Eco-Ezee, Faithfull, Holdfast Fixings, Luxform, Trollull
and Yale were the six exhibitors who picked up Gold 'Show Stopper'
awards at this week's Totally DIY show at the NEC in
Birmingham.
Eco-Ezee took gold in the decorating products category with its
range of recycled and recyclable paint brushes and trays. Silver
winners were Bedec's range of flexible paints, Hammerite's Direct
to Galvanised metal paint, and Everbuild's One Strike filler.
Gold winner in the tools category was Faithfull Tools with the
Right Cut tape measuring and sawing guide. Silver awards went to
Olympia Tools for the Roughneck Door and Board Lifter and to
RightEquipment for the Rapid Shark wire stripper.
In the diy category, Holdfast Fixings took gold with its Dryline
Pro heavy-duty fixing kit, and the silvers went to Interplex Solar
Technology's Solar-2-Go kits, and to the Hedgehog gutter brush.
Gold winner in the garden category was Luxform, with a
solar-powered combined lamp post and planter. RightEquipment took a
second silver award for the Tonino Lamborghini combined grass
trimmer and garden vacuum, and another silver award went to
Wilkinson Sword for its Space Saver garden tool range.
Trollul's Stove Glass Cleaner was the gold winner in the hardware
category, and Olympia Tools and RhinoCo both picked up a silver
awards: Olympia for its Roughneck plasterboard carrier and RhinoCo
for the 3-in-1 Safe T Light.
The gold award for the best security product went to Yale for
its adjustable replacement handles for PVCu doors. The silver
winners were both solar-powered: Camsec's garden security light,
and RhinoCo picked up a second silver award for its WatchGuard
floodlight.
Organised by DIY Week, the Show Stoppers awards are
judged by a panel of retail buyers. This year's judges were Chris
Gardener of QVC, Johnny Hayes of Pextons Hardware in York, Mark
Welch of Decoron in West Bromwich, Mark Wettingsteel of Access Key
& Lock in Southampton, and Keith Robinson of Isaac Lord in High
Wycombe, plus guest judge Peter Stone, the DIY sector director at
the British Home Enhancement Trade Association (BHETA).
The judges are asked to assess the show's new products against
some simple criteria; is it a genuinely innovative new product,
does it perform and deliver what it is meant to, is its pricing
realistic for both retailers and customers and finally - would they
stock it?!
The Totally Show organiser Brintex offered its congratulations
to all the show's winners, and ensured, along with the DIY
Week team, that all the winning products were clearly marked
up for visitors to see.
