VERGENNES, Vt., Oct. 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --DR Power Equipment, the iconic brand behind such machines as the DR Trimmer Mower, was built on the premise of product innovation. In the mid-1980's, the company was the first to introduce the 'string trimmer on wheels', a machine that has become a necessity for thousands of property owners.
Now DR has introduced a new way to innovate in their product lines. The company recently launched a micro-website called Pickill, where they post images and videos of new product ideas that they are considering for further development. Users can vote to "pick" or "kill" these ideas, and comment on their design and features. In addition, users can submit their own product ideas and earn $300 if their idea makes it to development. The idea is to gain customer feedback before incurring the biggest expenses associated with product development -- engineering, prototyping, and manufacturing.
Says DR's vice president of merchandising Matt Bieber, "We're excited about the Pickill site because it will allow us to design products that are exactly what our customers need on their properties. We bring the engineering expertise, they bring the first-hand understanding of their problems."
DR's president and CEO, Joe Perrotto, is similarly optimistic: "There has always been an intense drive here at DR to make high-quality equipment that solves real problems. Pickill is a great way to channel that drive and find out exactly what problems our customers have."
DR recently awarded a check for $300 to Hank Will, the Editor in Chief of Grit magazine for an idea he submitted to DR: a manual hay baler. The hay baler is now on the Pickill site and available for comments and voting. Visit the Pickill site to learn more about the manual hay baler and other DR product ideas.
DR® Power Equipment is a division of Country Home Products, Inc., the premier developer and marketer of professional-grade outdoor equipment for residential use. The company was founded in 1985 in Charlotte, Vermont and today it occupies three facilities. For more information, visit www.drpower.com.
PRODUCT PHOTOS AND DEMONSTRATIONS ARE AVAILABLE. DR® Power Equipment sells products factory-direct and through a network of over 500 dealers; a free catalog can be ordered at 802-877-1200, or obtained online at www.drpower.com.
Contact:
Julia Gilbert
JGilbert@drpower.com
802-877-1201 ext 1118
SOURCE DR Power Equipment