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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 3 3 T h u r s d a y, J a n u a r y 2 1 , 2 0 1 6 CHEFSTEPS DEBUTS JOULE SOUS VIDE TOOL Seattle-based startup ChefSteps ® announced its expansion into kitchen hardware with Joule™, the world's smallest and most powerful sous vide immersion circulator. Designed from the ground up by the ChefSteps team of chefs, artists, engineers and scientists, Joule is a sleek, app-controlled tool that combines the precision, ease and relia- bility of sous vide cooking with the intelligence, creativity and fun of ChefSteps. "From day one, our goal at ChefSteps has been to help passionate cooks be creative and confident in the kitchen," said Chris Young, CEO and Co-founder of ChefSteps. "Sous vide is a big part of what we do in our kitchen, but we were frustrated by the existing sous vide gadgets, which are confusing and awkward for the home cook to use. So we decided to take the lead on creat- ing a better sous vide experience for our community of cooks. Joule is a culinary tool that was designed and built to help cooks of every skill level and to make sous vide a real part of today's kitchen—a tool that can help you make amazing meals on busy days or wow guests with special-occasion feasts." A Tool for Today's Kitchen Housed in a sleek cylinder that's only 11 inches tall, 1.85 inches in diameter, and just over a pound in weight, Joule is less than half the weight of even the smallest consumer sous vide device available today, small enough to easily fit in a top kitchen drawer and be used with almost any standard pot or pan you already have. Joule's design features forged 316L stainless steel and impact-resist- ant, seamless food-grade plastic housing for a lifetime of durability. Unlike all other immersion circulators, Joule is entirely waterproof (because, hey, acci- dents happen). Joule delivers 1100 watts of heating power from a unique, compact heater invented by ChefSteps using thick film technology that operates at 99.8 percent energy efficiency for the fastest preheat- ing times on the market. A powerful rare-earth magnetic base easily mounts Joule to any magnetic steel pot or induc- tion-ready cookware, while the optional clip system can be used to mount Joule to just about any cooking vessel. At the heart of Joule is its compan- ion cooking app, so you can control your experience with the device you use the most — your smartphone. The meticulously designed iOS and Android app features intuitive circulator controls connected via both Bluetooth and WiFi to hundreds of proven ChefSteps recipes and dozens of step-by-step guides and sous vide tips to help cooks of all skill levels get more creative and more confi- dent. The Joule app reimagines recipes as a sensory experience, incorporating vibrant full-screen images and videos from the James Beard Award–winning ChefSteps kitchen team, all integrated seamlessly with your circulator. And intelligent, patent-pending features like Visual Doneness help take the guess- work out of cooking: Select from beau- tiful images and videos of finished dish- es, and Joule will automatically adjust time and temperature settings based on how you want your food to turn out. "For the last three years, ChefSteps videos have inspired our community and showed them the hows and whys of cooking, from traditional to more mod- ern cooking techniques," said Grant Crilly, Co-founder and Chief Content Officer at ChefSteps. "Sous vide is one of the techniques we find a lot of value in, and with Joule we wanted to create a tool that continued that mission of guid- ing and educating, this time through hardware and the app that powers it, so that anyone can have a great sous vide experience. That means more than just making the best sous vide hardware; it means offering a catalog of original, easy-to-understand, integrated content for Joule that will grow based on what our community wants to learn." Pricing and Availability Joule is available for immediate pre- order online at ChefSteps.com for the discounted price of $199 through January 15, 2016. ChefSteps Premium is included with your purchase of Joule, giving Joule users unlimited access to the full library of ChefSteps classes, recipes, and Joule cooking guides, now and in the future. Preorders will begin shipping in May 2016. Joule will retail for $299. BJ'S WHOLESALE CLUB, INC. APPOINTS PRESIDENT AND CEO BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc. has named Christopher J. Baldwin as President and Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Laura J. Sen, who is assuming the role of Non-Executive Chairman. The appointment is effective February 1, 2016. Baldwin will assume responsibility for the ongoing operations of BJ's, while Sen will join BJ's other board members in setting the long term strate- gic direction of the company. Baldwin will report to the company's board of directors, and both he and Sen will remain members of the BJ's board. "I am grateful to have spent over 25 years with this great company, and feel privileged to have led it for the last seven," said Sen. "I am proud of what our team has accomplished together during these many years. I