Incentive - October 2009 - (Page 85)

AWARDS Power & Hand Tools: Workmanlike Advancement Redemption of handyman gear has continued steadily during the recession By William Ng T he recession-driven nesting trend has continued to keep incentive redemption of power and hand tools robust. And as the holiday season approaches, incentive planners and program participants are expected to continue sourcing such equipment and accessories. “Our market research shows that 50 to 70 percent of our tool sales are gifts, so the fourth quarter is big for us— retail and corporate,” says Matt Kentner, national sales manager of corporate markets for Leatherman Tool Group, which makes full-size, pocket-size, and keychain-size tools. Norma Jean Knollenberg, owner and CEO of Oshkosh, WI-based product fulfillment house Top Brands Inc., and president of the Incentive Marketing Association, doesn’t expect a big surge in power and hand tool business for the holiday season, but rather a continued high level of redemption since the economic downturn began. “People are nesting more than they ever have,” she says, “and when they spend more time at home, we see greater redemption of power tools. With the economy, there are people who want to DIY (do it yourself) to cut expenses” with respect to home projects. Knollenberg echoes other incentive houses, like Matteson, IL-based Power Tool Incentives and West Des Moines, IA-based ITAGroup, about the recent fulfillment of multiple-tool packages called combo kits [June 2009, p. 61]. Such value-oriented kits usually include a cordless drill, a second power tool, a flashlight, and a lithium ion battery pack that can be switched between the tools. “These kits contain all the pieces a person would want, and just about everybody has a need for a cordless drill,” she says. Top Brands carries, in addition to individual power tools from Hitachi Tools, various combo kits from the manufacturer, such as the KC18DAL set that includes an 18-volt hammer drill, an 18-volt reciprocating saw, Introduced earlier this year by Leatherman Tool Group, the Freestyle knife/tool contains five tools in one: needlenose pliers, regular pliers, a wire-cutter, a hard wire-cutter, and a 154-centimeter clip-point knife incentivemag.com | October 2009 | Incentive | http://www.incentivemag.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Incentive - October 2009

Incentive - October 2009
Contents
Editor’s Note: Motivation with a Catwalk Flair
Headlines
Cover Story: Study Reveals Travel ROI in Numbers
The First Annual Motivation Masters Awards Finalists
Holiday Parties with Heart
Research: Travel IQ
All-American Pillow Gift Guide
Strategies: Skip the Carrots
Primer: Win Over Leaders in Order to Win Over Employees
Travel News: Where to Go and How to Get There
The Caribbean: So Close, but a World Away
Florida Coast to Coast
Reno-Lake Tahoe: The Other Great Lake
Reno-Lake Tahoe: The Other Great Lake
Power & Hand Tools See Steady Activity
Netbooks Fire Up Computer Redemption

Incentive - October 2009