International Housewares Association

HECNA Global Forum Recap

By Piritta Torro, International Marketing & Business Development Inspiring Presentations, Productive Networking The 2011 HECNA Global Forum took place in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on September 18-20, followed by an extended visit to Santo Domingo in Dominican Republic on September 21-22. As Valorie Langille of Arrow Plastic summarized it, the Global Forum once again proved to…

Housewares History: Working Under Pressure in the Kitchen

By Vicki Matranga, Design Programs Coordinator Today’s busy families operate under a lot of pressure to keep after-school activities, homework and chores on schedule. Moms may feel they are battling clock and calendar as they rush to get dinner on the table, while worrying that food-on-the-go or a microwaved meal-in-a-bag can’t provide the nutrition or satisfaction of a…

Housewares History: Dishpan Hands No More – Kitchen Sink Tales

Can you guess what this is? How was this item used every day? Chain mail for personal protection or something in a kitchen? It’s a pot scrubber! Back in the “good old days” when cast-iron cookware heated on a wood-fueled cook stove, burnt-on crusts were scoured with such a “dishcloth” made of iron loops. Tough on the hands, such scrubbers were used with salt, sand, lemon…

The Metal Ware Company: Generations of Innovation

By Vicki Matranga, Design Programs Coordinator Where did key items in the history of kitchen products originate? Look to the rolling landscape of Wisconsin for many chapters of this continuing story. The Metal Ware Company celebrated several anniversaries recently. In 2010, the company marked the 90th year of its founding in Two Rivers, Wis. In 2011, it noted the 30th…

Floral Exhibits & IHA: The Ultimate Tradeshow Partnership

Originated in 1942, Floral Exhibits has been the leading plant and floral tradeshow provider throughout the United States and has worked in all of the major convention centers nationwide. Floral Exhibits has been the plantscape provider for the International Housewares Association (IHA) since 2003, adding that special touch, not only to the show floor and lounge areas, but also…

IHA Announces Three New Board Members

By Debbie Teschke, Media Relations & Communications Manager Four new directors have been elected to the board of directors of the International Housewares Association. The new directors are Gregory C. Cairo, president, Groupe SEB USA; Anthony E. Kircher, president, Winix, Inc.; Erik Reid, general manager, Kyocera Advanced Ceramics; and David Sabin, president, Kids Line.…

2011 CHESS Final Update!

By Judy Colitz, Special Events & Executive Services Manager TOP 10 REASONS to Say YES to CHESS in 2011… 1. Powerful and Relevant Keynotes—Kip Tindell, The Container Store…ORGANIZATION WITH HEART; Peter Sims, Best-Selling Author…LITTLE BETS—Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Creativity & Design 2. Hot Industry Topics—Global Market Overview…Social Media: Myth or…

tag Marks 35th Anniversary of Design Success

By Vicki Matranga, Design Programs Coordinator In 1976, a young NYU graduate with a degree in biochemistry met two French women who manufactured candles in Bordeaux. At the time, Norman Glassberg (pictured on the right) had already hung up his lab coat for good and was searching for a new business opportunity. Previously he had been one of the partners of a group that…

“Embracing A Profit” Webinar Announced!

By Wes French, Social Media Coordinator Join Our next webinar on Wednesday September 14 at 1 p.m. CST! The International Housewares Association is proud to present the next webinar in our online consulting series with business finance consultant Catherine Yen. In Profitability on Purpose: "Embracing a Profit", Catherine will answer questions about how to run and operate a…