TOLL-FREE 800-813-5221 Clean Machine™ Scraper Mat Commercial Scraper Mats Sure Base™ Industrial Matting 6000™ Concrete Texturizer Specialty Rolls Poultry Pads Nature Products Drainage Solutions Landscape & Specialty Applications Inspired by Nature... Again! GrassWorx® introduces new Scraper-Mat category based upon the beauty "and" function seen in Nature. Carey Widder, President, GrassWorx®, discusses the inspiration and development of a new generation of door mats with the editors of Kitchenware News Show Daily, prior to the 2018 International Housewares Show. KNSD: Carey, nature and inspiration are pretty near and dear to your heart, aren't they? CW: Oh yes! As you may recall, about a decade ago we acquired the AstroTurf® Scraper Mat division from Monsanto. Fittingly renaming the company GrassWorx®, we also had some insight into what would drive us into the next phase of our 50 year old brand. How do we stay relevant in a constantly changing market? KNSD: I get that. As we walk the aisles of the Housewares show, we constantly see innovation. It's a hallmark of our industry. But you guys still own one of the most innovative doormats ever made. Your patented construction and cleaning capability still make such a difference. CW: Maybe I can answer that with the tagline (mantra) for GrassWorx®... "Inspired by nature, changing lives™". When we looked at our business model, our ability to mimic the cleaning capabilities of grass (inspired by nature) has improved lives with over 50 million doormats sold. KNSD: I love that positioning; so what did nature do to inspire you this time? CW: For several years we have been perfecting the use of decorative recycled rubber borders around our scraper designed grass. Two years ago we introduced a new variegated coloring technology to again mimic the color facets in grass. Product designers have known for years the eye is more attracted to a design that relates to nature. It's one of the vicarious benefits at retail of our AstroTurf® KNSD: Sooo, what does all this backdrop mean? CW: We've developed a printed material that can create both visual and functional benefits. This medium gives us the ability to create many natural looks found in nature. During this year's Housewares Show, we are introducing our Pavestones Collection. Designs that will be pleasing to the eye, yet functional. KNSD: How so? CW: First, it's easy to see the beauty in our design. Add to that design our natural looking grass and we embellish the visual connection at point of sale and on the door step. Recall, a doormat is the tone-setter for the entire home. While developing a new border treatment, we found a printed fabric material that will also "dry" the shoe bottoms. A real win/win product! KNSD: But if it's raining, how does that work? CW: It's a feature that works best in protected areas like under covered entrances, garages etc. If it's a dry day but you walk on a wet lawn etc., it becomes an added feature. The objective of this material was to provide a printed medium that will add visual value to our highly functional scraper mat with a secondary end-use benefit. When consumers rank door mat attributes by importance, cleaning and appearance are in the top three reasons for a purchase. Drying capability is also in the top ten. Our roots are based in research and development. KNSD: And, inspiration from nature. I get it. CW: Yes, you definitely got it! Drop by our Booth or download our 2018 "Whole House Collection" Catalog and we'll share our new line-up of stylish, functional, American-manufactured doormats. For over 50 years our made in the USA AstroTurf® process has shipped over 50 million mats, keeping tons of dirt outside homes and earning a special place in the American landscape. © 2021 GrassWorx, LLC All rights reserved 2381 Centerline Industrial Dr, St Louis, MO 63146 800-813-5221 AstroTurf ® is a registered trademark of Textile Management Associates, Inc and used under license. Clean Machine™ is a trademark of GrassWorx, LLC