believe BJ's is operationally strong and well posi- tioned for continued success. In a very short period Chris has demonstrated the necessary vision and leadership to take BJ's to the next level. Together, we have laid out a strategy for the compa- ny that will serve us for many years to come, and I believe now is the right time for Chris to assume his place as leader of BJ's." Baldwin joined BJ's in September as President and Chief Operating Officer. He brought more than 30 years of experience as an executive in the retail and consumer products industries. Before joining BJ's, he was CEO of Hess Retail Corporation, prior to its successful sale to Marathon Petroleum Corporation. Before joining Hess, Baldwin served in a variety of execu- tive level roles at Kraft Foods (Nabisco), The Hershey Company, and Procter and Gamble. "I am humbled and excited by this opportunity to lead BJ's," said Baldwin. "This is both a challenging time for retail and one full of opportunity. Our guide over the next several years will be a vision that is steadfastly focused on offering a distinctive shopping experi- ence and deep value proposition to BJ's millions of loyal members. With the support of BJ's team members, I look forward to leading our company to even higher levels of achievement." About BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc. Headquartered in Westborough, Massachusetts, BJ's operates member- ship warehouse clubs in the eastern United States. The company currently operates 211 clubs and 126 gas stations in 15 states. BJ's provides a one-stop shopping destination filled with more top-quali- ty, leading brands including its exclu- sive Wellsley Farms and Berkley Jensen brands, which are all backed by BJ's 100 percent money-back guaran- tee; more fresh foods from USDA Choice meats to premium produce to delicious organics in many supermar- ket sizes; and more great value and amazing savings every day. BJ's is also the only membership club to accept all manufacturers' coupons and for greater convenience offers the most payment options. iDEVICES ANNOUNCES FOUR NEW CONNECTED HOME PRODUCTS iDevices ® has just announced four new additions to its growing connected home product line. The new products include the iDevices Socket, Wall Switch, Dimmer Switch and Wall Outlet. These build upon iDevices' first three Homekit™-enabled products; the iDevices Switch (indoor connected plug), Outdoor Switch (rain-tight, dual outlet connected plug) and Thermostat, currently available online and at retail- ers nationwide. Through the use of Apple HomeKit technology, iDevices is able to provide an easy, secure way for its users to control their home's lights, outlets, thermostats, and more from their iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch and with Siri ® voice commands. These new products embody iDevices' mission of evolving people's homes through responsive, HomeKit- enabled products that enhance every- day life. The iDevices Connected app, provides users with ultimate conven- ience, comfort and security allowing them to control their home using their iOS 8.1+ mobile phone or tablet from anywhere. "Our team is laser-focused on developing user-centric products that accelerate the next generation of the connected home," said Chris Allen, CEO of iDevices. "Socket and the three in-wall products … signify the next stage of the iDevices evolution and our dedication to connecting users with products that enhance their lives." iDevices Socket – By screwing in any standard light bulb into the iDevices Socket, users can control their lights from anywhere using the free iDevices Connected app. The iDevices Socket has dimming functionality and a customizable LED nightlight allowing users to easily set the mood for any occasion by changing the light color and adjusting the brightness. The iDevices Socket will be available for sale in the first quarter of 2016. iDevices Wall Switch and Dimmer Switch – By replacing any standard, single light switch with one of these connected wall switches, users can control their home's lighting from any- where using the free iDevices Connected app. Users can choose between the standard on/off Wall Switch or the Dimmer Switch, both available in the second quarter of 2016. These products each feature customiz- able LED nightlights, making it easy to find them in the middle of the night, and support single pole and 3-way switches. iDevices Wall Outlet – This prod- uct brings the intelligence and intu- itiveness of the iDevices Switch to a hard-wired version, perfect for those looking to upgrade existing wall outlets in their home. The iDevices Wall Outlet gives users the ability to control, monitor and schedule the power to both outlets individually, using the iDevices Connected app. The iDevices Wall Outlet will be available for sale in the third quarter of 2016. iDevices Connected App – Using the free iDevices Connected app, users can easily add iDevices products to their home network, securely pair them with their iPhone, iPad or iPod touch, add them to a room, set dynamic sched- ules and add custom photos and names. The app also has the unique ability to support HomeKit-enabled products from other manufacturers.