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Archive for the ‘ Global ’ Category

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To Offshore Or To Reshore? How To Objectively Decide

Wednesday, May 2nd, 2012

That is the question facing many manufacturers these days, both inside and outside of the housewares industry.  As the economic makeup of China changes, so does the financial model that U.S. manufacturers use to determine the feasibility of manufacturing products 8,000 miles away.  Together with the decision on financial feasibility, many manufacturers are also taking a hard look at the newly emphasized importance of the term “Made in U.S.A.”  Current intelligence indicates that there is an increased importance being placed on products “Made in U.S.A.” by consumers and therefore by retailers as well.

Whether you consider it a unique phenomenon or movement that could have been foretold years ago as part of the normal evolution of a developing country, the socio-economic makeup of the Chinese lower and middle classes is changing, making it more expensive to develop, manufacture and ship product to the U.S.

But when does it make sense to bring manufacturing back to the U.S.?

  • What are the critical supply chain costs and risks associated with offshore product development that I may be missing?
  • Is it time to capitalize on the “Made in U.S.A.” brand concept?
  • Ultimately, when are the scales going to tip back in favor of U.S. manufacturing so that I position my business to respond quickly?

To help you answer some of these questions, IHA has partnered with Harry Moser of the Reshoring Initiative (http://www.reshorenow.org/) to help you carefully answer a host of questions regarding your business and determine the right answer to these difficult questions.  Mr. Moser, though the Reshoring Initiative, has spent years developing a tool to assist you in evaluating all of the difficult aspects of offshore manufacturing, many of them containing hidden costs.

Mr. Moser hosted an educational session at the 2012 International Home + Housewares Show and highlighted some success stories in the housewares industry associated with reshoring.  Click here (location TBD) to obtain a copy of his PowerPoint presentation.  He also participated in a panel discussion hosted by the White House on the topic of insourcing (reshoring) manufacturing to the U.S.  To learn more about reshoring, click here to view the White House YouTube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=CU4s1fhjKUg#t=2956s

spi for Dean blogU.S. manufacturers of plastics

Are you at the point where you would like to discuss the manufacture of your product in the U.S. but you don’t know where to begin?  Does your entire product or components of your product contain plastic?

IHA has teamed-up with the Plastics Industry Trade Association to assist in your search for mold-makers, plastics processors, suppliers of resin, equipment manufacturers of plastics products, and more.  Visit the member site for the Plastics Industry at http://www.plasticsindustry.org/membership/directory/ and you’re just a couple of mouse-clicks away from finding a host of plastics suppliers who are eager to assist you.

For more information on reshoring please contact:

Dean Kurtis, IHA

Email: dkurtis@housewares.org

2011-2012 gia GLOBAL HONOREES ANNOUNCED AT THE INTERNATIONAL HOME + HOUSEWARES SHOW

Monday, March 12th, 2012

CHICAGO (March 11, 2012) – The International Home + Housewares Show and the International Housewares Association (IHA), the global sponsors and organizers of the Global Innovation Award (gia) program, today announced the five 2011-2012 gia Global Honorees. The Global Honorees are:

  • Morandin Regali                            Italy
  • De Bijenkorf                                  the Netherlands
  • home&you                                    Poland
  • NK Glas, Porslin & Kök                Sweden
  • Sur La Table                                 United States

The global gia jury, consisting of four retail/visual merchandising experts and eight editors and publishers of co-sponsoring housewares trade publications from around the world, selected the five gia Global Honorees from the winners previously chosen in their respective countries by the national gia sponsors. In addition, the Martin M. Pegler Award for Excellence in Visual Merchandising was bestowed upon:

  • Morandin Regali                            Italy
  • NK Glas, Porslin & Kök                Sweden

gia was created in 1999, with the objective of fostering innovation and excellence in housewares retailing throughout the world. Today, gia is the most recognized, high-profile awards program for homegoods retailers around the globe. The competition is structured on a two-tier level, national and global, evaluating retailers within the following categories:

  • Overall mission statement and strategy
  • Store design and layout
  • Visual merchandising, displays and window displays
  • Marketing, advertising and promotions
  • Customer service and staff training
  • Innovation

Co-sponsoring the country-specific gia award programs with IHA are housewares trade publications worldwide, which sponsor national gia programs in their respective countries. Twenty-five co-sponsoring housewares trade publications with targeted distribution in over 30 countries on five continents participated in the 2011-2012 gia program, selecting 25 national winners from 23 countries. All winners were automatically entered the global competition at the International Home + Housewares Show in Chicago, where the global jury selected the final gia Global Honorees.

