ENDCAP Creating colorful classrooms

Toughook provides vibrant array of hooks

by Victoria Ritter

Havingvibrant hues in educational spaces is not only aesthetically pleasing, but can also impact the behaviors of students. Nichiha USA, which specializes in new school builds and renovations, observed how a bold use of color in educational spaces “encourages action and stimulates students throughout the entire school day,” as well as aids in socialization and helps students to focus. While warm colors can increase alertness and encourage creativity, cool colors inspire calmness and neutral colors can help individuals focus.

Enter Toughook, which produces strong, safe hanging hooks in a myriad of colors. Tony Hopkinson officially establishe Toughook in 2012 in Lancashire, England; all of its products are designed and manufactured in Great Britain. In 2018, entrepreneur Eli Cohen created a sister company, Toughook USA, based in Caldwell, N.J. Now Cohen is the executive director of growth and development for Toughook USA.

Toughook recently exhibited at the EDspaces tradeshow in November where it received interest from manufacturers, school districts and interior design companies; it plans to attend the 2023 show. Cohen reported that two school districts in Oregon and California have made Toughook products a standard and that there are over 200,000 Toughook products in circulation in the U.S. Products are available for wholesale purchase through Toughook’s U.S. and U.K. websites, where orders can be customized. Cohen cautioned customers against purchasing Toughooks through unauthorized sellers.

Toughook’s four sizes of coat hooks – Mini, One, Original and XL – are the core of the business. The coat hooks range in size from 0.6 to 0.75 inches in width, 2.2 to 5.4 inches in height and 1.25 to 1.5 inches in depth. The company also provides coat rails with the hooks already mounted on boards as well as robe hooks. Cohen said the most popular model in the U.S. is the Toughook XL while the Toughook Original is most popular in the U.K. He believes the XL model is more popular in the U.S. due to having a large, identifiable hook

Toughook products have three main selling points: customizability, durability and safety. Toughook’s products are fully customizable, with the main four hook sizes available in 20 colors. Hues range from shades of black, grey and white and earthy tones to all colors of the rainbow. With such a vast range, customers have the option to order hooks with their school colors or assign a specific color to a student

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, that they can cause sore backs. School hooks need to be durable enough to support the weight.

Toughooks’ durability is due to the industrial-strength nylon used in their construction. According to Cohen, the hooks’ breaking point is more than 100 pounds. Additionally, Toughooks’ construction is efficient and environmentall responsible, with any waste materials re-used for other products. Every Toughook is guaranteed unbreakable for life, further reducing waste.

The hooks’ emphasis on safety comes into play in its design. The hooks can come with one or two hooks, each with rounded edges and are “engineered with a unique flat-curve profile prevent eye-level injuries,” according to its website.

“The beauty of it is that it sells itself. There’s not much explaining that needs to be done,” Cohen said. “The best selling point is that the schools that already have the hooks highly recommend them and usually end up telling their friends.”

To help kids find their assigned hooks, Toughook is developing an add-on that allows a headshot of the student –about the size of a passport photo – to be posted next to the hook. Cohen hopes to have the product out by the beginning of the 2023-2024 school year.

Toughook is working on establishing itself and growing, getting its name out in the market and making sales to manufacturers and schools. In addition to schools, correctional facilities have expressed interest in Toughook’s products. Toughook’s black and white shades are ideal for office settings Cohen said he has seen customers use Toughooks to store musical instruments and knows of a gym that installed them to hold lacrosse equipment. “The hooks have been available to the U.S. via (international express service provider) DHL for several years already,” Cohen said. “There are so many places that it could be used in that we don’t know about.”

To learn more about Toughook’s offerings in the U.S., visit toughook.com or email info@toughookusa.com.