Hardware & Housewares Review at NHS • April 7, 2022

Oser Communications Group

AN INDEPENDENT PUBLICATION NOT AFFILIATED WITH NHS

Rugs Direct Acquires Lightopia, an Omnichannel Lighting Retailer

Rugs Direct Holdings, LLC recently completed the acquisition of Lightopia, LLC, an omnichannel lighting retailer for residential customers and trade professionals.

Lightopia represents brands focused on contemporary design, quality materials and responsible manufacturing, and helps clients solve architectural and decorative lighting needs utilizing the latest LED lighting technology. The company has three retail locations and one warehouse in southern California and an online store at www.lightopiaonline.com.

Together, Rugs Direct and Lightopia are well-positioned to be a leader in the midto high-end home furnishings market. The combined company has an extensive product catalog of over 200 partner brands, a customer base of more than 400,000 residential, trade professional and commercial customers, and has grown revenues significantly in recent years.

“Category expansion is core to the long-term strategy of Rugs Direct, and we are thrilled to have Lightopia join us,” said Rugs Direct CEO, Myles Felsing. “We have recently seen success adding adjacent soft décor categories to our core area rugs assortment and see tremendous opportunity within the lighting category going forward. Our belief is that lighting often serves as a key starting point of an interior design or redecorating project, and area rugs are the finishing touch that ties it all together. Having two strong ecommerce brands in these cornerstone product categories positions us well for continued growth.”

Ken Vick, Principal of Lightopia, said, "Lightopia is excited to partner with Rugs Direct and its strong marketing, merchandising, and technology capabilities. These are the ingredients we needed to grow so it's a perfect fit."

Felsing went onto say, “From early conversations with Ken, we recognized

Food Waste Disposers from Joneca Company LLC

An interview with Tom Dugan, Director of National Accounts, Joneca Company LLC.

HHR: How has business changed over the past few years?

TD: Due to the pandemic, with families spending less on travel and entertaining, and more time at home, renovations in the kitchen have resulted in a dramatic increase in our business. Coupled with consumers looking for a recognized name in the products they buy, we have been fortunate to be able to offer the American Standard Elite line of food waste disposers.

HHR: What separates Joneca Company LLC from other suppliers of food waste disposers?

TD: I believe we pay more attention to what customers want. Some people are looking for the lowest price, a brand they know and trust, and the best quality in their purchase.

Consumers demand all of that. We offer all of that.

Since 1985, Joneca has built its reputation on providing the highest quality product, with the best features available in the market, at competitive prices.

HHR: Tell our readers about the features you're talking about.

Continued on Page 5

Belgard Reveals 2022 Color of the Year – Jetset

HomeServe USA, a leading provider of service plans, repair, and installation services for the home, announced the acquisition of United Plumbing Company. Based in Goshen, Kentucky, a suburb of Louisville, the residential plumbing company has been providing top quality plumbing services in the area for several decades.

The relationship between United Plumbing and HomeServe is not a new one.

United Plumbing has been a longstanding contractor in the HomeServe network for 14 years and has won numerous accolades and awards throughout the years, including the prestigious Diamond Award, awarded annually to HomeServe’s top contractor.

United Plumbing is led by Christopher Montgomery, a veteran of the United States Marine Corps and sole owner of the business since 2012. While Chris has been in the plumbing trade for almost three decades, the Montgomery family’s legacy in the plumbing business can be traced back to the late 1930s when Sam Montgomery, Sr., Chris’ grandfather, began his career as a plumber, eventually starting his own plumbing company in the mid-1940s, which he ran until his retirement in the mid-1980s. In 1984, Chris’ father and brother, Sam Montgomery, Jr. and Sam Montgomery, III, respectively, started United Plumbing.

Chris Montgomery joined the family business in the mid-1990s, became an owner in 1999, and soon thereafter started the Company’s service division, the precursor to United Plumbing’s current business focus. Today, United Plumbing has nearly 40 employees and offers a variety of exterior and interior plumbing services including: leak detection, drain cleaning, septic system installation and service, hydrojetting, sewer service and repairs, water heaters, faucet and pipe leak repairs, and sump pumps.

