Sauder guns for Hot Rod crowd
By Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, October 13, 2003
High Point — Sauder Woodworking is introducing this week a furniture system for the garage that is co-branded with Hot Rod magazine.
Targeting auto enthusiasts and anybody who wants to organize a garage, Hot Rod Garage by Sauder is a seven-piece collection that will be marketed extensively through Primedia, the publishing and television production company that owns the Hot Rod brand, including the magazine and the Hot Rod TV program on cable's SpeedChannel.
The mainstay of the modular system is a 54-inch workbench, featuring a metal frame with levelers, a solid work surface, pegboard back, a fluorescent light, an upper storage shelf and an electrical outlet.
Other features are a mobile work island, two-door and three-drawer stackable storage cabinets and a heavy-duty metal drawer system. An 85-inch tall storage cabinet is large enough to store most 20-gallon air compressors, vacuums or battery chargers, and has a power strip for recharging tools.
Susan Dountas, vice president of merchandising for Sauder, said the alliance with Hot Rod will help the new line find an eager market.
"Many of today's auto enthusiasts take almost as much pride in their garages as they do in their cars, and these are the people who tend to think Hot Rod when they want automotive advice," she said. "This co-branding will provide a valuable stamp of approval to a well-researched garage system that benefits from a tremendous amount of input from Hot Rod experts."
Units feature quick-adjust levelers and locking casters, chemical and dent resistant surfaces, edge banding for durability, safety locks and non-skid inserts to keep tools secure.
All pieces feature a two-tone finish in high gloss red and silver gray and are branded with the Hot Rod logo.
Hot Rod Garage by Sauder is targeted at discount and mass-market retailers, as well as hardware, home improvement and auto aftermarket stores.
Sauder and Primedia are planning numerous cross-promotional opportunities as part of a multiyear licensing agreement.
