Founded in 2003, Highwood USA is one of the leaders in producing premium synthetic products. The company strives to create high-quality products that mimic nature’s finest materials but require very little maintenance. Highwood USA’s synthetic wood is weather-resistant, long-lasting and durable, yet gives off the appearance of real wood. This year, Highwood USA will be showcasing the company’s synthetic wood outdoor furniture including the Adirondack Collection as well as a brand new product, the laptop tray at Casual Market.

Adirondack chairs were first designed in 1903 by Thomas Lee. While vacationing in the Adirondack Mountains in Westport, NY, Lee created the outdoor chairs for his summer vacation home to enjoy the breathtaking mountain views. The original design had a straight back and seat, which were set at a slant to sit better on steep mountain inclines. The chair also featured wide armrests, which became a trademark of the Adirondack chair. Today’s Adirondack chairs feature round backs and contoured seats, such as the collection from Highwood USA. The Adirondack Collection features pieces handcrafted here in the United States available in a natural toffee color or crisp white finish.

In May, we challenged our blog readers to vote for their picks of the “best” products from the 2011 National Hardware Show in Las Vegas. Many rallied behind their favorites, all stemming from the many companies we interviewed and featured this year as part of ECPR’s National Hardware Show “Best of Show” Series. From a durable self-propelled mower to unique home cleaning products – and everything in between – each of the “Best of Show” contenders was a stand-out in Las Vegas this year. With the votes tallied, there was room for just one top placement winner in the series, The Solar Attic Fan. The fan is a revolutionary product designed to reduce heat build-up in attics during the hot summer months and remove moisture during winter. Also notable is the Solar Controller, an accessory to the Solar Attic Fan, which allows users to take easy control of the unit.

The entire ECPR team would like to thank all companies who submitted their products to be considered for our “Best of Show” series. We were honored to be a part of the National Hardware Show and look forward to working with the show’s management team and exhibitors again next year. In case you missed the show, be sure to read our show recap, “National Hardware Show Yields Attention-Grabbing New Products and Revealing Industry Trends”.

Sore, tired feet? Who cares! This year’s OFA Short Course was one for the ages. Retailers, growers and media members swarmed the Columbus Convention Center, all in hot pursuit of the next greatest product.

This year’s show, “The Business of Color,” featured a colorful array of plants, containers, industry products, and services. Nearly 600 companies exhibited at the show, while over 130 educational sessions, workshops, interactive activities, and networking events took place throughout the duration of the show.

One of the highlights of the show was having the opportunity to interact with our client Terra Nova Nurseries and several high-profile editors in the horticulture industry. Editors from GIE Media, Scranton Gillette Communications, Meister Media, and Better Homes & Gardens stopped by the booth to see Terra Nova Nurseries’ brand new plants. Additionally, stemming from a trade show press campaign by our team, well-known publisher GIE Media, produced a video about Terra Nova Nurseries at the show. Sales representative Larry Finley was interviewed on camera by Kelli Rodda, editor of Nursery Management magazine, about the company’s one-of-a-kind trailing Heucherellas as well as other new plant varieties. A big thanks to all our friends in the media for taking the time to schedule booth visits with us and Terra Nova Nurseries!

Another highlight of the show was mixing and mingling with show attendees. It was exciting to see familiar faces and catch up with long time friends in the industry. From the Happy Hour party to the Meister Media Evening of Excellence, where family and friends honored the late Jack Williams, made this year’s show one of the of most memorable experiences. The horticultural industry is truly a close knit community and we’re looking forward to next year’s show!

Outdoor furniture will be taken to a new level this September during Chicago’s International Casual Furniture and Accessories Market. The four-day Casual Market provides retailers with an outlet to find all things related to outdoor and casual living. It’s also a chance to see the newest, most innovative products from leading manufacturers around the world and discover the latest trends in color, product design, fabric patterns, and more all under one roof. The show begins Sept. 12, but we will be writing “Sneak Peek” articles in the days and weeks leading up to the show.

Our first “Sneak Peek” looks at a fire table that isn’t tethered to a bulky propane tank or fixed gas line. Black and Stone Inc.’s newest products, the VioFlame fire tables are fueled by clean-burning bio-ethanol and are completely portable. During the last five years, the hearth industry has seen a rapid growth in appliances fueled by denatured bio-ethanol. The clear liquid used with this product doesn’t emit harmful or smelly gases that need to be vented. The fire table also features a broken marble table top available in round or square shapes, while the legs are made from hardy powder-coated steel. The active yellow flame lasts for hours with a single fueling, and reflects and dances in the glass to provide a spectacular focal point for an outdoor room. When the burner is removed, the stainless bowl can double as an ice bucket for beverages. Curious to learn more? Visit www.blackandstone.com for more information.