“Cultural fit, quality of service and customer experience are the three most important attributes we evaluate when considering new acquisitions,” commented Rob DiPietro, Continued on Page 5

Las Vegas Thursday, April 7, 2022

Continued on Page 5

Enersponse Partners with Samsung SmartThings

Enersponse, a distributed energy resource (DER) management provider, announced its partnership with Samsung SmartThings, the premier technology enabling connected living and driving the future of IoT. The partnership will provide users with access to a portfolio of utility integrations and grid service programs via SmartThings Energy, a popular service within the SmartThings app. In addition, SmartThings users will be able to connect their utility account with Enersponse and automate their smart home devices, including thermostats, hot water heaters and EV chargers, and throttle energy usage in response to real-time factors like grid emergencies, extreme weather, system outages and energy pricing fluctuations.

Enersponse is focused on helping customers save money and meet environmental sustainability objectives by optimizing their energy usage when it matters most, with the added benefit of helping power suppliers support grid stabilization and reduce reliance on fossil fuel-powered plants. The partnership with SmartThings Energy extends Enersponse’s availability beyond its current B2B market footprint—which has been heavily focused on national retailers, office buildings, grocery stores, water districts and multifamily residential buildings—and into the B2C residential market, making Enersponse’s technology accessible to residential dwellings with smart-home enabled devices.

“Our team is focused on driving sustainability for a cleaner tomorrow and partnering with a forward-thinking and like-minded company like SmartThings is a massive step forward, enabling residential energy users to play a much more active role in the journey towards energy decarbonization,” said James McPhail, chief executive officer and founder of Enersponse. “Supporting our mission of simplifying grid service program participation and making it accessible to all, SmartThings Energy enables Continued on Page 5

4

Thursday, April 7, 2022

Evaluation Reports – A Powerful Tool

By Jennifer Chen, Marketing Coordinator, ICC Evaluation Service

Rigorous product evaluation by an independent third party is key to building safety. Product evaluation reports are a powerful tool that design professionals and building officials can use to improve efficiency of their practice. The evaluation process exists for a reason: to support the safe installation and use of building products. There is a minimum criteria set forth in the building codes and for those products that meet or exceed these requirements, an evaluation report showing proof of compliance may be issued.

ICC Evaluation Service (ICC-ES) evaluation reports help manufacturers bring their innovative technologies to market with independent proof that their products meet the latest building code requirements and standards.

The Evaluation Process The product evaluation process starts with an independent, rigorous review of test reports, drawing and other pertinent information to examine compliance to industry standards and codes. Qualifying inspections of the manufacturing locations are also conducted, and an evaluation report is then issued to the building

product manufacturer. The evaluation report authorizes the manufacturer to apply the service provider’s mark of conformity to their product as proof of code compliance.

Throughout the life of an evaluation report, continuous compliance inspections are periodically conducted to ensure that no unauthorized changes have occurred in the manufacturing process and that the product has not varied from what was originally evaluated.

Benefits of Evaluation The greatest benefit of an evaluation report from a trusted source, such as ICC-ES, is proof of compliance of the product to the set code and normative documents. Specifiers and architects, code officials and inspectors can sleep well at night knowing that the products evaluated by ICC-ES have been reviewed by an experienced engineer, through a rigorous process. Code officials and inspectors readily approve products for installation after they see an ICC Evaluation Service report.

For manufacturers, the accomplishment of product evaluation adds a level of quality and customer assurance in one’s capabilities and products. For authorities having jurisdiction, evaluations completed by independent technical assessment

Zoeller’s Expanded Line of Battery Backups Too often, a battery backup sump pump system is installed and then forgotten – left dormant and neglected in the basement sump pit. But the expectation is that this crucial equipment works flawlessly years later to save the basement from flooding because of power outage, equipment failure and high-volume inrush.

However, the chances of saving your basement carpet, drywall and other property are greatly enhanced if the battery backup system isn’t left dormant and silent! A self-testing system with diagnostic and supervisory abilities is crucial for long-term protection. Even better, a self-testing system that is connected to

the cloud will be able to inform the owner of any important information and allow remote access and control.

Protect your home with systems from Zoeller’s Aquanot® line.

The Aquanot Spin 508 is the new standard model in the industry’s most comprehensive line of battery backups.

The Spin offers high-performance pumping, long lasting protection on DC power, a heavy duty mechanical operational switch and most importantly, self-testing technology that helps ensure that all system components are always ready.

The Aquanot Fit 508 battery backup system is another option in the expanded

Utah Opens New Doors of Opportunity to Steves & Sons The Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity announced that Steves & Sons, Inc. will expand its door manufacturing operations with a new Utah location, bringing more than 200 jobs with more than 137 being classified as new, high-paying jobs in the next five years.

Steves & Sons is a door manufacturer and operates interior and exterior door plants throughout the United States.

