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DirectBuy of Waterloo fundraiser raises more than $5,000 to the Canadian Red Cross in support of Haiti relief efforts

WATERLOO, ONTARIO…

DirectBuy of Waterloo, the leading home improvement and furnishings club with direct insider prices, recently donated more than $5,000 to the Canadian Red Cross’ Haiti relief efforts with help from the Canadian government.  

Inspired by donations and relief efforts from around the world, the club owners and staff set up an all-day “Help Us, Help Haiti” fundraiser where a portion of every member purchase, as well as any additional member donations, were collected to help those affected by the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12, 2010.

DirectBuy of Waterloo offers consumers thousands of items, including kitchen cabinets, flat-screen televisions and major appliances from more than 500 top manufacturers or their authorized suppliers. With more than 160 clubs throughout Canada and the United States, DirectBuy Club allows members to purchase merchandise at direct insider prices, bypassing traditional retail mark-up.

To promote the fundraiser, DirectBuy of Waterloo encouraged all club members to visit the club on Saturday, January 16, 2010, to place an order. Interest from members was greater than expected and many Waterloo members made an extra effort to stop in the club that day to place orders and support the cause. In fact, due to the high number of orders placed, the club was open well past closing time to meet member demand.

In less than eight hours, the club raised nearly $3,000. With the Canadian government’s promise to match all charitable donations made in support of Haiti relief, the final tally on the day of the fundraiser reached $5,665.70.

“I’m so proud of what we were able to accomplish in just a few days. At DirectBuy, we’re in the business of helping families live and buy better – so to be able to expand on our company’s mission and help on a much larger scale was even more fulfilling,” said Service Manager Erin Budd. “And we couldn’t have done it without the help of all of our wonderful members who showed incredible support for the cause. We’re so proud of our members and we hope our contribution makes a difference!”

About DirectBuy Club

For more than 38 years, DirectBuy Club has been showing thousands of consumers unparalleled ways to save as they shop for virtually everything for in and around their homes – from furnishings, home improvement and flooring, to entertainment and outdoor products, accessories and much, much more. With more than 160 locations in North America, DirectBuy Club offers its members access to more than 500 brand-name manufacturers or authorized suppliers in Canada, and approximately 700 brand-name manufacturers or their authorized suppliers in the US. .

In addition to saving its members thousands of dollars, DirectBuy Clubs are active contributors to the communities they serve and have been known to contribute to disaster relief operations. Among the many non-profit and community programs DirectBuy Club franchises across Canada and the United States support are local Boys & Girls Clubs, Habitat for Humanity, the United Way, and various Children’s Hospitals.

Consumers interested in seeing DirectBuy Club’s savings, service and selection up close may obtain a Visitor’s Pass to attend an Open House by visiting www.directbuy.com or www.getdirectbuy.com.

A toast to maple! March is Maple Month and Cabin Fever helps

March is Maple Month and Cabin Fever, a new 80-proof maple whiskey, is celebrating by sharing its many unique recipes with maple lovers.

What could be more New England than a maple whiskey created in the backyard garage?  The spirit was recently developed, over many a family tasting, by brothers Rob and John Robillard, residents of Chester, New Hampshire and Norton, Massachusetts respectively.  Their wives, Julie and Melissa, also lent a hand and taste buds to the effort.

Recipes range from tasty beverages like Uncle Bob’s Cabin Fever to fine food entrees such as Cabin Fever Maple Brined Pork can be found at the independently-owned company’s website www.CabinFeverSpirits.com.

“I came upon the idea of a maple spirit by traveling extensively outside the U.S. I noticed that every region I visited had a special fruit or plant that was distilled and made into a spirit,” noted Rob Robillard. “They all seemed very proud of their regional spirit. In Mexico they distill tequila from agave. The French are just as proud of their cognac. Scotch is from Scotland. In Iceland, they distill from a type of moss that grows there. It tastes awful. I thought a maple spirit would be more pleasing than this moss stuff.”

Robillard concluded, “It’s turning a hobby into a full-time thing,” he said of his new career. “I tried to create a spirit we New Englanders could be proud of — not just another trendy flavored vodka.”