Both gia national winners and Global Honorees are recognized and prominently featured at the International Home + Housewares Show. A festive gia awards dinner was held at The Four Seasons Hotel. In addition, introducing the national gia winners to visitors and exhibitors of the International Home + Housewares Show, there is a special gia display in the Hall of Global Innovation, in the Lakeside Center Lobby, and large gia winner banners span the walkway connecting the Lakeside Center to the Grand Concourse.

For more information about the gia awards program, the co-sponsors, or participating in 2012-2013, contact Piritta Törrö at piritta.torro@inspiredconnection.fi. Additional information on the gia program is also available online at www.housewares.org/gia.

Editor’s note: Images of the 2011-2012 gia Global Honorees and the Martin M. Pegler Award winner as well as the gia logo and award photos are available for download at:

http://housewares.smugmug.com/

Knowing Innovation: Roger Colaizzi and Jeffrey Knowles, Venable LLP

Monday, March 12th, 2012

Coming soon at the International Home + Housewares Show, the Innovation Theater in the Lakeside Center will present 21 educational programs, every hour beginning Saturday afternoon and ending Tuesday afternoon. The Theater is set in Room E350, near the entry to the Level 3 Lobby and the Hall of Innovation. Experts in new product development and launch will discuss critical and timely topics in our industry. To help you plan your time at the Show, we introduce you to the presenters with a series of interviews. Be sure to mark your calendars for these exciting programs!  Check www.housewares.org regularly for updates on the schedule of Show events.

Can You Substantiate That? Alerting Marketers to Increasing FTC Scrutiny
Sunday March 11 11:30 am to 12:20 pm.

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., and with offices in New York and Los Angeles, Venable has nearly 600 attorneys practicing in all areas of corporate and business law, complex litigation, intellectual property and regulatory and government affairs. For more than a century, Venable has built a firm based on a simple and enduring premise: See the world through the eyes of our clients. Immerse ourselves in our clients’ businesses so that we fully understand the context of their legal issues.

Every new product that comes to market has navigated the consideration of many legal questions. Roger Colaizzi and Jeffrey Knowles are experts in legal issues facing companies in the housewares industry. They spoke at the 2011 Show about legal challenges of launching new products. In 2012 they will share their insight about the latest governmental regulations and rulings by the Federal Trade Commission that affect makers and marketers of housewares products.

Roger and Jeff, tell us what you will be speaking about and how and this topic is important for Show audiences.

We will focus on the emerging trend of increased scrutiny regarding consumer product advertising claims by the FTC, State Attorney Generals (“AG”) and competitors in the market place.  Over the last few years, FTC enforcement actions have become more prevalent and the FTC is seeking stiffer penalties in its consent decrees than in the past, making compliance with the FTC guidelines crucial for consumer products companies.  In addition, State AGs continue their enforcement efforts through state “mini-FTC Acts” that prohibit unfair and deceptive practices.  These Acts usually follow FTC precedent, but tend to be broader than the FTC Act.  Additionally, competitors in the market place are quick to bring a claim of false advertising under the Lanham Act when they feel false claims are impacting their market share/bottom line.

In our discussion, Can you Substantiate That? Alerting Marketers to Increasing FTC Scrutiny, we will discuss dynamic strategies for product substantiation that will enable consumer product companies to make aggressive marketing claims without running afoul of Federal law, state law or competitors in the market.  We also will update the audience on the most recent enforcement efforts by the FTC and other regulators.  This topic is crucial to all companies attending the International Home + Housewares Show because all of these attendees seek to find a lawful way in which to distinguish their products and services in advertising.  As any company who has had the unfortunate experience of participating in an FTC, State AG or Federal Lanham Act case can attest, not only is it a tremendous drain on time and financial resources, but also the vast majority of these cases are preventable.  It is our goal to provide the audience with a common sense approach to advertising claim substantiation so as to avoid the unfortunate position of defending an advertising lawsuit or government investigation.

Why did you choose to speak at the International Home + Housewares Show?

Because our clients are here. We’re at the International Home + Housewares Show to meet with our clients, listen to the needs of the companies here and to share our experience in guiding companies just like yours to bring your products to market.  Venable has one of the largest premier advertising and marketing practices in the United States.  Our nationally renowned team has extensive experience across every marketing channel and industry vertical.  In addition, we have one of the most extensive and successful litigation practices in the United States when it comes to advertising and marketing. Our team has won the Chambers USA Award for Excellence in Advertising Law two years in a row and was selected as Law Firm of the year in Advertising Law by Best Lawyers this year.  We are well positioned to partner with the companies at the International Home + Housewares Show.

