I’m here with a Pigalog® cover for the second post in a row because this one received some rare recognition. In fact, it’s recognition that’s about as rare as it gets for catalogs.

The cover below was named one of the 10 best catalog covers in the past 10 years! It appeared on The Big Pigalog® 2009.

Granted, this is a subjective list from one person’s perspective. But the list was in MultiChannel Merchant, the leading trade magazine for catalogs, and the judge is Glenda Sasho Jones, who’s been one of the top catalog consultants for a long time.

Just how long, you ask? Well, get this: Glenda was already a big name in cataloging in 1999, when she published her first list of the Top Ten Catalog Covers. New Pig made that list as well! This was the cover:

We’ve come a long way, piggy! Or at least, that’s what our Creative team tells me when they compare the design and layout of the two covers.

It’s satisfying and humbling to have an expert say that we’ve excelled over the years. The other two companies with covers on both of the Top Ten Covers lists are little outfits called Lands’ End and Patagonia—maybe you’ve heard of them. We’re proud to be in their company.

But what’s really nice is what Glenda Sasho Jones says about the companies whose covers she selected: “They take risks. They’re different. They’re bold and dramatic. They’re extremely relevant to their customer. And most of them generate an emotional response.”

Yes! That’s what we want. We want customers to notice and enjoy how much we care about serving them—and that starts with being noticed, period. We’re glad that we have some catalog covers that do the job!

Just about a year ago, I blogged about our winning the “Academy Award of Cataloging” in our category for the eighth time in a row.

Well, make that nine years in a row. We won again. The official name of the honor is: Gold Award, Industrial Supplies, 25th Annual Multichannel Merchant Awards. Here’s the cover of our winning catalog (which you can browse in its entirety online) :

And just for the sake of accuracy, I failed to mention last year that we had an earlier stretch of winning the award five years in a row.

Yes, we’re grateful for the recognition, but only because of what it reflects about New Pig as a whole: We reach for the highest in our work, which is helping solve leak and spill problems. This means product development, accounting, fulfillment, information technology—every area. We strive to serve our customers as well as any company on the planet. If that means having to find space for awards for catalogs that are judged to be informative, well-organized and maybe even stylish—then we’ll find the room!

P.S. If you want to see what the pig on the cover is using as a hiding place, click here.

On our web site now is the statement below, a brief summary of a tremendous amount of discussion, study, planning and activity both behind us and ahead of us. We’re all hopeful for success from the latest efforts to limit the damage in the Gulf region.

The oil spill in the Gulf region has potential for tragic environmental consequences. As a leader in leak and spill prevention and cleanup for over 25 years, New Pig Corporation is committed to doing everything in our power to assist in containing, controlling, and cleaning the oil-spill related problems. In addition to our Tipton, PA headquarters, New Pig Corp has a facility based in Mobile, AL, located less than four miles from the U.S. Coast Guard Unified Command Center that is coordinating spill response and recovery efforts. That means we have a team of over 65+ dedicated associates right in the heart of the recovery effort at all times.

We will continue to produce and supply a full range of absorbent booms, mats, and other products throughout this crisis. We are working hard to provide uninterrupted supply for our long-standing customers based on usual demand levels. In addition, New Pig has ramped up production of inventory of existing products to maximum levels and is developing new, targeted spill cleanup solutions that we can quickly make available in high volumes to aid in the cleanup effort.

While it may not be possible to immediately fulfill extraordinarily large product orders, we will make every effort to get the right products to the people and places that need them in the shortest possible time.

For orders, service and tech support, call 1-800-HOT-HOGS® (468-4647).

Click here to see New Pig in our local TV news, including the manufacturing of PIG® Spaghetti Booms, which are among the most effective ways to respond to oil spills on water.

The story mentions that spill response in the Gulf of Mexico could mean business for New Pig, but believe me, our first thought is how to help the people and the environment in this situation. When you see devastating photos of the fire at the drilling rig and of the oil spreading, and when you see people working so hard to contain the damage—it’s not about us, it’s about mourning the loss of human, animal and plant life, and it’s about protecting livelihoods in fishing, tourism and other industries.