Don’t forget to check back to read more about the great products being featured at Casual Market this year. Also, take a look at our Casual Market overview, “Defining the Trends in Outdoor Living.”

Crocosmia Twilight Fairy Crimson

Much like the latest iPad, Kindle and other gadget releases from electronics companies, the plant industry has its own new and breakthrough introductions each year. One plant series that is sure to make a notable debut at the OFA Short Course in Columbus, Ohio this week is Crocosmia Twilight Fairy ™ by trusted breeder and grower, Terra Nova Nurseries. The series consists of two new plants to date, boasting bronze-colored foliage and hot-colored flowers on short, well-branched spikes. These new compact plants come in two beautiful and vibrant colors, crimson red (Crimson) and bright yellow-orange (Gold). Crocosmia Twilight Fairy™ Series can be used in containers, mixed beds, fronts of borders, and in small gardens to attract hummingbirds and butterflies.

Crocosmia Twilight Fairy Gold

Terra Nova Nurseries is showcasing a total of 15 new plants at OFA, which is considered one of the largest and most important events in the horticulture industry. The new releases include Agastache ‘Blue Boa,’ Crocosmia Twilight Fairy,™ Crimson, Crocosmia Twilight Fairy™ Gold, Geum ‘Firestorm,’ Echinacea ‘Leilani,’ Helleborus ‘Rose Quartz,’ Heuchera ‘Cajun Fire,’ Heuchera ‘Creole Nights,’ Heuchera ‘Delta Dawn,’ Heuchera ‘Spellbound,’ Heucherella ‘Solar Eclipse,’ Heucherella ‘Sunrise Falls,’ Kniphofia ‘Redhot Popsicle,’ Polygonatum ‘Double Stuff’ and Rudbeckia ‘Little Henry.’ To learn more about the exciting new selections from Terra Nova Nurseries, visit their website at www.terranovanurseries.com.

Englishman’s Fine Furnishings is an Atlanta-based furniture design and kitchen design / build company with a 9,300-square-foot showroom at AmericasMart Atlanta, a large retail store in Smyrna, GA as well as a showroom in Charlotte, NC. The company’s father / daughter design team of Mike Howarth and Anita Vreeland makes for a unique amalgamation. Their combined design / build expertise and knowledge about the furniture and kitchen industries allows them to easily collaborate on designing custom furnishings, from creating impressive tables for clients’ dining rooms to hand-crafting entirely new kitchens or bedrooms.

When Mike Howarth, president and owner, decided to move from London to Atlanta years ago to extend his business and work to the United States, it was partly due to the fact the South offered special business opportunities other regions could not provide. Mike also knew that many southerners love the English style for home design, given its reminiscence of the Old South in many ways. Since then, Englishman’s Fine Furnishings has evolved into a thriving family and corporate business.

Whether you’re a local Atlanta resident, live in Charlotte or just passing through the area, be sure to stop by one of Englishman’s Fine Furnishings’ showroom locations to visit with Mike and Anita and to see the company’s remarkable hand-crafted furniture pieces and kitchen designs. For additional information or showroom directions and hours, visit the company’s website at www.englishmansfurniture.com.

It is that time of year again for our team at Eberly & Collard Public Relations to start preparing for the International Casual Furniture & Accessories Market (ICFA) in Chicago, IL. Held from September 12-15, Casual Market offers the most complete range of collections in new outdoor furniture, accessories and trends for outdoor living. Simply put, it is the market where the emerging design styles set the pace for defining outdoor living trends.

The management company for the market is MMPI, the world’s leading owner and operator of showroom buildings and trade show facilities. Our alliance with MMPI is to cover select products and innovative trends, as introduced or launched by some of the showroom owners and exhibitors who will participate. We will be writing pre-show “Sneak Peeks” and publishing them on our blog for attendees and members of the media. Many of our media contacts have requested this resource, as is our norm, so we are looking forward to reporting helpful information about our clients and many others in the industry.

Keep checking our blog later this month and during August for an ongoing series of product “Sneak Peeks” and for information released from MMPI about the market event leading up to September 12. Also, follow us on Twitter during the market, as we’ll be tweeting about products and trends from the Casual Market. Here are our social media channels:

• Blog: http://www.eberlycollardpr.blogspot.com/
• Facebook Fanpage: http://tinyurl.com/ECPR-Facebook
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/eberlycollardpr
• Flickr photo pages: http://tinyurl.com/ECPR-Flickr

Members of the media whom may not yet have tapped into this resource, contact us if you would like to receive special articles, product profiles, photos, etc. directly.

Showroom owners and exhibitors, look in your exhibitor information from MMPI for instructions about submitting your press releases and photos to us prior to July 25.

Looking forward to seeing everyone in Chicago!

