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C o n s t r u c t i o n M a r k e t p l a c e W e d n e s d a y, J a n u a r y 2 0 , 2 0 1 6 6 0 NORDIC WARE CELEBRATES SUSTAINABILITY By Lorrie Baumann Nordic Ware is celebrating its 70th year of manufacturing in the United States this year, and the anniversary celebra- tion is being brightened by recognition of the values that kept this manufacturer going strong in the U.S. while so many others fled offshore. Nordic Ware was recently awarded the Minnesota Business Magazine's 2015 Manufacturing Award for Sustainability. The magazine collected nomina- tions for its annual awards over a two- month period, and all nominations were reviewed by an external judging panel of industry experts. Nordic Ware's award recognizes 25 years of effort that the company has put into complying with American environmental standards as they have evolved over time, says David Dalquist, Nordic Ware's President and CEO. The U.S. passed the original Clear Air Act in 1970 and the Clean Water Act in 1972. Both laws are the framework that supports a regulatory structure that has changed the way American manu- facturers do their day-to-day business. That regulatory framework and the costs of compliance with the new rules have been part of the reason so many compa- nies have taken their manufacturing off- shore to countries where labor costs are cheaper and the environmental regula- tions are less strict. In contrast, privately-owned Nordic Ware has made a point of keeping its manufacturing at home in the Minneapolis suburb of St. Louis Park, where the company currently employs about 350 people. "Twenty five years ago, manufacturers were seen as pol- luters," said Dalquist, the son of co- founders Henry David and Dorothy Dalquist. "A lot of new or pending leg- islation required manufacturers to invest in their businesses, and many manufac- turers chose to leave the U.S. rather than make the upgrades. That's where our story takes a little different direction…. We said no, that's not the right thing to do. We're committed to manufacturing here in America. We've got people who are committed to us and our business, and we're committed to them." In the face of new environmental rules, the company took a look around the factory, identified some problem areas in its processes that it could clean up and upgraded equipment to comply with the new standards. "It was a com- mitment to remain compliant to ever more restrictive legislation that was coming along in the U.S.," Dalquist says. The result was a plant that operates in full view of a major metropolitan area and meets environmental standards that are among the toughest in the world. "We're very proud of that," Dalquist says. "It wasn't just one or two things we did. It's been a long-term commit- ment we made to remain in the U.S." One of the earliest changes in the plant was a switch to water-based paints rather than solvent-based paints that polluted the air with volatile organic compounds as they were sprayed onto the cookware. "That was a tough switch, because in the early days, those products were not well developed," Dalquist says. "In the end, we were able to reduce our air emissions significant- ly." That search for ways to reduce air pollutants continues today. Just in the past three years, Nordic Ware has reduced emissions by another 24 per- cent, according to Dalquist. "keeping us well below the permitted thresholds," he said. Nordic Ware's sustainability efforts also include recycling the processing water used in the plant so that only min- imal amounts of it have to go into the local sanitary system, recycling solid waste so it doesn't end up in a landfill and conserving energy. "Energy has been a huge emphasis. We're on our fourth generation of lighting in this facility. You'd be amazed how much energy is used by lights," Dalquist says. "To me, the message there is that Nordic Ware lives in the U.S. We breathe the air and drink the water, and we're doing the right thing by doing things in as sustainable manner. When you're importing products from else- where, it's unlikely that they're manu- facturing as cleanly as we do here. The right thing to do is to buy American- made products, both for environmental reasons and just think of the jobs you're creating…. We take it very seriously. We have a person on staff who does nothing but manage this effort for us. It's not a part-time job; it's a full-time job, just making sure that we keep mov- ing in that direction, remaining effi- cient, compliant and sustainable." Retailers as well as consumers ben- efit from Nordic Ware's choice to upgrade its pollution control efforts in order to stay in the U.S., since the prod- ucts' journey from factory to retailer and then home to the kitchen is much shorter than the journey taken by a product that's made in Asia and shipped to the U.S. That both shortens turn- around times on retailers' orders and uses less energy for transportation. "It is a fact of life that we're located in an ideal spot from a transportation stand- point," Dalquist says. "Source your kitchenware close to home, just like