Rheem Sponsors New "Smartest Hot Water Use Award" In Annual NKBA Design Competition

September 14, 2007 | Montgomery, AL--Rheem Water Heating will sponsor a new award to draw interest in a completely different product category in the 2008 NKBA Design Competition, hosted annually by the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA). The new “Smartest Hot Water Use Award” is part of a three-year sponsorship agreement that Rheem Water Heating is announcing with the NKBA.

NKBA's new "Smartest Hot Water Use Award" invites designers to tell how their hot-water solutions maximized both comfort and convenience in their bath projects.

Designers entering two of the competition’s four bathroom-design categories – Large Bathrooms and Master Suite/Bathrooms – are invited to submit 100-word descriptions of the hot-water solutions they have devised to maximize both comfort and conservation in their bath projects.

Entrants must itemize the hot water-related amenities included, such as whirlpools, steam baths, shower systems, body sprays, lav and bidet faucets, radiant-heated floors and walls, radiant-heated towel warmers, and the like. They must also indicate the specific hot water appliances serving those amenities. Tank-type, tankless and solar-powered water heaters are all eligible for consideration. Deadline for entries is October 19, 2007.

The winner of the “Smartest Hot Water Use Award” will receive a $1,500 award and be recognized at the NKBA Design Awards Ceremony during the 2008 Kitchen/Bath Industry Show in Chicago next spring.

An industry institution: In its 36th year, the NKBA Design Competition celebrates the skills of NKBA members in planning safe, functional and personalized spaces that incorporate imaginative design statements and aesthetically pleasing solutions. The 2007 competition received a record number of entries: over 565 projects from across the United States and Canada. A panel of 14 NKBA certified designers evaluate each project, using five key criteria: visual appeal, creativity, elements and principles of design, presentation, and safety and ergonomics.

By broadening the scope of the competition for 2008, the new “Smartest Hot Water Use Award” seeks to deepen the industry’s understanding and appreciation of the hot-water products that make the fully appointed, modern bathroom possible.

“In recognizing the innovations of the industry’s leading designers, we hope to underline the vital importance of balancing comfort and convenience with water and energy conservation when it comes to delivering hot water to today’s amenity-rich bathroom,” comments Doug Mannion, Vice President and General Manager of Rheem Water Heating.

“The NKBA welcomes Rheem Water Heating to the NKBA Design Competition,” says Mike Kelly, CEO of the NKBA. “This valuable partnership will help kitchen and bath professionals better understand their options for efficient, resourceful, hot-water delivery.”

For more information on new “Smartest Hot Water Use Award,” visit nkba.org and click on “Art of the Industry: 2008 Design Competition.” A member login code is required.
NKBA: The National Kitchen & Bath Association is a non-profit trade association that has educated and led the kitchen and bath industry since 1963. With more than 40,000 members, the NKBA owns the annual Kitchen/Bath Industry Show & Conference (K/BIS). The mission of the NKBA is to enhance member success and excellence, promote professionalism and ethical business practices and provide leadership and direction for the kitchen and bath industry. For more information, please call 800-THE-NKBA or visit www.nkba.org.

RHEEM MANUFACTURING COMPANY, headquartered in Atlanta, is a leading worldwide provider of total comfort systems including water heaters, heating and air conditioning equipment, pool and spa heaters, and boilers. Rheem Water Heating, which produces tank-type, tankless and solar units for residential and commercial applications, maintains manufacturing operations in Montgomery and Eagan, Minnesota, as well as two facilities in Mexico: Nuevo Laredo and Mexicali. The division also operates a Canadian sales and distribution facility in Hamilton, Ontario.

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