Nearly 60 percent of U.S. households own a gas grill fueled by propane, but few grill owners have any idea how much propane they actually have in their tanks. Grill Gauge Products, a start-up consumer convenience company based in Roswell, Ga., is out to change that. The company developed the Original Grill Gauge™, a unique device that will keep gas-grillers “in the know” about the level of propane in their tanks. The hand-held device will be showcased at the National Hardware Show next week. Grill Gauge,™ is similar to the gas gauge in a car, and incorporates the same specifications the propane industry fills and weighs propane tanks by factoring the weight of liquid propane and the tank itself. Users hook the device to the top of the tank, lift the tank slightly off the ground and view the analog read out. The readings are instant, and the gauge doesn’t require batteries or pressure. To learn more about the Original Grill Gauge,™ visit www.grillgauge.com.

The Leaf Lasso by Happy Go Leafy Products, Inc. is simple to use and designed to eliminate time wasted raking leaves into piles as well as bending and scooping. The light-weight product turns lawn or leaf bags into a combination dust pan and trash can. The angled apron rests on the ground, allowing the user to sweep leaves, dirt and other small debris directly into the bag with one hand. Two stakes allow users to affix the bag firmly to the ground. Weighing less than one pound, the Leaf Lasso can be moved all over the yard or pavement during clean-up projects. Once the trash bag is full, users can quickly separate the frames, remove the bag and attach a new one. The Leaf Lasso is durable and can hang anywhere for easy storage. Retailers and landscape professionals, look for this product at the National Hardware Show in Las Vegas next week, and for additional information visit www.leaflasso.com.

The Stout’s Backsaver Grip, a new and nationally distributed ergonomic tool, can be seen at the National Hardware Show next week in Las Vegas. The detachable grip by Backsaver Grip, LLC works by increasing the leverage and efficiency of the user’s body as the tool is used. It quickly and easily attaches high on the pole of a tool, reducing the need to bend over. The patented grip allows the legs to take the burden of gardening off the back and also provide a more comfortable working position for the wrist and arm. Additionally, the grip makes it easier to use overhead tools such as tree trimmers and paint extension poles, while improving stability and control. Whether you’re a landscape trade professional or retailer looking to sell items with ease-of-use for homeowners, the Stout’s Backsaver Grip is versatile for many needs in both the home and garden. The grip fits any shovel, rake, broom, mop, or other long-handled tool. This gadget is also ideal for gardeners who suffer from back strain, arthritis and shoulder pain. To learn more about the Stout’s Backsaver Grip, visit www.backsavergrip.com.

Part of Our “Best of NHS Products & Innovations” Series…

We continue our series by showcasing a viable, safe and eco-friendly alternative to traditional herbicides called Clear Choice. And, during the summer season of cookouts and backyard play, the last thing consumers want to worry about is pesky weeds or the harsh spray covering their yards. The brainchild of Petro Canada Lubricants, Inc. (The world’s largest manufacturer of white oils), Clear Choice offers lawn and garden consumers the option to effectively knock out over 60 types of tough broadleaf weeds with a spray that has dramatically reduced chemical loads.

With more and more lawn and garden consumers aware of the harmful dangers that chemicals in weed killers exude, Petro-Canada developed the Clear Choice formula with pure synthetic isoparaffins and technologically advanced surfactants. This means that the smaller particle size formulation allows for easier absorption by the pores of the weeds, making Clear Choice as effective as traditional herbicides. And, the low odor of the spray and the ergonomic design of the bottle are two additional features that make us enamored with Clear Choice.

~ Jeff

Part of Our “Best of NHS Products & Innovations” Series…

Innovative quality shade at value prices. That is the tagline for the Shade Made Easy umbrella products: easyFlex, easySide and easyUpDown. These three shade solutions feature Shade Made Easy’s simple opening and closing technology as well as quality materials. The combination of superior manufacturing and beautiful design makes creating shade in any outdoor environment a breeze. In particular, these shade options are value-priced, making them quite attainable for homeowners. So, retailers, distributors and dealers, take note of these fantastic products from the National Hardware Show. I am sure you will be hearing a lot more about them in the near future.