you do with your produce. Buy locally; it makes sense." "When you really get right down to it, the most environmentally friendly product is the one that last the longest. People really lose sight of that. We design products that last," he continues. "They're durable, and they last, and in the end, that's probably the single biggest thing you can do for sustain- ability. And at the end of their useful lives, they can be recycled too." KWIKSET 2ND GEN KEVO TOUCH-TO-OPEN SMART LOCK Kwikset's Kevo™ 2nd Gen smart lock provides the same trusted touch-to-open smart lock experience available in Kevo 1st Gen teamed with a refined user expe- rience, sleeker design and added security. "Kwikset created a market for DIY smart locks in October 2013 with the launch of Kevo, the industry's first Bluetooth-enabled smart lock," says Keith Brandon, Vice President of Residential Access Solutions, Kwikset. "When we began development of Kevo 2nd Gen, we invested in understanding homeowners' everyday experience with Kevo and put that feedback at the center of the Kevo 2nd Gen development strate- gy." Kevo 2nd Gen represents the best smart lock option on the market today for homeowners and boasts a flexible plat- form in terms of compatibility with other smart home products to ensure home- owners can easily upgrade to a smarter home. "Kevo 2nd Gen is the most refined smart lock available today, with fea- tures that outmatch those available in other smart locks," saysMichael Magnani, Senior Product Manager. "Kevo 2nd Gen gives homeowners the smart lock experience they have been waiting for, with extremely consumer friendly technology." What's New for Kevo 2nd Gen? Refined User Experience: Homeowners can begin using Kevo 2nd Gen within minutes of unboxing the smart lock. The lock offers homeown- ers the industry's first in- app and interactive installa- tion experience and elimi- nates user-initiated calibra- tion. Improved Design: Kevo 2nd Gen boasts a sleek, all-metal interior with a dramati- cally reduced interior size, making the smart lock more durable and stylish than its first generation predecessor. Advanced SmartKey ® Security: Kevo 2nd Gen features the latest ver- sion of the Kwikset patented SmartKey security. The advanced SmartKey secu- rity provides strong resistance against forced entry techniques, passes the most stringent lock-picking standards (UL 437, par 11.6 & 11.7) and utilizes BumpGuard™ to prevent lock bump- ing. SmartKey also allows homeowners to reset their security by re- keying their locks quickly and easily; rendering lost, loaned or unreturned keys useless. Kevo 2nd Gen will be the first Kwikset smart lock available for purchase with the latest SmartKey security. Easy Home Management through eKeys: Easily manage home access for family, friends and guests using the eKeys in the Kevo app devel- oped by UniKey Technologies. Kevo 2nd Gen also supports remote access capabilities with the Kevo Plus™ upgrade. Kevo Plus establishes direct, online connectivity to Kevo 2nd Gen, allowing users to lock and unlock Kevo 2nd Gen from their smart device from anywhere in the world if connect- ed to the Internet. Kevo 2nd Gen will be available in 2016 at select retailers. KOZIOL ENTERS HOME STORAGE AND ORGANIZATION CATEGORY Koziol – a premium lifestyle brand that has been inventing, creating and producing fun, top-quality home prod- uct design since 1927 – expands its U.S. presence with a new product assortment consisting of a vivid array of organizers, baskets and containers for all areas of the home. This new product collection adds depth to the Koziol assortment of witty and whim- sical kitchen, bath and home décor accessories. Furthermore, the product roll out strategy for this line, focusing on exclusive nationwide distribution, strengthens the Koziol foothold in the U.S. and cements the brand's commit- ment to continued, strategic growth. "We are very excited by this intro- duction. Our commitment to top-quali- ty, clever design translates well to home organization and storage. Like all Koziol products, the items in this new collection are sustainably made in our own factory in Germany. Plus, the combination of multi-functional design, fun shapes and vibrant colors work well for every room of the home," says Tobias Mautner, Sales Director for Koziol. "We feel that this is the line that will enable us to further grow our brand and bring awareness of our accessible, top-quality lifestyle products to consumers throughout the US." Koziol implements sustainable practices and demonstrates environ- mental awareness throughout the pro- duction chain, saving resources and energy while maintaining the ultimate quality and safety standards. The new Koziol home organization and storage collection – including the Pottichelli organizer; the Bottichelli organizers and washtubs; the Del Swing-Top Wastebaskets; the Boks organizer box and Surf hanging bath organizer – are made of thermoplastics and non-toxic pigments. No softening agents are used in the production, making the products 100 percent recyclable. In addition, all of the plastic waste generated during manufacturing is recycled.