The display at Booth S11931 made one of the biggest splashes at the International Builders Show here and drew serious buyers and gawkers alike.
Swooping arcs of jetted water rose and fell every few minutes. Underwater lights changed colors periodically for a mesmerizing light show.
Currents, rushing from zero to 6 1/2 miles an hour, slowly changed the water flow from gentle ripples to a gushing cascade over the edge of the stainless steel SwimSpa by Bradford Products of Wilmington, N.C.
The $150,000 pool “could work in a back yard or a lobby of a hotel” said a company representative, who pointed out the water features can be programmed to run at different times and water temperatures by simply tapping the computerized touch-pad controls.
But the water display was only part of the pitch for Bradford Products, which manufactures swim spas, therapy vessels and recreational pools. Company officials touted what they consider the pool’s real advantage–its stainless steel tub.
“Why stainless steel? The longevity. You never have to repaint or reseal, so it’s low maintenance,” said Michael Brodeur, Bradford vice president, who said three buyers were vying to buy the pool and take it from the exhibition hall floor.
The SwimSpa was only part of the fun at the IBS sponsored by the National Association of Home Builders last week at the huge Orlando Conventional Center. The annual four-day trade show for residential builders drew about 100,000 people to the 1.5-million-square-foot floor in two buildings where home products ranging from mold-retardant tile caulk to computer systems for businesses were displayed.
The annual gathering is a combination convention, continuing education meeting and sales bazaar. Celebrities such as racecar driver Danica Patrick, who was on hand for the introduction of Harmony Select vinyl decking from Royal Crown Ltd., could be found on the show floor where builders, big and small, prowled the aisles looking for new products and trends, while comparison shopping.
Most of the new introductions by major companies were marked less by innovation than by thoughtful refinement or product combinations.
General Electric Co., for example, showed a Smart Dispenser dishwasher, which will sell for about $1,500. Pour a 45-ounce bottle of detergent in the machine all at once and the dishwasher doles out the amount of detergent to be used for each load, depending on the cycle chosen.
A readout on the control panel warns the homeowner that it’s time to buy more detergent when only enough remains for another three to seven wash cycles.
Maytag Corp. showed a prototype that solved the dilemma of how to put water dispensers on the front of those fast-selling three-door refrigerators. And Bosch was among the many appliance-makers showing ranges that are flush with cabinet fronts.
Dual-fuel ranges also are growing in popularity. And well-known names are extending product lines into logical new categories. Marvin Windows and Doors, a Minnesota-based manufacturer, for the first time showed wood entry doors handcrafted in Honduras.
Some of the more innovative products–which may or may not catch on–could be found in the booths of suppliers little known to the public.
Some of what builders saw:
Burnished metal: With stainless-steel finishes now accounting for more than 50 percent of all appliances sales, suppliers are looking for the next hot look, especially for cutting-edge buyers. Colors, from orange to blue, are available, but Jenn-Air, a division of Maytag, is betting consumers still prefer metallic tones to go with stone countertops and tile and earth-tone palettes.
The company, which had success with the introduction of an oiled bronze-finish toaster showed the same finish for major appliances, such as ranges and refrigerators. The color, verging on black, has glints of bronze for those who want an alternative to a plain, flat color palette.
Hydrogen fireplace: While Detroit and the auto industry investigate hydrogen-powered cars, Heat & Glo, a division of Minnesota-based Hearth & Home Technologies, showed Aqueon, a hydrogen-burning fireplace, priced from $35,000.
The unit is believed to be one of the first commercially available in-home hydrogen-powered appliances. The producer claims it is the “cleanest” combustion and requires no vent.
At the builders’ show, the unit, which must have electricity and water to operate, sat on a 5-foot high base that was 28 inches wide and had a $50,000 price tag, though officials said less expensive units can be used in fireplaces. The hydrogen is harvested from water through electrolysis and the unit ignites the hydrogen, which officials said releases no harmful byproducts into the air.
Hot glass: Chicago-based Engineered Glass Products showed Thermique glass towel warmers, a towel rack with a glass panel that can be warmed to a precise temperature. The glass has a conductive coating and fine copper bars applied during fabrication that can be set to a temperature. The racks are available through high-end bath centers for about $2,500.
Flashier doors: Architect Michael Graves, familiar to most folks for the housewares he designed for Target Corp., has teamed up with Zeeland, Mich.-based ODL Inc., a producer of glass for entry doors. The company, the originator of the blinds sealed between glass, is a major glass supplier to door and window producers who supply new homes and upper-end renovations.
Doors with one of three Graves glass designs likely will cost in the $700 to $900 range. Company officials are hoping the designer’s name and styles will be so compelling that consumers will ask for them or builders can sell them as new-home upgrades.
Faux grass: Tired of cutting the lawn? SynLawn, an Orlando-based producer of synthetic alternatives to natural grass, made its first appearance at the Builders’ Show.
Promoting itself as “eco-friendly by saving water resources, the company has had fast growth in four water-restricted Western states and is expanding quickly into others. Made of polyethylene, nylon and a blend of the two, the artificial turf comes in eight look-alike versions of the real thing. Made in Dalton, Ga., the product comes in 15-foot wide rolls and is laid down like carpet. The cost is about $3 to $6 a square foot.
Branded granite: In the can’t beat ’em, join ’em category, DuPont, the maker of Corian solid surfaces and Zodiaq quartz surfaces, introduced Granite Certified, the first all-natural stone surface from the chemical giant. Granite Certified is real stone. The company showed the 15 most popular colors which will be cost $58 to $85 a square foot installed. It is protected by a DuPont sealant to help repel stains for one year.
A big lift: More than 700 people stopped by the booth of SpaceLift Products Inc., a Southern California company that offers a solution to getting all the stuff we accumulate into the storage space above the garage. This is a lift platform carried by a frame that mounts into a standard 22 1/2-by 54-inch framed opening.
The platform is attached to a telescoping stairway that drops from the ceiling at the press of a button. The platform is stored in the attic at the side of the opening when the access door is closed.
When the platform is needed to transport items, press a button and it is shifted over the attic opening and travels down a guide track along the ladder. It stops above ground to be loaded. Press the button again and the platform rises back to the attic and shifts to the side so the homeowner can climb the ladder and unload it. Estimated cost: $3,000.
Product concepts: No trade show is complete without some idea testing by vendors, and this year’s IBS was no different. Benton Harbor, Mich.-based Whirlpool Corp. showed two concept items that appeared to be well received. One was a microwave with a television on the front panel.
The dual-use idea is not new–other brands show a refrigerator with a TV screen–but microwaves are more often at a better level for viewing, said a company spokesman. If the item is produced, it is estimated it will cost less than $2,000.
The company’s Gladiator GarageWorks division showed the ultimate tailgating accessory called the GaterPak. It consists of a large metal box that looks like a rolling tool box. The device can be unfolded to reveal a beer tap with storage for a keg, a small DVD screen with speakers, a small fridge and separate drawers for food storage.
The GaterPak also has a grill that folds down from the side. Folded into the base, the box can be hitched to a truck or car for easy transport to a favorite tailgating site.
Michele Savalox, Gladiator’s senior brand manager, said those who saw it at the show indicated they would be willing to pay $3,000 to $5,000 for the item.
“It hasn’t been tested in any way,” she cautioned. “But based on the responses here, we will look at it on a serious level.”
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