The easyFlex wall umbrella allows for sun protection all day long and then conveniently folds right against any wood, brick or concrete to which it is attached, maximizing outdoor space and making winter storage hassle-free. Space-saving when needed, this umbrella product truly is shade made easy, as it allows for shade even when the sun changes position throughout the day.

Next, the easySide umbrella collapses above standard table height and requires one quick touch to open or close, making it a functional addition to patios. Whether used for a lounging area by a pool or to cover an outdoor dining space, the open-close motion supplies versatility and ease-of-use.

Finally, there is the easyUpDown wood umbrella. With its Indosian hardwood pole, quick-touch design and square or round canopy top, easyUpDown is made to fit any standard table or to stand alone. For beachside homes or just in the back yard, the basic up-down function is often most practical and necessary. This option is convenient and offers a touch of elegance as compared to so many umbrella selections on the market.

Based upon the shade product feedback we receive from our media contacts, we believe this “Best of…” will hold high interest for editors and their readers. And, see Shade Made Easy’s website, www.shademadeeasy.com, for more information and options for fabric and color.

For those interested in a higher-end designer and more fashion forward shade line, ShadeScapes Americas provides North American luxury home and contract markets with designer shade solutions, www.shadescapesamericas.com. – Media members, comment here or contact us through phone or email with any questions or for high-resolution images.

~ Sarah Kate

Part of Our “Best of NHS Products & Innovations” Series…

We continue our “Best of” reviews for products and innovations from the National Hardware Show last month with an invention from Rapid Tools called the The Rapid Shark. Aptly named, this ferocious tool combines a utility knife and wire stripper into one. The knife and stripper have been cleverly combined in a rugged yet ergonomic case, about the size of a standard utility knife, with a one-button blade change feature and storage in the body for four blades total. Wow! Rapid Tools has definitely made The Rapid Shark a worthwhile tool to have inside any toolbox. We also have to note the two different models available, the original Shark with stripping holes for AWG 10-18 wires and the Big Bite Shark for larger AWG 6-12 wires.
With a whimsical design yet powerful features, what an amazing product spotlight this tool could be for any interested editors! And readers, feel free to leave any thoughts below. – Next week, we have a few pretty incredible hardware and homeware products to feature, so stay tuned.

~ Sarah Kate

Part of Our “Best of NHS Products & Innovations” Series…

As many of you already know, we spent time blogging and writing articles about “Sneak Peeks” for the National Hardware Show that took place in Las Vegas, NV, May 4-6. While there, we scoured the trade show floors to develop a long list of products and innovations to share with everyone as our newest series titled, “Best of Products & Innovations”. With interviews we have conducted along with in-person and online research on the part of our team, we’ve narrowed our selections down to feature some remarkable items. Our showcase begins today with…Black Flag brands.

Black Flag introduced us to its powerful new indoor / outdoor pest control formula in a 1.33-gallon high-performance pump spray that protects against more than 40 different pests. We found it to seem easy, affordable, and most importantly, effective.

The pump spray boasts a 10-minute continuous spray after just a dozen or so pumps. The concentrate itself is not only fragrance-free but also non-staining, so it can be used indoors as well. This saves a homeowner the costs of hiring outside pest control services, since to spray with the Home Insect Control product costs less than 20 dollars, incredibly affordable for any DIYer. With this product, the company has made pest control easy and doable for homeowners, even those with a fear of the little critters.

For more information, visit www.blackflag.com. – Members of the media, let us know your questions or feedback.

And, stay tuned for more “Best ofs…” from the National Hardware Show.

~ Don & Jeff

One of the notable things This Old House does extremely well is reinvent household, home ware and hardware items. Its TV hosts and magazine / online editors and writers are exemplary at finding alternative uses for common household objects. The case in point refers to a common garden hose and 10 creative uses for it, other than its typical function of watering. Some of this article’s highlights for us include the “Gird the Garage” and the “Grip Buckets” (pictured below) tips.

To protect a car and a garage from unavoidable dents and dings from a driver-in-training, This Old House suggests screwing lengths of hose at bumper level to absorb the blow. And then, note how handy a hose can be as a better grip for a bucket handle. TOH contributor Jeanne Huber even shares her idea of linking hoses to relocate an outdoor spigot to a convenient location.

