Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/300990
H a rd wa re & H o u s e wa re s Re vi e w 4 7 Th u r s d a y, M a y 8 , 2 0 1 4 1. It is extremely easy to use; 2. It is absolutely precise; and 3. It uses a frac- tion of the chemicals of a typical sprayer. In addition, the Blue Viper sprays three distinct ways: 1. It spot sprays to get a single weed; 2. It is a continuous edger for sidewalks, garden beds, fence lines, house foundations, etc.; and 3. It is a broadcast sprayer for areas like gravel drives, mulch beds, etc. HHR: How does the Blue Viper weed sprayer work? DP: You start with four AA batteries, pour in any weed killer you want, point the Blue Viper at the weeds you want to kill, and press the easy-to-use on/off switch. You just got the bad guys and saved the good guys! You got the weeds you wanted to kill with no friendly fire. HHR: Tell us a little bit about why it is easy to use, especially for women and baby boomers. DP: We designed the Blue Viper to be lightweight, so anyone could use it. It's balanced so that it rests easy in one hand. Plus, the long pole means you don't have to bend over to get at hard-to-reach Blue Viper ( Cont'd. from p. 1) weeds. Because it's electric, it is really easy to use, especially compared with the squeeze triggers or pump action sprayers that you typically find. Plus, the smaller 16-ounce tank means no more lugging around heavy gallon jugs. All in all, the Blue Viper was designed to save your back, hands and shoulders undue strain. It is extremely easy to clean, and compact enough to store in smaller homes, condos and packed garden sheds. HHR: Using less weed killer saves peo- ple money. How does the Blue Viper use less weed killer? What impact does that have on a user? DP: A lot of it comes back to identifying what is the right amount of weed killer to use. You want to spray enough so you get an effective kill, but not too much so that you are wasting weed killer. Most sprayers spray way too much. The Blue Viper gives that perfect balance, because the pump works with the nozzle to pro- duce the perfect size droplets in the right amount to give good kill with the mini- mum amount of weed killer used. Visit booth 10573 to see a demonstration of the new Blue Viper weed sprayer. For more information, go to www.wabash valleyfarms.com, call 219-232-4930 or email danip@wabashvalleyfarms.com. BS: POWERQUBE is all about providing consumers with the ability to charge any smart device efficiently and safely via our patent pending SP (Smart Power) Technology. Every device is different, so it doesn't make sense to charge them in the same way. We have developed the POW- ERQUBE, which negotiates with each smart device individually to adhere to any charging specifications and protocol. It will charge each device appropriately, so that it is not harmed or damaged in any way. HHR: What will you be talking about at the show? BS: We are going to split the focus between the launch of our flagship prod- uct, the POWERQUBE, and the launch of two new additions, the POWERQUBE Mini and the POWERQUBE Micro. HHR: Can you tell us more about the POWERQUBE Mini and the POW- ERQUBE Micro? BS: The POWERQUBE Mini and POW- ERQUBE Micro are launching this sum- mer. Without disclosing too much at this time, they will be more travel friendly versions of the original POWERQUBE. They also use our patent pending SP Technology, just like all POWERQUBE products. HHR: What is SP Charging Technology? POWERQUBE ( Cont'd. from p. 1) BS: SP stands for Smart Power. What this technology does is recognize the spe- cific charging specifications for each device that is plugged in, ensuring the proper type of charge. Each smart device is so different, and not just in how they function, but each phone, each tablet, they all require a charge that is specific and particular. HHR: What sets the POWERQUBE apart from the competition? BS: Number one is SP Technology. This is our patent pending charging protocol that allows the POW- ERQUBE to charge any smart device on the market today, through inde- pendent negotiation with each smart device. It truly is smart charging for smart devices. The second is the cos- metic design. It catches your eye with its sleek and elegant form. The POW- ERQUBE is something you can place on the counter top, nightstand or desk without the fear of having it look out of place. This way, your devices don't have to sit on the ground. The POW- ERQUBE also has nine different ports, each one functioning separately from the others, eliminating power sharing between devices. The last thing you want is a power struggle occurring while charging your devices. For more information, stop by booth 2351, go online to www.powrqube.com or call 317-517-9451. of water connectors, stop valves and specialty plumbing products. We have a global footprint doing business in over a dozen countries. Our Eastman ® and