Since 1866, the Steves family has been involved in the company. Steves & Sons continues its commitment to quality, craftsmanship, and style six generations later. The Steves family founded the company on conservative growth and environmental responsibility principles.

Today, Steves & Sons has multiple manufacturing sites in four other states. With this 160,000 square-foot facility in Brigham City, Utah, this facility further strengthens Steves & Sons' ability to serve its customers more efficiently.

“Brigham City was selected due to the availability of a quality workforce and its geographic location to better service our customers,” said Tres Steves, Steves & Sons Vice President. “Steves & Sons has made a significant commitment in being a state-of-the-art, high volume residential interior molded door manufacturer at all of our plants, and our new Utah facility is scheduled to begin operation later this year.”

"The door-manufacturing business

Hardware & Housewares Review bodies are the best tool available to clear products for installation with ease of mind.

About ICC-ES A nonprofit, limited liability company, ICC-ES is the leading evaluation service for innovative building materials, components and systems. ICC-ES Evaluation Reports (ESRs), Building Product Listings and PMG Listings provide evidence that products and systems meet requirements of codes and technical standards worldwide. The ICC-ES Environmental Programs issue VAR environmental reports that verify a product meets specific sustainability targets defined by today’s codes, standards, green rating systems and ICC-ES environmental criteria. Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) meet global market demand for sciencebased, transparent, quality-assured information about a product’s environmental performance. ICC-ES is a subsidiary of the International Code Council® (ICC®).

For more information, visit www.icces.org, call 800.423.6587.

line of Aquanot backups. The Fit has all the functionality of the Spin and more!

Also included is a more powerful charger, and a high-water sensor to provide additional alarms, float logic and redundant pump run. But what really sets the Aquanot Fit apart from any other system is its built-in Wi-Fi connectivity to Zoeller’s amazing Z Control® Cloud, which allows users to receive alerts and remotely connect to the system to test, silence and configure. Z Control is free to use, including text, email and push notifications.

Founded in 1939 and headquartered

has changed dramatically in recent years, and our business has grown by leaps and bounds,” said Scott Lovett, Vice President of Operations at Steves & Sons. “With the opening of this new plant and equipment we have ready to install, we will be at the forefront of the industry technologically, enabling us to handle even greater production levels while remaining true to our high standards of quality, craftsmanship, and environmental responsibility."

About Steves & Sons Since 1866 the Steves family has always been involved in the company. Today, six generations later, all actively involved in the business, Steves & Sons continues its commitment to quality, craftsmanship and style. The Steves family founded the company on the principles of conservative growth and environmental responsibility. That hallmark remains today in

AN INDEPENDENT PUBLICATION NOT AFFILIATED WITH NHS Kimberly Oser Publisher Anthony Socci Vice President of Sales Yasmine Brown Production Manager/Art Director AJ Flick Senior Editor Jeanie Catron Associate Editor Heather Albrecht Customer Service Marcos Morhaim Senior Account Manager Tara Neal Director of Operations Iszac Saetieo Show Logistics & Distribution Enrico Cecchi European Sales Hardware & Housewares Review is published by Oser Communications Group ©2022 All rights reserved.

Executive and editorial offices at: 1877 N. Kolb Road, Tucson, AZ 85715 520.721.1300/Fax: 520.721.6300 European offices located at Lungarno Benvenuto Cellini, 11, 50125 Florence, Italy www.osercommunicationsgroup.com

Lee M. Oser Founder

in Louisville, Kentucky, Zoeller Company is one of the oldest independently owned professional pump manufacturers in North America. Since that time, Zoeller has established itself as a leader in pump equipment and technology, producing durable long-lasting products that customers can rely on. Zoeller offers a broad range of pumps and package systems for both wastewater and potable water applications. Over the years, the company has expanded to new locations continually offering new and diverse products to meet the needs of the industry today.

For more information, call 800.928.7867 or go to www.zoellerpumps.com.

every product Steves & Sons manufactures. From incorporating recycled materials, to making products that can conceivably last as long as the application, the Steves family is proud to build on the tradition of environmental respect and responsibility. As an American family success story, Steves & Sons will continue to offer quality and service at a fair price for generations to come.

Steves headquarters is in San Antonio, with interior and exterior door plants in San Antonio, and interior door plant locations in Lebanon, Tennessee and Richmond, Virginia. Today Steves employs over 1,300 team members. With unmatched quality at an outstanding value, Steves and Sons continues to build its business and reputation among builders and homeowners across the country with continued emphasis on quality materials, new technology and efficient distribution.