We hope other editors and home improvement industry leaders are as enamored with these pointers as we are. See the rest of the article: http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/article/0,,1607708,00.html

The TOH article is one incredible example of ingenuity with products for homeowners. Nice job, TOH!We have some additional “tips” ideas based upon other, similar products. – Members of the media, for a unique set of tips related to home wares and hardware exclusive for your readers or viewers, contact us anytime. Our mix of clients and sources could make for a great new article of tips with exclusive content.

~Sarah Kate

“We surf the Internet. We swim in magazines.” This is the current tagline for one of the largest print advertising campaigns created by the leaders of five foremost magazine companies—Charles H. Townsend of Condé Nast, Cathie Black of Hearst Magazines, Jack Griffin of Meredith Corporation, Ann Moore of Time Inc., and Jann Wenner of Wenner Media. “Magazines, The Power of Print” campaign will be seen as an ad in nearly 100 magazines across the industry as well as online, reaching nearly 112 million readers per month. The concept is simple yet empowering; magazines are a vital medium in our culture. Despite the common notion that print is dying out, magazines are actually thriving due to continuous consumer commitment. The publishers point to data from Mediamark Research & Intelligence that shows magazine readership has risen 4.3% over the past five years.

We, as a PR firm that is constantly interacting with print, enthusiastically support this campaign. We continuously write for and submit to magazine’s editorial staffs because the depth and lasting quality of print offers an amazing harmonization with the internet. Yes, times are changing and media is evolving, but we don’t believe there can be anything that replaces the powerful physicality of print. We write byline articles for over 125 magazines each year, many of which are in printed formats. Our select syndicated campaigns publish in between 50 and 300 newspapers. So, believe us when we say that print is alive and well.

There is something utterly divine about skimming your fingers over the glossy pages of a magazine or rejoicing at a new month’s issue arriving, bright and unscathed, in the mail. “Magazines continue to resonate on many levels with consumers, and this is reflected in the enormous trust and value readers have for their favorite titles,” Griffin says in the campaign’s press release.

As much as the campaign is geared towards consumers, it targets advertisers and industry influencers. “There’s a reason magazines are such an enduring and engaging media force. The format showcases our rich content and our advertisers’ brand messages like no other medium,” said Townsend. And according to Affinity’s VISTA Print Effectiveness Rating Service, 2005-2009, magazine effectiveness is growing. Ad recall has increased 13% over the past five years. Action-taking—based on readers recalling specific ads—increased by 10%.

For more information about “Magazines, The Power of Print” and for a full list of interesting study findings showcasing exactly how popular print magazines are today, visit http://www.magazine.org/NEWS/magazines-the-power-of-print-campaign.aspx. Or better yet, flip open a magazine; the ads say it all. – We send our thanks and support to the publishers in mention. Keep up the great work you are doing, and let us know if and how we can assist you.

~ Sarah Kate and all of us at ECPR

The ECPR team is excited to report we have been chosen by The Atlanta Business Chronicle as one of Atlanta’s Top 20 Public Relations Firms. The list of top firms was published in last week’s (May 14) edition and will also be included in this year’s Book of Lists, 2010-2011. While our clients are corporately located across the United States and Canada, our office is located in Midtown Atlanta. So, in this round-up of top public relations firms, we were ranked as part of Atlanta’s Top 20.

The list of top firms noted the success of our social media services as a significant achievement. Indeed, we have burned the midnight oil many nights to create what has evolved into one of the most successful social media service programs to date.

Many thanks to our internal staff and extended team members for your hard work and daily service. We couldn’t do it without you. To the leaders and companies in the Home, Garden, Design, Agribusiness, Landscape, Architecture, Construction, Engineering, Furniture, Hardware, and Homewares Industries, we send you our thanks for your support of our firm at events and conferences. Last, but certainly not least, thank you to our clients for your trust in our services and ability to represent you to the media. It is a privilege to serve you.

Here’s to a positive, productive and prosperous year for all of us!

~ Jeff & Don