Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/472402
K i t c h e n w a r e N e w s & H o u s e w a r e s R e v i e w S h o w D a i l y 1 0 7 Tu e s d a y, M a r c h 1 0 , 2 0 1 5 hardware in several colors. "Also we are debuting new configu- rations in our Americano Real Metal Collection which add color and contrast to this long standing staple of the Kraftware product line," said Donald Williams, Kraftware's Vice President of Sales and Marketing. "Further, we are very excited to bring to market nine designs in our more informal Kasualware line. Each Kasualware Design features an ice bucket and coordinating tray, along with doublewalled drinkware in two sizes. Sales have been strong since these patterns were launched a few months ago, and we expect a surge in sales as we get further into the spring and summer." These products are coming from a company that has been focused on manu- facturing and selling a diverse line of bar- ware for almost 70 years. "This category is not a supplemental business for us – it is our main focus. While we make a lot of ice buckets, we do not consider ourselves an ice bucket company. We bring to mar- ket a variety of products, all aimed at the home entertaining market," Williams said. Kraftware has evolved along with the world since the days in the 1940s and 1950s when ice was made in ice cube trays and needed to be broken out and put into a container for a party. "Today, people put more emphasis on décor when it comes to entertaining guests in their homes. What we do is bring items that work to make the enter- taining experience more attractive and Kraftware (Cont'd. from p. 1) functional," Williams said. "We have real wood and real metal ice buckets that are made in the U.S.A. Doublewalled stainless steel beverage tubs and ice buckets round out the cele- bration. We also manufacture waste baskets in many colors and finishes to further enhance the areas in which guests are likely to be in your home." Kraftware's Fishnet place mats, dou- blewall drinkware and serving trays are stocked in 27 colors. The company also offers a multi item line of collegiate logo tailgating products that even includes a rechargeable Bluetooth speaker to keep the party going. Lastly, Kraftware offers an extensive line of bathroom accessories to help beautify that guest bathroom. "All of that is what differentiates Kraftware from its competitors," Williams said. Kraftware Corporation was estab- lished in 1944 in Jersey City, N.J. The company was primarily a metal spinner, and in its early days, Kraftware made parts for torpedos. After the end of World War II, the company repurposed its equipment to make components for ice buckets and other home entertaining accessories items. The company was bought by Donald Grant in 1983, and it has remained a family business since. Now located in Roselle, N.J., the com- pany manufactures 80 percent of its products at that facility, with the remaining 20 percent imported from India and China. Visit Don Williams and see the new Kraftware lines in booth #S1421. After the show, visit www.kraftwarecorp.com manufacturers various types of house- hold plastics, from water bottles to food storage and more. With our cut- ting edge technology, we are able to bring a variety of new and exciting products to our customers that can proudly hold the label Made in America. KNSD: What would you say makes your company unique? MV: American Maid is very unique. At American Maid, we are a one stop shop for our customer base. We are able to fill our customers' needs, from our vast product line from hydration, home stor- age, seasonal/party plastic, to food stor- age and much more. This gives our cus- tomers the ability to logistically procure their product from one of our many ware- house locations. KNSD: What do you anticipate to be your greatest challenge in the year ahead? MV: American Maid's greatest chal- lenge for 2015 is to anticipate and fore- cast out the resin and oil industry. By forecasting out, we will be able to still bring the quality and pricing to our cus- tomers in such a price sensitive market. Also, to insure that we have smooth expansion transition for 2015, and con- tinually bring our customers their prod- uct on time. KNSD: Are you introducing any new products? American Maid (Cont'd. from p. 1) MV: American Maid is continually pro- ducing and developing new products for our customers. We have several products in our seasonal category that give us the ability to re-shore the items back to America. For example, the nostalgic Halloween pumpkin trick or treat pail that almost went into extinction due to size and shape has been re-shored. We are proud to say we have developed a new series of the pumpkin that will take on new faces over the next several years. The pumpkin is just one example of the many new seasonal items we are plan- ning for the upcoming years. We have made strong inroads with the develop- ment of new and exciting products. With all our product lines, it is difficult to iso- late one item. KNSD: What distinguishes your prod- ucts from the competition? MV: American Maid is very versatile in our plastic product line, which sets American