Thank you Roger and Jeff for sharing your knowledge with Show audiences. We look forward to hearing about the latest news from regulators so that housewares companies can prepare for what’s ahead.

To learn more about the services offered by Venable LLP, see www.venable.com or contact Jeff Knowles

Co-Chair – Government Division, jdknowles@Venable.com.

TWELVE COMPANIES HONORED WITH FIRST ANNUAL IHA INNOVATION AWARDS

Sunday, March 11th, 2012

CHICAGO (March 10, 2012)—Twelve housewares suppliers ranging from name brands to small entrepreneurs were honored as winners of the first annual IHA Innovation Awards today. The winners in each of 12 categories were announced on the first day of the 2012 International Home + Housewares Show, now taking place through Tuesday, March 13 at McCormick Place in Chicago.

Winners are:

Bath + Personal Care: Gleener, Gleener The Ultimate Fuzz Remover
Cleaning: Casabella Holdings LLC, Quick Scrub Double Sided Microfiber Spray Mop
Cook + Bakeware: Kuhn Rikon Corp., Kuhn Rikon PushPan™
Floor + Carpet Care: Rowenta, Groupe SEB USA, Rowenta Delta Force Stick Vacuum
Home Décor + Gifts: Energizer Household Lighting, Energizer Ambiana Desk Light
Home Organization + Storage: Clean Cubes LLC, Clean Cubes
Household Electrics + Home Environment: Humanscale, Horizon LED Task Light
Kitchen Electrics: Jura Capresso, Inc., Jura IMPRESSA J9 One Touch TFT
Kitchen Hand Tools + Cutlery: Rush3 LLC, Kebo
Kitchenware: Browne USA, Date Dial Sealing Lids
Personal Care + Home Healthcare: Veridian Healthcare, iBaby Monitoring System
Tabletop: Harold Import Co., Inc., Blossom Trivet

“Congratulations to these winners, they are excellent representatives of the cutting-edge innovation and creation happening in the housewares industry,” said Phil Brandl, IHA president. “Based on the efforts of these and other design-focused companies in our industry, consumers are able to fill their homes with innovative products that meet their individual needs and varied lifestyles.”

More than 400 products were entered in the inaugural IHA Innovation Awards. The 60 finalists in all categories are featured in the New Product Showcases in the Buyers Club in each Show building and the 12 category winners are on display in the Hall of Global Innovation in the Lakeside Center.

The 2012 International Home + Housewares Show features more than 2,100 exhibitors, including over 500 new companies, and 60,000 total attendees from around the globe. To view the IHA Innovation Award winners and exhibitors in the Show, please visit www.housewares.org/housewaresconnect 365.

JAPAN PAVILION RETURNS TO INTERNATIONAL HOME + HOUSEWARES SHOW WITH TSUNAMI-AFFECTED COMPANIES

Friday, March 9th, 2012

Companies from the region in Japan that was the worst affected by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami will be featured in a pavilion at the upcoming 2012  International Home + Housewares Show.

Organized by JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization), the Japan Pavilion, located in the Dine + Design Expo in the South Building, includes 10 exhibitors from the Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures in Japan that were devastated nearly one year ago. The companies will be displaying products featuring Japanese craftsmanship and unique designs that are created in contemporary and traditional styles; handcrafted and 100% made in Japan; produced in natural or eco-friendly materials; created with time-tested techniques; and made to last a lifetime, according to JETRO officials.

To celebrate the exhibitors and their perseverance, a special Sake Reception for buyers and media will be held in the Japan Pavilion Monday, March 12, from 2:30–4:30 p.m. The event will feature Sakes from each of the prefectures hardest-hit by last year’s earthquake and tsunami.

Further information about the exhibitors in the Japan Pavilion can be found at http://bit.ly/japanpavilion.

The 2012 International Home + Housewares Show will feature more than 2,100 exhibitors and also includes design-driven country pavilions from France, Germany, Italy, Turkey, Brazil, Hong Kong and Taiwan in both North and South Buildings. The Global Design Showcase, located outside the International Business Center in the Grand Concourse Lobby, will highlight the best-of-the-best products from the various country pavilions.

For more information visit, www.housewares.org/housewaresconnect365.

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