Thursday, April 7, 2022

Hardware & Housewares Review

HomeServe Acquires Louisville Based United Plumbing Company HomeServe USA, a leading provider of service plans, repair, and installation services for the home, announced the acquisition of United Plumbing Company. Based in Goshen, Kentucky, a suburb of Louisville, the residential plumbing company has been providing top quality plumbing services in the area for several decades.

The relationship between United Plumbing and HomeServe is not a new one. United Plumbing has been a longstanding contractor in the HomeServe network for 14 years and has won numerous accolades and awards throughout the Rugs Direct (Cont’d. from p. 1)

how well the companies were aligned culturally. Both have a passion for good design, a commitment to getting it right for the customer, and understand the importance of working together as a team. I am looking forward to thoughtfully integrating these two companies to take our categoryJoneca Company (Cont’d. from p. 1)

TD: All Joneca and American Standard Elite disposers come with stainless steel grinding elements. No one else makes such an offer. Stainless steel, unlike galvanized steel, works better with water.

Using galvanized steel from other suppliers could result in corrosion over time.

All Joneca and American Standard Elite disposers feature a Lifetime Guarantee against failure due to corrosion. No one else makes such an offer.

All Joneca and American Standard Elite disposers run on a Permanent Magnet

Belgard (Cont’d. from p. 1)

President, HomeServe Skilled Trades.

“United Plumbing embodies those attributes at the highest level, and we’re excited about the growth prospects and opportunities to come from this expansion of our partnership. We’re also excited to enter the Louisville market, a key strategic market for Enersponse (Cont’d. from p. 1)

homeowners to make smarter decisions about their energy consumption when it matters most.”

Historically, utilities issue flex alerts and expect end-users to manually power down if they want to save money. Using Enersponse’s intelligent automation platform allows users to program their response and take control of their power bill. Users can pre-set their schedules with preferences for how much they are willing to shift their energy usage. These changes can be aggressive or nearly imperceptible—for example, reducing smart thermostat settings by two degrees when grid demand surges or delaying a dishwasher cycle until after peak hours or during increased time-of-use (TOU) rates.

The latest SmartThings Energy app, which was recently showcased at CES,

years, including the prestigious Diamond Award, awarded annually to HomeServe’s top contractor.

United Plumbing is led by Christopher Montgomery, a veteran of the United States Marine Corps and sole owner of the business since 2012. While Chris has been in the plumbing trade for almost three decades, the Montgomery family’s legacy in the plumbing business can be traced back to the late 1930s when Sam Montgomery, Sr., Chris’ grandfather, began his career as a plumber, eventually starting his own plumbing company in the mid-1940s, which he ran until focused brand-positioning to the next level.”

Myles Felsing will be CEO of the combined company and Ken Vick will serve as Executive Vice President, Sales.

About Rugs Direct Since 1998, Rugs Direct been a market-leading specialty online retailer of Motor and coupled with the Torque Master Grinding System, offer higher torque than some other brands to ensure fewer jams.

All Joneca disposers operate from 2400 to 2800 rpms versus some others at 1,725 rpms. Bio Shield Antimicrobial Protection is provided in all disposers to help eliminate bacteria caused odors.

HHR: Tell our readers about your Instant Hot Water dispenser product.

TD: We offer the ASH-210 and the ASH-410-D. The ASH-210 has a thermostat providing up to 200º F of hot HomeServe, and a city with a rich history and legendary traditions like the Kentucky Derby. With United Plumbing, we feel we have the right horse for the race.”

Chris Montgomery, United’s former owner and newly appointed General Manager, reflected on the acquisition: “Deciding to sell your business is never an easy decision. United Plumbing has

allows users to: • Link their utility account through the SmartThings Energy app by adding Enersponse as a “device” and subsequently automating their smart home settings to better control energy usage.

• Create automations to shift energy usage of appliances such as thermostats, air-conditioners, dishwashers, washer/ dryers, refrigerators or EV chargers when energy demand and prices are elevated and revert to normal settings when power grid demand events end.

• Receive demand response notifications directly through the SmartThings app to adjust home energy usage behaviors beyond what’s been set up within the user’s customized pre-set automations.

• Access power consumption reports from their connected smart meter, helping to better understand their energy usage on a monthly, weekly and daily basis.

5

his retirement in the mid-1980s. In 1984, Chris’ father and brother, Sam Montgomery, Jr. and Sam Montgomery, III, respectively, started United Plumbing.