Having performed well in package store and barroom tests, Cabin Fever is now available in more than 100 locations throughout Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont and Tennessee, the spirits capital of the U.S.

The proof is in the tasting and at the cash register. At the most recent Whiskey A-Go-Go held annually at Juio’s Liquors in Westboro, Mass., Cabin Fever far outsold the other 150 brown spirit brands were sampled by the more than 850 participants.

Chilled filtered so it is not too sweet, Cabin Fever’s taste is a harmony of oak and maple at the forefront with hints of caramel and butterscotch. It benefits from traditional craftsmanship, such as 100 percent Vermont maple syrup, three-year barrel aging and devotion for extremely high quality.

According to Robillard, it took almost a year to get the engineering done and create a “robust product”.

The process of engineering a new spirit was not as smooth as the taste of the end product. In addition to traveling to Europe, Robillard visited locally renowned distilleries in the area. He also took distilling classes and has studied the subject for four years.  His wife Melissa is the acting CFO and performs all the compliance and tax functions.

“A lot of work has to be done before it can be bottled,” he said.  “Most people like maple and appreciate the fact it’s made with real maple,” said Robillard. “The trick was to keep the maple flavor without making it too sweet. Lots of effort went into striking the right balance. We even considered calling it ‘Cabin Fever Maple Spice.'”

Cabin Fever is produced and bottled in United States. But Robillard still conducts all his research and development in his backyard garage.

To sample recipes, find upcoming product tastings locations and date, and for more information, please visit www.CabinFeverSpirits.com.

A date with a 10! DirectBuy of Colorado Springs celebrates 10 years in business.

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO…

For ten years, DirectBuy Club has been offering consumers in the greater Colorado Springs area a brand new way to save on home improvement projects, furnishings and accessories.

The leading home improvement and furnishings club with direct insider prices, DirectBuy of Colorado Springs offers products ranging from light fixtures to televisions to kitchen cabinets, from more than 700 manufacturers or their authorized suppliers at direct insider prices.

“What’s most gratifying about our 10th anniversary is how we’ve been able to grow the business over that time in terms of the number of our members and the number of manufacturers who want to sell their products through DirectBuy,” said Donnell Britton, owner of DirectBuy of Colorado Springs. “We’ve literally saved Colorado Springs residents thousands upon thousands of dollars and that’s something we’re tremendously proud of.”

In addition to tremendous savings on home furnishings, home improvement items, entertainment and outdoor products, flooring, and accessories, DirectBuy Club also offers design and delivery services to its members, as well as a listing of local contractors who offer installation services many times at a discounted rate.

Since 2000, DirectBuy of Colorado Springs has helped consumers enjoy enormous savings on home furnishings, home improvement items, entertainment and outdoor products, flooring and accessories, by providing an avenue to purchase directly from the manufacturers and their authorized suppliers. Conveniently located at 680 West Garden of the Gods Road in Colorado Springs, DirectBuy Club offers consumers a comfortable setting where they finally have the financial control of buying direct.

About DirectBuy Club

For more than 38 years, DirectBuy Club has been showing thousands of consumers unparalleled ways to save as they shop for virtually everything for in and around their homes – from furnishings, home improvement and flooring, to entertainment and outdoor products, accessories and much, much more. With more than 160 locations in North America, DirectBuy Club offers its members access to approximately 700 brand-name manufacturers or their authorized suppliers in the US, and more than 500 brand-name manufacturers or their authorized suppliers in Canada.

Consumers interested in seeing DirectBuy Club’s savings, service, and selection up close may obtain a Visitor’s Pass to attend an Open House by visiting www.directbuy.com or www.directbuycares.com.

Lori Skinner, RN joins South Shore Skin Center dermatology of Plymouth & Cohasset

Lori Skinner, RN, a resident of Marshfield, MA, has recently joined South Shore Skin Center of Plymouth and Cohasset as Cosmetic Nurse Specialist. In her new role as Cosmetic Nurse Specialist, Ms Skinner will provide Gentle YAG, VBeam, VBeam Perfecta and Alexandrite laser treatments for spider veins, brown spots and tattoo removal, as well as XTRAC Velocity and Excimer laser for vitiligo and psoriasis treatment to South Shore Skin Center patients in the Cohasset and Plymouth dermatology offices.

