General Tools is proud to have been awarded two Gold Medals and one Silver Medal in the first ever NRHA Packaging & Merchandising Awards.  General received the Gold for the Seeker 300 Video Borescope and UltraTech Power Precision Screwdriver, while also picking up a Silver for the EZ Pro Dovetail Jig.  Here's a little information on the award:

"The North American Retail Hardware Association (NRHA) is proud to announce the results of the first‐ever NRHA Packaging and Merchandising Awards Program. Over 115 manufacturers throughout the United States and Canada submitted their best packaging and merchandising/pointof‐ purchase display materials in hopes of receiving recognition as one of the best in the industry. To determine the winners, NRHA invited seven expert judges to contribute their experience and knowledge to the program, including home improvement retailers, wholesaler buyers, packaging design experts and a packaging production expert. After convening at NRHA’s Indianapolis headquarters last month to thoroughly review and critique each entry, judges’ scores were tallied and winners were selected.

Three special awards were presented to entries that exemplified the highest standards of packaging and merchandising excellence. The highest ranking entry in both the packaging and merchandising categories were honored with the “Whole Package” award. Additionally, the Environmental Packaging of‐the‐Year Award was given to the packaging entry that displayed the greatest advancements in “green” initiatives, such as sustainability and waste elimination.

Entries that demonstrated a superior level of packaging or merchandising excellence in the program were named Gold Award Winners. In total, 39 Gold Awards were named. Silver Award Winners were those entries that demonstrated above average packaging and merchandising efforts. Thirty‐six total Silver Awards were granted. All other entries received an Honorable Mention distinction."

Our good friend and coworker, Burt Weinstein, was recently featured for his many inventions in this month's Tools of the Trade magazine.  Burt is the guiding light behind many of General's great wood joining tools, including our Dovetail Jig and Pocket Hole Jig Kit, among others. 

"Tradesmen are problem-solvers. We all have "Aha!" moments – those instants of clarity and understanding when you see the solution to your problem, right in front of you. Burt Weinstein has made a career of such moments."

 Click here to read the full article.