EZ-FLO ® brands are recognized for their consistent quality and reliabil- ity. We currently have five distribution centers strategically located across the United States, and one in Asia. We can service the majority of customers with next day delivery and we stock over 4,000 products. HHR: What would you say makes your company unique? PW: The passion of our employees and their approach to servicing our cus- tomers. Our mission statement is "the relentless pursuit of customer satisfac- tion," and we have a great group of dedicated employees focused every day on that. In addition to our people, our product mix combined with our distribution network in both Asia and the U.S.A. offers our customers a com- pelling value. HHR: What particular products will you be showcasing at the National Hardware Show? PW: We will be showing our new line of washing machine and refrigerator outlet boxes. As a leader in the appli- ance water connector category, our new line of outlet boxes is a natural product extension for us. We are excited to be launching it this year at the National Hardware Show. We spent over a year developing the unique ¼ turn valve used in our new line of boxes. Our cus- tomers can count on the Eastman qual- ity and reliability. HHR: Where is your current product emphasis? PW: From a retail standpoint our water connectors, stop valves, water heater installation and appliance installation is our primary focus. We complement that with over 4,000 plumbing products that we distribute. We are excited about our EZ-FLO ( Cont'd. from p. 1) recently launched water heater installa- tion program along with our new outlet boxes. HHR: What distinguishes your products from the competition? PW: Well, for starters, we have been manufacturing water connectors for more than 50 years. Our product is designed with quality components aimed to satisfy professional plumbers as well as homeowners. Too often infe- rior product is imported with the only focus on price. We have a saying that quality is determined by what you can't see, and we live by that every day. When you use an Eastman ® Steel- Flex™ water connector or an Eastman Speed-Flex stop valve, you know an experienced manufacturer is behind the product. HHR: What is the nature of your distri- bution? PW: We have a wholesale background, and that continues to be the biggest part of our business. However, over the past seven years we have been focus- ing on the retail channel. Our goal is to work closely with select retail cus- tomers so we can provide them our full resources to ensure their success. We believe it is important to make sure you really are a partner in your cus- tomers business. We also do a lot of OEM manufacturing, specialty whole- sale and international sales. HHR: How can our readers find out more about your company? PW: I hope your readers will have a chance to stop by our booth and talk with our staff. Eric Oess, our Director of Retail Sales, will be happy to dis- cuss our company and products, and you can reach him at 404-754-8296. Our website is an excellent source of information and it can be found at www.ez-flo.net. For more information, visit booth 2034, go to www.ez-flo.net, call 800-486-5256 or email customerservice@ez-flo.net. popular ones are the Smart Strip and the Squids. The Smart Strip has energy saving technology that automatically detects when a device has been pow- ered on or off so the strip can supply or remove power to the device. HHR: What do you plan to talk about at the show? RB: We want to focus on True Surge and our new product the Mini Squid. True Surge is the safest surge protector on the planet. In the U.S. there are roughly 8-12 household fires a year due to surge protectors. It comes down to surge protectors trying to stop surges that are too big and too fast for their components. True Surge prevents this from happening. What we did was we looked at every single part from the ground up, and reinvented every com- ponent and the way they are config- ured. HHR: Can you tell us more about the BITS Limited ( Cont'd. from p. 1) Mini Squid? RB: Yes. The Mini Squid is a surge protector designed for travel. It only weighs about 5 ounces, it's mountable and has four outlets, each on a flexible cord. The fourth cord has two USB outlets, making it easy to charge any product. We started distributing this product in January and it has been a huge success. HHR: What makes BITS Limited unique? RB: We are a very small company, so we make products based on the problems we have in our own lives. This makes for products that are practical and progres- sive. This is exactly why large companies come to us when they have unique situa- tions, because they know BITS Limited can give them the solution that they are looking for. Visit BITS Limited at booth 1918. For more information, go to www .bitsltd.net, call 631-896-9855 or email russell.barton@me.com.