Ms Skinner’s extensive nursing experiences include working in cosmetic dentistry, psychiatry, private practice and hospital nursing management.

Ms Skinner holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Curry College in Milton.　 Her ongoing continuing education includes Botox and Juvaderm training　with Aesthetic Advancement and Postgraduate Institute of Medicine. She is a member　of the Dermatology Nurses Association and regularly attends cosmetic dermatology conferences.　 She is also a member of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery and has received training through workshops and courses conducted by the organization.　 Ms Skinner has also received formal laser training from South Shore Skin Center’s founder Dr Richard Eisen, who is a nationally recognized expert in laser therapy.　 Additionally, she holds an esthetics license.

Although a native of Maine, Ms Skinner has lived internationally.　 For more than 20 years, she was very heavily involved in philanthropy, spousal support groups and spearheaded many scholarship and fundraising events in the diverse military communities in which she lived. Shortly after 9/11 she commuted between MA and Arlington, VA working with patients with PTSD.　 Most recently she volunteered her nursing services with an international maxiofacial reconstruction team in Tunisia. Ms Skinner is presently on the Board of Directors for the Children’s Melanoma Prevention Foundation.

South Shore Skin Center

South Shore Skin Center is one of Massachusetts’ most progressive dermatology practices offering a wide range of medical, surgical and cosmetic services.　

South Shore Skin Center’s cosmetic services include Fraxel re:pair and re:store; Gentle YAG, innovative Laser, IPL (Intensive Pulse Light), Thermage and treatments for age spots, acne scarring, birth marks, tattoos and more.　 The practice also offers a full range of affordable anti-aging services including Botox, Radiesse, Sculptra and other wrinkle fillers, Microdermabrasion, laser skin resurfacing and chemical peels.  Anti-Aging and Cosmetic treatments are both safer and more effective when administered at a physician’s office such as South Shore Skin Center and Spa.

South Shore Skin Center offices are located at 223 Chief Justice Cushing Highway, Suite 202 in Cohasset, Mass. (781) 383-3340, and One Scobee Circle, Suite 3 in Plymouth, Mass., (508) 747-0711. For more information, visit the website at

www.southshoreskincenter.com.

Easy-to-be-green home improvement projects

MERRILLVILLE, IN…

For many homeowners, there’s a misconception that “greening” or improving the energy efficiency of your home takes a lot of another kind of green – money. In reality, there are a number of do-it-yourself home improvement projects homeowners can undertake that do not require much of a financial commitment or advanced technical skills.

“One of the more obvious ways to improve the energy efficiency of your home is to replace older appliances and heating units with ENERGY STAR products. Even with tax credits and rebates that are presently available, that’s not financially feasible for a number of households,” said Mike Georgeff, of DirectBuy. “Starting small with some low cost, do-it-yourself projects is a great way to make your home run greener and reduce your utility costs as well.”

Some green, do-it-yourself projects that a novice handyman can undertake include:

·         Insulating hot water pipes – A lot of heat and energy is lost through your hot water systems. The pipes disperse heat pretty quickly, so even if the water in the heater is warm, the water left in the pipes is not. This means you need to run the water for several minutes before hot water flows through the pipes. This wastes water and causes you to heat more water when it’s probably not necessary. For around $100, you can insulate your pipes with either rubber or polyethylene foam. This minimizes the cool-down time on your hot water pipes. Consequently, you save water by not having to let it run as long and energy because your hot water heater isn’t working as hard.

·         Insulating your water heater – Following the same concept as heating your hot water pipes, by putting an insulating jacket on your hot water heater you can lessen heat loss by up to 40 percent.

·         Install a programmable thermostat – By programming your heating system to lower temperatures or turning it off completely when you’re at work during the day, you can save up to 15 percent on your heating bill.

·         Install a ceiling fan – Not only can this help lessen air conditioning use during the warmer parts of the year, but reversing the direction of the fan can actually help you re-circulate the heat during the cooler times of the year.

