Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/502158
H a r d w a r e & H o u s e w a r e s R e v i e w 6 9 T h u r s d a y, M a y 7 , 2 0 1 5 DG: RCA has always been a tech leader in the realm of television. RCA launched color TV, home VCR's, home satellite television, and with its numerous tech- nology patents brings free over the air broadcasts to consumers around the world with their antennas. RCA domi- nates the marketplace in units sold, with six out of every 10 antennas sold being RCA brand. Using RCA patented tech- nology, an RCA digital flat antenna will receive signals from 360 degrees as opposed to bi-directional antennas that competitors offer and call multi-direc- tional. This is great for virtually all TV viewers that have broadcast towers in several different directions from their house. RCA digital antennas also receive broadcasts in both the UHF and VHF fre- quencies, unlike some competitors that only receive UHF. Every major market has VHF broadcasts and they are typical- ly major networks like CBS, ABC, NBC, Fox and PBS. Make sure you receive all your favorite programming by using an RCA digital antenna. HHR: Why should retailers carry more antennas in their assortment? DG: Due to high quality picture and increasing access to content, consumers are continuing to move to antennas, with nearly six million more people relying on over-the-air broadcast television than a year ago. TV Guide recently reported that 47 of the 50 top-watched shows in the U.S. were over the air broadcast shows, available free to antenna using con- sumers. As people 'cut the cord,' they Voxx Accessories (Cont'd. from p. 1) find themselves still wanting to receive certain content in real time such as live sporting events, news and prime time network shows. An RCA antenna paired with a streaming box serves as the perfect combination for those looking to cut the cord without sacrificing content. HHR: What tools does RCA offer to help consumers select the right antenna? DG: RCA recently did a major facelift for antennas by updating packaging to be more consumer engaging and informative, as well as updating RCAAntennas.net to be a great education tool. RCAAntennas.net offers a zip code locator tool, which is also accessible via a mobile device, that allows consumers to see exactly where the broad- cast towers are around their home, and the best antenna for them based on their loca- tion. Also on the site are several 'how to' videos that walk through the simple 1, 2, 3 process of setting up an antenna. HHR: What does RCA offer to rural areas where indoor antennas fail to pick up signals? DG: RCA addresses these needs with a very strong lineup of directional and omnidirectional yagi style antennas that are capable of reaching well into 70 to 100 miles for reception. It's important that retailers assort a mix of antennas that suit their location which means a good mix of indoor and outdoor antennas. For more information, go to www.voxxintl.com, call 631.231.7750, email newaccounts@voxxintl.com or visit booth #5406 in the Central Hall. weight aluminum or plastic water brooms that lent themselves to lower powered washers, for around $59 retail. With too much pressure, they simply are lifted off the ground, are inflexible, and are generally good for "washing down" surface debris. On the other end, there were circu- lar cleaners offered by various manu- facturers that do a good job, but are expensive, heavy and have some unde- sired drawbacks, like leaving a lot of dirty water that must be rinsed after- ward. These generally retail in the $499 to $599 range. Finally, someone has developed a great product that is built like a commer- cial unit, but priced for the homeowner. It is built of heavy gauge coated steel, stainless steel and solid brass fittings. TRIKLEENER (Cont'd. from p. 1) The new TRIKLEENER, developed and patented by C & H Innovations, is the perfect "middle of the road" solution. It is technically a water broom that cleans a 12-inch swath with each pass. Here's the best news: it retails for around $99 and is totally packaged for the retail trade, although professional cleaning contrac- tors have praised the unit. It simply attaches to the pressure washer wand via a "quick connect" fit- ting. After the user inserts three nozzles (four sizes available), the unit is used in the same one motion as a vacuum clean- er. That means it creates almost no ten- sion on the back and leg muscles while cutting the job time by two thirds. It works great for concrete, asphalt, wood and even metal roofs. See the new TRIKLEENER at booth #2950. present our new innovation. We careful- ly looked at the market to see what opportunities might exist for us to take our superior performing Supercore ® to the consumer market, and discovered that there was an interesting opportuni- ty in the plumbing segment. Plumbers confessed that they were looking for something that would help them control leakage and spills on the job, while offering protection for the homeowner's property. They also communicated that they wanted ease of disposal. Seems they're tired of lugging around messy, smelly rags and buckets everywhere they