Heated Outdoor Safety Treads named Best New Product at 2010 National Hardware Show.
HeatTrak, manufacturer of heated outdoor safety mats for industrial and residential use, took first-place for best new product in the annual Homewares Show Awards at the National Hardware Show held in Las Vegas this month.
The company's Heated Outdoor Safety Treads won the Gold Award, the top honor in the Homewares category. HeatTrak was a first-time exhibitor this year.
The Homewares Show Awards were judged by representatives from major industry retailers including Ace Hardware, Amazon, Home Shopping Network, and Organize.com. The entries were evaluated based on aesthetics, uniqueness, usefulness, packaging, and overall value.
"By choosing HeatTrak for this prestigious award, industry leaders are saluting our products," said Hillel Glazer, president of HeatTrak, LLC, and inventor of HeatTrak® mats. "It is an honor to be recognized in this way. The award represents an important milestone in our company's growth."
In addition to winning the award, HeatTrak introduced one of its newest products, the Heated Outdoor Walkway Mat, at this year's show. Like the Heated Outdoor Safety Treads, which melt snow and ice on stairs, this new product is an electrically heated mat designed to keep residential walkways clear.
Both products are made of durable material and lie on top of existing surfaces to melt snow at a rate of two inches per hour. As with all HeatTrak products, the Heated Outdoor Walkway Mat and Heated Outdoor Safety Treads are designed to be left outside for the entire winter season.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), falls are the leading cause of unintentional death among people 65 and older, and the third leading cause of death for all ages. The heated outdoor safety mats reduce slip-and-fall accidents due to snow and ice on outdoor surfaces by keeping them clear and safe.
"These products provide a safer environment around the home during the winter months and are a must-have for the safety-conscious homeowner," said Glazer. "Customers will also appreciate the no-shoveling convenience of these heated mats and the environmentally friendly alternative to calcium chloride when melting snow and ice."
The Heated Outdoor Walkway Mat measures 20" x 60" and the Heated Outdoor Safety Treads measure 10" x 30". Both products come with their own watertight connector cables enabling them to connect to additional mats and treads to cover larger areas. Homeowners can customize their heated mat systems based on the size of the area they want to cover. A customer can connect a maximum of five walkway mats, 12 safety treads, or a combination thereof, on a single control unit (sold separately).
The Heated Outdoor Walkway Mat is available with a carpet surface for $169.95 or non-carpet surface for $119.95. The Heated Outdoor Safety Treads are available with a carpet surface for $69.95 or non-carpet surface for $39.95. The control unit retails for $24.95. HeatTrak offers a two-year manufacturer's warranty on all products.
The Heated Outdoor Walkway Mat and Heated Outdoor Safety Treads join a constellation of HeatTrak products, including its Industrial Heated Walkway Mat, Industrial Heated Stair Mat, and Residential Heated Doormat.
"These products are great," says Sam DeFabbo, Manager of BigHorn Ace Hardware in Silverthorne, Colorado. "They're smart and they're unique. Our customers love them."
The Heated Outdoor Walkway Mat and Heated Outdoor Safety Treads, as well as HeatTrak's other innovative products, are available at Costco.com and Homedepot.com.
Paterson, New Jersey-based HeatTrak manufactures snow melting mats for industrial and residential use. Established in 2004, its customers are located in the United States, Canada, and Europe.