Industry News

Elkay, a leading U.S. cabinetmaker and manufacturer of sinks and faucets is launching a mobile showroom tour. Bringing a showroom experience to life at the local level, Elkay will take everything – including the kitchen sink – on the “Heart of the Home” mobile showroom tour immediately following the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show. which concludes on February 6, in Las Vegas. The Heart of the Home tour will run through May, starting in the New Orleans, Louisiana market, then moving to the Miami, Florida area, and climbing the East coast.

“Kitchens are personal,” says Scott Fettig, director of product marketing, wood products. Fettig continues, “And while most of us are adept at using virtual tools for inspiration, planning and design, nothing beats an in-person, hands-on showroom experience with a designer or friend to bring those dreams to life. Elkay is excited to make that hands-on experience a reality through Heart of the Home local events in 16 cities across the country this spring.”

Local Events. Local Expertise.

In every mobile showroom event city, Elkay cabinet and sink/faucet partners will host consumer and designer training events. “The Heart of the Home Tour is a great way for our business partners to showcase their relationship with our company and our brands,” remarks Lou Katz, channel marketing manager, traditional cabinets. Katz adds, “We know that showrooms can’t possibly feature all our products, so this is a way to create local enthusiasm and highlight the latest in door style, material and finish trends.”

The 44-foot Heart of the Home showroom on wheels features seven displays, plus several iPads with additional product information, a variety of sample doors, and two flat screens looping some of the company’s vast library of completed room images. The exterior of the Elkay mobile showroom is wrapped with 3D kitchen imagery. Follow Me on Twitter, Facebook, or Even the Open Road. Each Heart of the Home tour stop has pre-event promotion on Elkay branded websites and social media pages. In addition, a full tour schedule and map is available at Elkay.com.

Since 1920, Elkay has been making innovative products and delivering excellent, domestic customer care. Headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois, Elkay expanded its commercial offerings over four decades ago, and today delivers world-class sinks, faucets, foodservice fixtures, water coolers, drinking fountains and award-winning rapid bottle filling stations. Additionally, Elkay Wood Products is one of America’s leading cabinetmakers with eight brands in the marketplace. Like your family, the Elkay family has values and traditions that endure; for almost a century, Elkay has been an American-owned and operated company, providing thousands of jobs that support our families and communities.

For additional information, visit Elkay.com.

Charlotte Pipe’s Tech Tools has been selected by PM Engineer magazine as one of the Top Ten New Products of 2013. The mobile devices app provides simple, on-the-go tools for the plumbing industry, including an expansion and contraction calculator and a temperature de-rating calculator.

The app has been downloaded over 700 times in less than six months and has received positive feedback from users. Charlotte Pipe will continue to add tools ideal for plumbing engineers, contractors, architects and other industry professionals.

The app can be downloaded at:
Apple Store: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cpf-techtools/id679297384?mt=8
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.charlottepipe.cpftechtool
Blackberry: http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/37251336/?lang=en&countrycode=US

Charlotte Pipe and Foundry Company is the nation’s top maker of cast iron and plastic pipe and fittings. As a leader in innovation and quality, we manufacture the industry’s broadest range of standard and specialty DWV products. We are the only manufacturer that offers a system of ABS, PVC, CPVC, cast iron, FlowGuard Gold®, ChemDrain®, ReUze® and RePVC® pipe and fittings for both residential and commercial plumbing systems.

Charlotte Pipe is headquartered in Charlotte, NC, and has seven plant locations across the United States. Combining modern technology with a century of craftsmanship and experience, Charlotte Pipe and Foundry has a proud legacy of commitment to the industry and its customers. The company is guided by the philosophy of its founder – produce the best possible product and provide the best possible service for the customer.

Thursday, January 5, 2012, EPA Administrator and Obama Cabinet member, Lisa P. Jackson traveled to Miami to meet with local green business leaders and she toured the Brownsville Transit Village, a new environmentally sustainable building project in an underserved community that incorporates water and energy-saving features.

The project, set to open in March, is being developed by Carlisle Development Group, which creates environmentally sustainable affordable housing. Carlisle is working in partnership with Alterna Corp., an EPA WaterSense^® partner and leading distributor of green building products. Alterna Corp. supplied plumbing fixtures by Sustainable Solutions International (SSi™): Caroma^®’s Smart 305 Round Front dual-flush, low-flow toilets and fluid™’s lavatory and kitchen faucets to the project. Caroma and fluid products installed, contribute to the estimated water savings of Brownsville Transit Village – over 5 million gallons per year and roughly $50,000 per year in utility savings (i.e., compared to standard plumbing fixtures).

EPA’s WaterSense initiative brings together local water utilities, governments, product manufacturers and retailers to promote water efficiency, and enhance the market through innovation and product design for water efficient products, programs and practices. EPA and its WaterSense partners have helped Americans save 125 billion gallons of water and more than $2 billion in water and energy bills. By reducing water consumption, the program has reduced 6 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions, protecting the health of Americans.

BrassCraft Manufacturing, a leading manufacturer of plumbing products, is introducing its handy Zip-it® tool to plumbing contractors as a safe, reliable and cost effective way to resolve many common clogged drain problems.

The Zip-It® tool is a fast and easy way to clear clogged and slow running drains. This durable plastic tool is suitable for use in many residential drains including most household sink, shower and tub drains. It is 20 inches long, with 18 inches of barbed length. Plus, it provides a better environmentally-friendly option for users – no need to use any harsh chemicals.

“Zip-It® could save the contractor time and is easy to use; it’s always worth a try on a clogged drain. Every contractor should have one of these in his tool box and keep a ready supply on his truck,” says Charles Pryde, Channel Marketing Director, BrassCraft Manufacturing.

A slow sink drain can be fixed in 10 minutes or less (including clean up) with no tools other than Zip-It®. There usually is no need to remove the stopper. Just open the drain stopper all the way, turn on the water, insert the Zip-It® and then remove it slowly. Use it once, and then throw it away.

“Not only is Zip-It® a great tool, but because it is so easy to use and so effective, we are recommending that plumbers consider it as a promotional item for their customers,” adds Pryde. “It can be a great calling card and a simple way to build good will.”

BrassCraft Manufacturing offers high quality gas connectors, water heater connectors, water stops and flexible water connectors built to last for the long run – designed, machined and assembled in the USA. With facilities in Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, California and Texas, BrassCraft Manufacturing continues to invest in the most advanced design and manufacturing technologies for the creation of thousands of high-value products. On-site research, development and testing facilities enable collaborative design, engineering and manufacturing to bring only the best products to market.

Founded in 1946, BrassCraft® innovated and perfected the one-piece water supply valve and the flexible water supply tube. Today these products have become the standard for residential and commercial plumbing projects.