EAST LONGMEADOW, Mass. — LENOX® announces plans for a celebration in honor of the 25th anniversary of HACKMAN® car cuttings. In 1981, Lee Breton performed the very first car cutting for LENOX as the original HACKMAN. Breton, now 62-years-old, has been an employee of LENOX for 44 years. As a master cutter he has traveled to tool distributors, construction job sites and trade shows worldwide to cut in half buses, trains, houses and most often, cars. HACKMAN′s popularity and requests by LENOX® users for live appearances grew so much that in 2004 LENOX recruited a team of master cutters to meet the demand. Over the years, HACKMAN, with the help of TEAM HACKMAN has performed more than 500 car cuttings and hopes to double that number in 2006 with an expanded team of 15 cutters located throughout the country. The car cuttings demonstrate the extreme speed and strength of the LENOX Gold™ reciprocating saw blade. Its unique Titanium Nitride coating, coupled with a patented new tooth design, work together to make this new blade the longest lasting reciprocating blade, ever.
"HACKMAN is the representation of all that LENOX stands for," stated Bill Burke, President of LENOX, a Newell Rubbermaid company. "It is the strength, durability and speed of both HACKMAN and LENOX products that have positioned it as a growing power brand in the Industrial and Commercial trades market," noted Burke. "The brand continues to build on our corporate reputation for producing premium quality products that provide exceptional value."
Among the many events planned is a cross country VIP car cutting tour featuring the original HACKMAN, Lee Breton. As part of this exciting celebration, customers can enter to win in the LENOX HACKMAN CHOPPER™ Sweepstakes with a grand prize of a one-of-a-kind AMERICAN IRONHORSE® chopper that′s been custom designed and built to showcase LENOX products. But that′s not all, the prizes continue with 25 people winning $1,000 and 2,500 winners getting a special 25-pack of LENOX Gold™ reciprocating saw blades. Customers enter to win by filling out an entry form at participating dealers. The contest starts June 1 and will run through December 31, 2006.