Well, we did it for the 20th, 21st and 22nd times.

Yep, we won three more Product of the Year Awards from Plant Engineering magazine! Click here to read about all of this year’s winners, including these three PIG® products:

Maintenance Products, Gold Award

PIG BLUE® Absorbent Mat uses its polypropylene and cellulose blend to increase absorbency and disperse liquid evenly. Containing 70% recycled fibers, the mat’s FiberFusion technology adds strength to the cellulose and absorbency to the polypropylene. The mat meets the NFPA 99 standard for static decay and won’t burn when exposed to flame.

Maintenance Tools and Equipment, Silver Award

PIG® Sheet allows a user to form custom liquid control and containment devices for areas where space is awkward or limiting. The steel mesh core is coated with pliable PVC that can be reshaped without cracking to provide the moldability of metal and the corrosion resistance of plastic. PIG® Sheet can attach to magnets for connection to metal surfaces.

Fluid Handling, Gold Award

The PIG® Vapor-Control Latching Drum Lid helps to convert a 55-gallon drum into a safe collection container for hazardous waste. A nitrile gasket lid with a 5-inch port reduces vapor and odor emissions during and after waste disposal. The lid features latching handles that open with one-hand operation.

All right!!!!

What can you say? Hats off to our Product Development Piggers BUT they are the first to point out that these successes demand snout-standing efforts from across the company: Purchasing, Manufacturing, Customer Service, you name it.

We don’t care about awards just for the sake of winning awards. We appreciate them because they help tell us when we’re on the right track in serving customer needs. And they help us tell our story—that we’re the world’s leading experts in addressing workplace leaks, drips and spills. So if you have a workplace leak, drip or spill, seek us out!

Now we have to find some shelf space for these new additions to our collection. It’s a good problem to have!

P.S. Quick quiz: Which company has won more Plant Engineering Product of the Year Awards than New Pig? Watch for a future post with the answer.

New Pig will be the recipient (once again!!!) of three Product of the Year awards at the Manufacturing Summit and Awards ceremony to be held in Chicago on March 29th. The products honored are:

PIG BLUE™ Absorbent Mat in the Maintenance Product Category

PIG® Sheet in the Maintenance Tools and Equipment Category

PIG® Vapor-Control Latching Drum Lid in the Fluid Handling Category

The readers of Plant Engineering magazine voted for the products they deemed best in each category as featured in the November issue. New Pig may receive a gold, silver or bronze medal based on the results of this balloting. Winners will be announced at the ceremony in Chicago during the Manufacturing Summit and will be recognized within the pages of the April 2010 issue.

We’ll keep you posted on the results!

A train full of  toxic chemicals is barreling this way. Will Denzel Washington be able to stop it??

I’m talking about the movie Unstoppable. This project is more than a year away from release, but we care about it around here because some scenes will be shot five miles from New Pig in Tyrone. Denzel himself may come to town!

We’ve worked our contacts to let the production people know that we’re ready to provide any assistance they might need. Our message was along the lines of: “You’re making a movie about an imminent toxic spill, we have the world’s largest selection of products for managing liquid messes. If you need anything, give us a squeal!”

Image © raven - Fotolia.com

Congratulations and Happy Anniversary (or as we say around here, HAMiversary!) to Pollution Engineering Magazine.

40 years says it all. As the editor, Roy Bigham, points out in his outstanding historical editorial, “The company mission is to serve industry professionals by delivering useful, timely and accurate information through its magazines, websites, conferences and events. In 40 years of publishing the magazine, that commitment has never wavered.” BRAVO! They have persevered and served their readers well..

Despite the dramatic changes in industry, as well as in publishing, somehow Pollution Engineering has managed to keep up with it all and excel. Needless to say, they have been a reliable resource on safety, environmental, compliance and health issues for New Pig since we began in 1985. They’ve treated us right for 24 years.

Best wishes for another 40!

Balloon image © James Steidl - Fotolia.com