·         Planting trees – Believe it or not, by strategically planting shade trees around your home, you can save considerably on your energy bills by reducing your air conditioning costs during summer. In fact, the U.S. Department of Energy found that by planting as few as three trees in the right locations can save an average household between $100 and $250 in energy costs per year.

·         Weather-strip your windows – If replacing your current windows with double- or triple-pane windows is too costly, you can improve your home’s energy efficiency by adding weather stripping to windows where air is coming through. Doors and electrical outlets are a few other areas where weather stripping can also provide more than a stopgap measure.

“These are just a few ways a homeowner can improve the energy efficiency of their home without a huge financial commitment and without having to be an expert on home improvement. You just have to be able to follow instructions,” said Georgeff. “By taking these small steps you can improve your home’s energy efficiency and put the savings toward upgrading appliances and other household necessities with ENERGY STAR products down the road.”

DirectBuy Club offers many products to improve the energy efficiency of your home—all at direct insider prices. In addition, DirectBuy also employs product specialists and designers, so if you need some assistance in selecting products or taking on a home improvement project, you have seasoned professionals at your service.

For more information on a DirectBuy Club membership, you can visit http://www.directbuycares.com.

About DirectBuy Club

For more than 38 years, DirectBuy Club has been showing thousands of consumers unparalleled ways to save as they shop for virtually everything for in and around their homes – from furnishings, home improvement and flooring, to entertainment and outdoor products, accessories and much, much more. With more than 160 locations in North America, DirectBuy Club offers its members access to more than 700 brand-name manufacturers or their authorized suppliers in the US, and more than 500 brand-name manufacturers or their authorized suppliers in Canada.

Consumers interested in seeing DirectBuy Club’s savings, service and selection up close may obtain a Visitor’s Pass to attend an Open House by visiting www.directbuy.com or www.directbuycares.com.

Advanced TrimWright, Inc. Announces New Strategy – Selling Direct to Dealers

Advanced TrimWright, Inc. (ATW) a leading fabricator of PVC products and adhesives based in Taunton has announced that they will begin selling their ATW PVC Trim and Millwork products as well as Lawn and Garden Products and the full line of Bond&Fill PVC Adhesives and Sealants direct to dealers.


In a bold strategic move that eliminates complicated distribution arrangements, ATW recently announced their split from Brockway-Smith Company of Andover, a wholesale distributor of millwork products. ATW is now positioned to bring the lowest factory-direct pricing and streamlined, efficient service directly to dealers.


Committed to providing the highest quality products and service to dealers, ATW’s change in strategy to control distribution means that dealers will have a more efficient and effective relationship with ATW which translates to lower prices and improved communication, including the ability to obtain custom quote details, check order status; make inventory inquiries and check on delivery dates.


“We’ll be able to provide dealers with a much better value. This is win-win for ATW and our dealer clients,” explained Daniel Andrade, president of Advanced TrimWright, Inc.


Dealers looking to buy direct from ATW should open a commercial account. For more information, contact ATW Customer Service at 877-822-7745 or email sales@atwtrim.com.

 

About the Company

Founded in 2003, Advanced TrimWright, Inc. (ATW) creates exterior trim products and accessories that stand up to the ravages of sea, salt, and wind. All ATW products are manufactured in the USA and combine traditional old-world craftsmanship with 21st Century innovations to create superior products from 100% ATW PVC TrimBOARD, which is impervious to moisture and insects, yet looks and feels like real wood.


Bond&Fill, LLC, the sister company of ATW and the #1 brand recommended by PVC trim board manufacturers, provides a superior line of adhesives and sealants specially formulated to bond, fill and repair exterior or interior PVC trim, vinyl, and aluminum products. Through their commitment to research, design, and innovation, Bond&Fill, LLC continues to expand its high performance product line which includes: Bond&Fill STRUCTURAL, Bond&Fill FLEX, Bond&Fill FOR PAINTERS, Bond&Fill Claw Gripping Biscuits and the powerful PVC Trim Cleaner.


ATW / Bond&Fill, LLC is located in East Taunton, MA. Their headquarters is comprised of a 40,000 square foot plant and a 3,000 square foot executive office space and showroom.


For more information about ATW / Bond&Fill Inc., call 508-822-7745 or visit their websites at advancedtrimwright.com and bondfill.com.