The Home Depot’s 2021 Innovation Awards
In a virtual venue that included videos demonstrating products set to pop music, The Home Depot announced its 2021 Innovation Awards, naming Milwaukee's M18 FUEL Cordless Framing Nailer the overall winner (at right).
Hubspace smart home technology by Afero beamed-in as the first runner up award winner, and Pergo Defense+ waterproof, antimicrobial flooring by Mohawk Industries sealed the second runner up nod.
“Our annual Innovation Awards ceremony recognizes the remarkable work that goes into providing new, innovative and exclusive products to our customers at the best value,” said Jeff Kinnaird, executive vice president of merchandising for The Home Depot.
“It’s incredible how our suppliers continue to make home improvement easier, safer and even more fun by applying the latest technologies to common tools and household products in every category across the store and online,” added Kinnaird.
The Big Three
Here are some more details about the three innovative winning entries:
Overall Winner: The Milwaukee M18 FUEL Cordless Framing Nailer saves time by firing three nails per second with zero ramp-up time without the hassle of a compressor and hose or gas cartridge, the company said.
Dave Lamie and Allison Brady speaking for the big winner Milwaukee pointed out to the virtual audience that the framing nailer can be employed by both the pro and the DIYer, and it reduces tripping hazard.
It delivers the pneumatic performance and durability that professional carpenters and remodelers expect, enabling users to tackle the most demanding framing applications and engineered lumber, Home Depot indicated.
First Runner Up: Hubspace powered by Afero (above) makes building a reliable smart home simple with an intuitive platform and easy to set-up products including lighting, fans and plugs, noted the firm.
Joe Britt, Afero CEO and one of the firm’s founders, likened the futuristic voice-activated home lighting systems to being in a Star Trek episode, and said once you’ve used the smart products you can’t imagine ever not using them.
With no hub or extra equipment required, the app provides access from anywhere via a smart device and an internet connection, Home Depot added.
Second Runner Up: The Pergo Defense+ line of waterproof and antimicrobial flooring (right) keeps homes clean for longer by prohibiting the growth of microbes that cause mold, mildew and odors with a natural silver ion embedded into its surface, related Mohawk Industries, Inc.
The durable flooring is great for kids and pets and comes in five beautiful finishes, Home Depot wrote.
More Innovators Recognized
In addition to the top three winners, The Home Depot recognized these finalists for their high marks in product innovation:
· 12 ft Giant-Sized Skeleton from Home Holiday Accents brings the spookiest spine-tingling and unique Halloween décor to any lawn as the largest skeleton ever sold in the retail marketplace. It can be assembled in less than an hour and features LCD technology that makes its eyes appear to move and blink.
· Andersen LuminAire provides easy light and ventilation into any entryway on demand with the SlideAway® insect screen system designed to disappear when not in use. It can be installed in less than 30 minutes with basic tools and no cutting.
· Commercial Electric Premium LED Canless Recessed Lighting offers “GLARE-Free” premium lighting at a value price. The trimless and slim designs come in extra bright high lumen and a variety of sizes to meet the lighting needs of any space.
· Everbilt Ventilated Wire Closet System creates a custom closet with existing wire shelving at a value price. Bringing style into storage, it offers heavy duty capacity and decorative wood finishes.
· LG Washtower gets more laundry done in a smaller space. The vertical washer features an easy-to-reach centralized control panel that controls both the washer and dryer with built in intelligence that customizes laundry cycles.
· Ryobi 18V ONE+ HP Products get projects done faster and more efficiently with greater power, longer run times and more work per charge. The ergonomic design provides comfort for extended use on large projects.
· SimpleDrain saves time and money by allowing a P-Trap or leaky pipe under the sink to be replaced in less than five minutes. The product is easily installed with a pair of scissors and no additional tools.
Special Partners Honored
In conjunction with the Innovation Awards, The Home Depot also honored suppliers in several other award categories, as follows:
Environmental Partner of the Year Award
Nike Grind Future Foam diverted more than 5 million pounds of waste from the landfill and incinerator in 2020 by using waste products and post-consumer shoes as material to make carpet pads and gym mats.
Interconnected Partner of the Year Award
Ryobi, which invested in innovation and doubled down on its eCommerce efforts accelerating its timeline for implementation resulting in an unprecedented speed to market.
Marketing Innovation Partner of the Year Award
Kohler creatively used our Buy More Save More capabilities to help customers save as they shop the “full project.”
MSI received this year’s Supplier Diversity Innovation Award for its commitment to creating jobs in regions where it sources materials from, participation and partnership in DEI efforts with The Home Depot, and outstanding philanthropic work throughout 2020.
Additional supplier partner awards by product category are listed below:
· Lumber: Louisiana Pacific
· Building Materials: CTS RapidSet
· Flooring: QEP Co., Inc.
· Paint: Behr
· Hardware: ITW
· Tools: Milwaukee
· Plumbing: Rheem
· Electrical/Lighting: Klein
· Indoor Garden: Ryobi
· Outdoor Garden: Bell Nurseries
· Appliances: GE
· Kitchens & Bath: Cabinetworks
· Millworks: Andersen
· Décor/Storage/Organization: American Plastics
The Home Depot's 2021 Innovation Award product winners and finalists are available online and in stores, the company noted, and will feature the official The Home Depot Innovation Award seal in November.
For more information, visit www.homedepot.com/innovation.