Maid apart from the competi- tion. We continue to develop new and exciting product for our consumer base, while keeping in mind the end user. One main feature that sets us apart from our competitors: we deliver to our customers value product whether the product is import or domestic. American Maid also provides customization of our product by the customization required is in case pack, colors and can focus on pricing manufacturing and tailoring programs to fit the needs of our retailers. Visit American Maid at booth #N7331. For more information, call 877.864.2201 or email sales@vmi-am.com. Williams-Sonoma, Sur La Table, Starbucks, DAVIDsTEAS, Wired, Popular Science and more. Its beautifully packaged technology eliminates grit in the cup, stops extraction in the pot and keeps the brew hot for hours. New for 2015, ESPRO launches a travel press (MSRP $35), a new brew method called Paper-Filtered French Press and new technology that vastly improves loose- leaf tea-making. ESPRO's Co-Founder and President, Bruce Constantine, explains why the company's expanding two-year-old prod- uct line is getting such attention. "One word: taste. Users consistently tell us that our gear makes their best tasting cup cof- fee or tea! ESPRO has created a precision brewer with two micro-filters, rather than a single very coarse screen. We have solved a 50-year-old problem of a dirty, over-extracted cup and eliminated the pool of sludge. It turns out that when the cup is cleaner, and the extraction stopped after pressing, coffee and tea flavors pop that were previously missed." In a short period, the ESPRO Press has gotten easier to find. It is showing up on the menus of the trendiest coffee shops, tea houses and restaurants from Portland to New York, London to Seoul, Sydney to Johannesburg. Even the ESPRO (Cont'd. from p. 1) French are taking notice, with hotelier Sofitel selecting ESPRO for their new flagship hotel in Singapore. Does it require learning new skills for a consumer to use it? "Not at all! That is the beauty of the product," explained Constantine. "You use it exactly like old French Presses. Put all the coffee or tea, and all the water, in the vessel. Wait, and press." ESPRO seems focused on improving hot drinks with the help of the housewares community. "We love our growing family of excellent home and kitchen stores, and coffee and tea specialists. They know their customers, and can help them start con- versations about the coffee or tea they are drinking. That's very different – coffee and tea is quickly changing from some- thing that is consumed, to something dis- cussed and appreciated. We're excited to be finding partners that want to be a part of changing the conversation." Independent testers seem excited, too. The New York Times food critic called the ESPRO Press "sludge free." Williams-Sonoma's Test Kitchen said "it is a French Press like nothing you've seen before, but that's not because it is more complicated to use." TIME maga- zine called ESPRO "a legitimate success story." Visit ESPRO at booth #S4074. ZOKU CHARACTER POPS POP WITH PERSONALITY Zoku ® turns ice pops into collectible friends with new Zoku Character Pops, individual mini molds for quick, easy and fun homemade ice pops. From Bunny and Songbird to Turtle and Hedgehog, these playful new charac- ters are designed to bring every pop's personality to life. Each of the eight Zoku Character Pops comes with a red mold and a reusable stick with a built-in drip guard made to complement each design: a tail-shaped stick for the Kitty, a fan of feathers for the Owl, and webbed feet for the Frog. But the fun doesn't disappear when the pop does – every bite reveals part of the heart- shaped stick. Zoku Character Pops make it easy to create homemade ice pops from fruit juice, flavored yogurt, lollipop recipes or simply by combining chocolate and cream. Just pour the ingredients into the mold, insert the reusable stick and freeze it. These chilly treats release easily with a fun "pop" sound. There's no need to run the mold under warm water. Each family member can choose their own unique character since each of the eight d i f f e r e n t designs are sold separate- ly. Purchase multiples of the same design for themed parties. The Princess Character Pop is a sure- fire hit for birthday parties, where each girl could create her own princess and kiss the Frog to see what happens. Cross-merchandise with other products for an eye-catching display and end- less story possibilities. Like all Zoku products, Zoku Character Pops are BPA and phthalate free. U.S. and international patents pending. Zoku Character Pops have a sug- gested retail price of $7.99 for each of the eight differ- ent designs, each sold separately. Available for immediate ship- ment. Zoku Character Pops catapult off the success of the patented Slow- Pop™ Collection of Fish Pop Molds, Round Pop Molds, Mini Pop Molds and Classic Pop Molds. Zoku's lineup of innovative products also includes the patented, award-winning Quick Pop ® Maker line, which freezes ice pops on the countertop in seven min- utes, without electricity. For more information, visit www.zokuhome.com or email info@zokuhome.com.