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Lifetime Products' Fold-Up Utility Trailer Honored for Innovative Product Design in The 2008 International Design Excellence Awards

CLEARFIELD, Utah, July 21 PRNewswire — Lifetime Products, Inc. — one of the leading manufacturers of folding tables and chairs, basketball systems, storage sheds and utility trailers — announced today that its Fold-Up Utility Trailer earned a "Bronze" in the Transportation category in the 2008 International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA), a prestigious international product design competition co-sponsored by the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) and BusinessWeek magazine.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080721/NYM111 )

"We are honored that Lifetime's Fold-Up Utility Trailer has been recognized by IDSA, a distinguished organization known for acknowledging innovative product design," said Richard Hendrickson, president of Lifetime Products. "At Lifetime, we strive to create innovative products that outfit today's lifestyle. The Fold-Up Utility Trailer is just another example of Lifetime's ongoing ingenuity.

Product developers Mitch Johnson, Jered Larsen and David Winter designed the first-of-its-kind Fold-Up Utility Trailer to combine space-saving technology with the functionality and durability of a traditional work hauler. Compacting to 29 inches in width in less than 90 seconds, the trailer employs an easy-to-operate crank that enables it to be folded up and then stored beside a car in the garage or rolled through a gate into the backyard. The heavy-duty trailer comes in three sizes — 4-foot by 6-foot, 5-foot by 6-foot and 5-foot by 8-foot — and holds 1000-1500 pounds (depending on model) so there is plenty of room and strength to haul camping gear, gardening supplies and even items as large as an all-terrain vehicle (ATV).

Out of 1,517 entries submitted, the Fold-Up Utility Trailer is one of limited number of winners recognized for outstanding product design by a distinguished juried panel, compromised of 20 world-renowned designers and design thinkers. Judging criteria for each entry focused on various areas of industrial design excellence, including design innovation; benefit to the user; benefit to the client/business; benefit to society; ecological responsibility; and appropriate aesthetics and appeal.

"The International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) competition has been showcasing the best of design since 1980," said IDSA Executive Director Frank Tyneski. "Among the world's premier design competitions, the IDEA winners are celebrated in media across the globe."

For more information on Fold-Up Utility Trailers from Lifetime Products, please visit http://www.lifetime.com .

About Lifetime Products

Lifetime Products, Inc., has applied innovation and cutting-edge technology in plastics and metals to create a family of affordable lifestyle products that feature superior strength and durability. The world's leading manufacturer of folding tables and chairs, Lifetime was founded in 1986 as the maker of portable basketball systems that revolutionized the industry with patented technology. With new offerings such as outdoor sheds and steel utility trailers, Lifetime continues to develop innovative products that outfit the lifestyles of today's Americans. For more information about Lifetime, a privately held company headquartered in Clearfield, Utah, visit http://www.lifetime.com or call 1-800-242-3865.

About IDEA, Industrial Designers & IDSA

The IDEA program fosters business and public understanding about the impact of industrial design excellence on the quality of life and the economy. Industrial designers determine the form, use features and interaction qualities of manufactured products, packaging and digital media systems. They study people at work, at home and in motion to create satisfying experiences with products from the kitchen and the office to the hospital and the warehouse, shaping these to fit their customers and to make effective use of industrial processes. In this way, industrial designers have a quiet but profound presence in almost everything people encounter during the day. IDSA is the voice of industrial design, committed to advancing the profession through education, information, community and advocacy. Stay tuned to http://www.idsa.org/idea for information about the 2009 IDEA program. IDEA(R) is co-sponsored by BusinessWeek and IDSA.

SOURCE Lifetime Products, Inc.

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