-wool, seeds, hydro-pump for aeration, and easy-to-follow directions.

The Hydro-Dome retails for $29.99 and is safe for ages 13 and up. We are happy to report that Hydro-Dome was featured in Popular Mechanics for being one of the “Top 12 Gadgets” from The International Toy Fair in February 2010.

Retailers, can this meet your needs for unique gardening product options? Garden writers, post your comments. We know you have thoughts about this trendy product.

~ Adam