Sand Hill Wholesale, Inc. Co-Owner Dies
Connie Hawkins, wife of Mark Hawkins and co-owner of Sand Hill Wholesale, Inc. with Mark, passed away March 26, 2007 of end-stage renal and heart failure at the age of 53. Connie and Mark purchased Sand Hill in 1986. Connie worked all aspects of the business, from picking, packing and shipping goods to handling all office duties. Even though Connie officially retired from Sand Hill in 1992, she was still greatly admired within the hearth and chimney industry for her bravery in her continued health adversities. - Posted 5/16/07
Inaugural Inventice Awards Winners Announced
The Chimney Sweep News (SNEWS) sponsored the inaugural Inventice Awards program at Mohegan Sun in conjunction with NCSG Innovation 2007. Dynacote won in the Products for Chimney Consumers Category. Staflex-Helix lightweight chimney liner by Flex-L won in the Products for Chimney Professionals category. Six entries were submitted in two categories: Products for Chimney Professionals and Products for Consumers. The requirements were that products must be newly available in the marketplace since the last NCSG convention, not an idea or prototype, and be on display at the trade show at this convention.
A panel of five judges, selected by Jim Gillam, editor of The Chimney Sweep News, evaluated the products on the basis of their perceived utility and degree of innovation. The judges were Stephen Kuber of Chim-Cheree Chimney Sweep, Brick, NJ, Steve Scally of Fireside Sweeps, Fremont, NH, Jim Collar of London Aire Chimney Services, Forest Lake, MN, Michaele Dempsey of Professional Chimney Sweep, Visalia, CA and Steve Pietila of American Chimney & Masonry Inc, Portland, OR. - Posted 5/16/07