go. As a result, Plumber's Mate was born. HHR: What exactly is Plumber's Mate and how does it work? MD: It's rather simple, really. Plumber's Mate uses an advanced tech- nology called Supercore. Our design is patent protected so I can't go into specifics, but Supercore has been engi- neered into a professional strength pad that is tough enough to protect your home for any job, big or small. Plumber's Mate has a wide range of applications. It will take care of your leaky sink; you take one pad, place it under the sink and Plumber's Mate cap- tures the moisture until you can make the repair or until the plumber gets to your home. You notice that your water heater has a leak; you follow the same instruc- tions and the fluid is contained until you can deal with the problem. It is important to note, however, that Plumber's Mate is not designed to contain massive amounts of fluid. It is designed as a "stop gap" to contain the leakage until the problem can McAirlaid's (Cont'd. from p. 1) be taken care of. I don't want to leave anyone with the impression that Plumber's Mate can contains gallons of fluid. A great secondary use is to place a pad underneath your sinks and place all those bottles of bleach, cleaners, cleanser, detergents and liquid soaps on the pad. That way, if you spill one, the mess is easily contained and cleaned up. HHR: You say that Plumber's Mate is environmentally friendly. Can you explain? MD: First off, our Supercore is made from renewable resources. Secondly, because of our superior moisture control, Plumber's Mate is able to help control any mold and mildew that can occur if water is allowed to pool in those areas where there is poor ventilation – under the cabinet, in the walls, anywhere when moisture can collect as the result of a leak. HHR: Where is Plumber's Mate avail- able? MD: We are working with Home Depot right now and we should be on shelf by mid-May. We are in the final stages of discussions with Ace Hardware and we anticipate being available by end of May, early June. Plumber's Mate is available now on Amazon.com and will be avail- able on all major websites by the end of May. Distribution will continue to grow over the coming months. Visit McAirlaid's at booth #3544. For more information, go to www.mc airlaids.net or www.plumbersmate.com. The website goes live in June 2015. MP: To introduce the full line of Gas & Go portable gas caddies, including three poly models for the retail market, plus a 30-gallon steel-professional model. We are also looking for new Gas & Go dis- tributor partners for the retail market. HHR: What is the Gas & Go? MP: The Gas & Go is essentially a large (15 and 25 gallon) gas can on wheels. Add the UN/DOT Approval, and now you have a safe product that anyone needing to transport and dispense fuel can use. HHR: Tell our readers about the UN/DOT Approval and what makes your caddy safe. MP: These caddies are UN/DOT Approved, allowing for safe and legal transport of gasoline and other fuels. It stands for the Department of Transportation, whose published stan- dards are extremely stringent when it comes to the transporting of fuels. Their continuous audits confirm that we supply the highest quality products to keep the retail customer safe. Having fuel at home, on the dock or on the jobsite has never been safer or easier. With quality the No. 1 priority, we are making the transportation and the storage of fuel safer than ever before. HHR: What markets does Gas & Go serve? MP: There are increasing needs for the effective and affordable storage and transportation of fuel. The Gas & Go line of poly caddies are ideal for landscape, marine, maintenance, aviation, commer- cial and recreation applications. Specifically, the storage and transferring of fuels to boats, aircraft, jet skis, gener- JohnDow (Cont'd. from p. 1) ators, ATVs, lawn and garden equipment, and more. HHR: How do you dispense the fuel? MP: Taking advantage of a spring- loaded dispensing nozzle, both the 15 and 25 gallon models can be used in their original "gravity-flow" form. A high vol- ume UL Listed two-way rotary pump kit can be added to fill gas powered equip- ment when gravity won't. HHR: How heavy are the caddies fully loaded? MP: Assuming that gasoline weighs 8.66 pounds per gallon, the 15 gallon caddy weighs 150 pounds and the 25 gallon unit weighs 240 pounds. The large pneumatic tires make it easy to move the Gas & Go on any surface. HHR: Are the Gas & Go products avail- able today? MP: Currently they are available for sale at www.northerntool.com under the Roughneck brand. We are exhibiting to cre- ate partnerships with regional and national "big box" retailers for major distribution. HHR: Who is the target buyer you are searching for? MP: Ultimately, it's the retail buyer, but we are here to find partners that can bridge the gap between retail and us, the manufacturer. HHR: What are the retail costs of the caddies? MP: The 15 gallon unit is retail priced at $299, the 25 gallon at $399 and the 30 gallon steel unit is $799. Visit JohnDow at booth #34072. For more information, go to www.johndow.com or www.ugasngo.com, call 330.753.6895 or email mpfleeger@johndow.com.