Chris Montgomery joined the family business in the mid-1990s, became an owner in 1999, and soon thereafter started the Company’s service division, the precursor to United Plumbing’s current business focus. Today, United Plumbing has nearly 40 employees and offers a variety of exterior and interior plumbing services including: leak detection, drain cleaning, septic system installation and service, hydrojetting, sewer service and repairs, water heaters, faucet and pipe leak repairs, and sump pumps.

Chris Montgomery, United’s former owner and newly appointed General

Manager, reflected on the acquisition: “Deciding to sell your business is never an easy decision. United Plumbing has been good to me, my family, and my extended family, which is my employees.

I feel blessed. But I knew that if I wanted to take United to the next level, I wanted to have the right partner. HomeServe has been a tremendous partner and this decision is a testament to that relationship. I am excited for this next chapter as part of HomeServe.”

Leading plumbing, HVAC and electrical companies interested in growing or transitioning their business, now or in the future, should visit www.homeserve transition.com to learn more. Business owners also can contact Rob DiPietro, President, HomeServe Skilled Trades LLC, at Rob.Dipietro@HomeServeUSA.com.

water, by way of a point-of-use faucet.

The tank holds 2.5 quarts of water and a 1300-watt heating element. The ASH410-D offers a digital display allowing you to regulate the temperature up to 208º F, up or down, 1º at a time. The tank holds 2.4 quarts of water and a 1500-watt heating element.

We believe we are the only supplier in the market to offer all our products with stainless steel, rather than copper parts, that come in contact with water. Water and stainless steel “get along better”!

coming year from Joneca?

HHR: What can we expect to see in the

For more information, go to www.joneca.com, call 714.231.4189 or email tom@joneca.com.

been good to me, my family, and my extended family, which is my employees.

I feel blessed. But I knew that if I wanted to take United to the next level, I wanted to have the right partner. HomeServe has been a tremendous partner and this decision is a testament to that relationship. I am excited for this next chapter as part of HomeServe.”

Leading plumbing, HVAC and electrical companies interested in growing or transitioning their business, now or in the future, should visit www.homeservetransition.com to learn more. Business owners also can contact Rob DiPietro, President, HomeServe Skilled Trades LLC, at Rob.Dipietro@HomeServeUSA.com.

decorative area rugs for consumers, professional designers, and commercial customers throughout the U.S. and Canada. The company partners with premium manufacturers including Chilewich, Jaipur Living, Loloi, Safavieh and Surya to offer a curated assortment of products on www.rugsdirect.com that prioritizes quality construction, materials, and design.

About Enersponse Enersponse is an energy resource management platform that works with power providers across the country to aggregate their distributed energy resource (DER) and rebate programs and with energyusing clients across the U.S. to maximize financial incentives by automating load reduction responses. This process helps providers maintain a stable grid and saves customers money, earns them passive income through rebates from their energy providers and helps them meet corporate social responsibility objectives.

Enersponse’s intelligent automation-powered distributed energy resource platform is connected to hundreds of power generators across North America, all dispatchable to customers’ existing control systems. The company’s advanced technology keeps track of what’s happening down to a micro-locational level—even for large enterprises with facilities distributed

Rugs Direct provides its users easy ways to shop for the perfect area rug, including a ‘see this rug in your room’ interactive feature and a ‘design finder’ quiz.

Rugs Direct is backed by L2 Capital Partners, a private equity firm that specializes in making equity investments in a diverse group of lower-middle-market businesses.

TD: We are always striving to offer the highest quality product, with the most features, at a competitive price. Believe it or not, we are testing ways to keep you from standing in front of the disposer while it is working and more time with family and friends. We just introduced units across the line up that are lighter in weight, offer a smaller footprint, resulting in a more eco-friendly product.

across multiple power grid providers— monitoring weather patterns, system outages and energy pricing fluctuations and synching this data with pre-set client preferences to intelligently adjust in real-time without the need for human intervention.

This means less stress on internal resources and an automated one-stop-shop solution for consolidating all available energy conservation programs to maximize cost savings—ultimately paying customers and their controls companies to save energy. Enersponse received a Bronze Stevie Award in Energy Innovation of the Year in 2019, Company of the Year in Energy in the 2020 International Business Awards and most recently was awarded a Gold Stevie Award for Company of the Year in Energy in 2021.

Learn more about Enersponse at www.enersponse.com or follow via social media at @Enerpsonse.