Award winners strut their stuff

ATLANTA - With an eye on increasing provider awareness and interest, representatives from five companies showed off their winning entries from the 2014 HME Innovative Retail Product Awards at a Medtrade panel discussion.

The goal is to get more creatively produced, retail-friendly products into the HME environment, said session moderator Jim Greatorex, president of Black Bear Medical.

“The five judges selected products they felt displayed innovation, marketing potential and a high chance of winning in the marketplace,” he said.

To pique provider interest, representatives from Core Products International, FrozenPeaz, Golden Technologies, Motivo and SCA Personal Care each gave five-minute presentations on the merits of their products.

In describing the WiTouch TENS unit, Phil Mattison, president of Core Products, said the wireless remote TENS device gives users a complete treatment modality without them having to constantly fiddle with it.”

Mary Carol Dolivier, co-founder and president of FrozenPeaz, said providers need to be involved in the hot and cold therapy pack market, which is projected to grow to $813 million in the near future.

Golden Technologies recognized the buzz in the furniture industry about Shiatsu massage and applied it to the lift chair concept, said Pat O'Brien, director of marketing and merchandising. Former product designer Jeremy Knopow and partner Jennifer Harris hit on the Motivo Tour walker concept after three years of developing prototypes and garnering feedback from users, providers and manufacturers. Knopow says interest in the walker “has been insane” at Medtrade.

For SCA Personal Care, the Tena Skincare System compliments its incontinence line and features “user-friendly graphics that are un-medical looking,” said Jessica Lan, senior product manager.