~ ECPR team

As the Construction / Building Industry continues to grow its way back to a place of prosperity, staying on top of the latest technologies, products and services is key to success. A combination of reading industry trade publications and attending important tradeshows / symposiums is a means to viable information that can lead to network-based sales and ongoing education. Conversely, being quoted in important industry magazines or on applicable blogs is a direct path to branding.

Since we write for a number of Home, Garden, Design, Agribusiness, and Construction trade publications, our staff is planning to write a trends article series stemming from a few key residential and commercial building events. In doing so, of course, we will feature and quote our firm’s applicable PR clients. But, we are seeking additional industry sources who can also offer specialized trade information and quotes for our articles.

Our blog readers know that one of our areas of concentration is that of the Construction / Building Industry. Part of our firm’s service model is relative to public / media relations and social media for builders, engineers, and building product manufacturers. In managing PR and social media for clients in the industry, we help them position their companies as professional resources- putting forth their business stories, project case-studies, unique selling propositions, and expert personnel. But, our work is not publicity alone. We additionally serve as writers for over 150 publications each year, some of which are Building / Construction trade magazines and websites.

The ECPR team’s specialty in the field has allowed us to author many byline articles for select industry publications over the years, and we consider it a true honor to contribute in this way. Many of you already know our team writes magazine articles including trade show product and trend reviews, building project case-studies, engineering specification profiles, and Q&As with top industry authorities. We also write similar narratives for our blog, linking the content to a mix of online forums belonging to trade magazines, association websites, organizational groups’ e-newsletters, and other channels of interest.

As we gear up for the CONSTRUCT trade event, set to take place Sept. 13-16, in Chicago, we are opening the opportunity for industry leaders to be quoted in one or more of our pending articles. Stemming from the event, we will be featuring trend insights from several industry experts and analysts. If your company has uncovered or is addressing industry trends in some way, contact us and we will consider your CEO or other management leader for one of our summer or fall season article interviews. And, by the way, there is no obligation or cost if you are quoted in one of our narratives. If you are chosen for inclusion to the article series, we will schedule the interview with you by phone prior to, or in person at, the CONSTRUCT tradeshow event and 55th annual convention. Email Don Eberly at deberly@eberlycollardpr.com with your request to be included along with a brief description of one or more industry trends about which your company could be quoted. We look forward to your submissions.

~ ECPR Team

Curious about what’s new on the home front? Whether you work in interior design, own or buy for retail stores, or are the editor of a magazine, we know staying on top of the latest industry trends is key to your work and success.

The ECPR team recently had a chance to sit down with the owner of Uttermost to learn the company’s take on the latest trends in the home design industry. For years, Uttermost’s team of designers has travelled the world looking for that “it” factor which finds its way into home design, paint colors and fabrics. The Virginia-based company then links the trends they unearth to the furnishings and accessories they create. Read our article of trends and techniques Uttermost leadership says will be at the height of decorating fashion this season and beyond.

Timelessness
As any designer will tell you, some décor products have staying power while others can fade fast. A surefire classic is often rooted in traditional design style. But, rather than an exact replica, the new silhouette is updated for modern-day purposes by way of pattern, scale or color. One example is the Uttermost Civitella lamp, with crackled blue ceramic, sandstone undertones and antiqued silver details. A common thread among classics like this is understated elegance, and like grandma’s pearl necklace, it never goes out of style.

Earth Tones
Earth tones will take prominence this season, after the bolder hues of recent years. Beige, greens, blues or light browns are the shades that seem to yield comfort, warmth and an inviting place. Consider the Uttermost Camber photo frames, complete with a champagne silver finish. Warm colors, such as Camber’s black and caramel undertones, add to the serenity of the space. It’s also important to note, designing with earthy shades doesn’t mean banishing bright colors completely. A few splashes of color, such as an accent wall or a bright accessory, add some extra eye appeal.

Make it Big
It may have started a few years ago with Philippe Starck’s bath-sized plant pots, some design writers speculate. But whatever the origin, overscaling objects has really taken off this year. Buying big can add drama and interest to a room, such as the Uttermost Hotel du Vieux Quartier clock, with a striking weathered clock face and cast brass outer details. Additionally, for rooms with tall walls and high ceilings, large-scale accessories can also bring a good balance to the space.

To read more designer tips from Uttermost, including ideas for wall décor, lamps and lighting fixtures, click here.

Based on preliminary statistics from the U.S Census Bureau, the American Iron and Steel Institute has reported steel importation has risen six percent. The report went public on June 21, stating the U.S. imported 2,692,000 net tons (NT) of steel in May, including 1,838,000 NT of finished steel. Indicating, in part, a boost in construction, the largest steel imports came ashore from South Korea, Japan, China, Germany and Turkey. Several key finished steel products with dramatic import increases include: wire rod, plates in coils, oils country goods and heavy structural shapes. To read the full article from Aggregates Manager and to view the report from the American Iron and Steel Institute, visit http://bit.ly/kITQeJ.