Home and garden ideas bloom at ECO-BIA annual show at New Towne Mall
By Kyle Valentini
March 3, 2013
402
Summary: The cure for cabin fever is at New Towne Mall at the East Central Ohio Building Industry Associations 18th Annual Spring Home and Garden Show which continues for a second weekend beginning March 7 and goes through March 10.
The East Central Ohio Building Industry Association (ECO-BIA) along with members and other local businesses has put together The 18th Annual Spring Home and Garden Show just in time for spring. The event began Thursday, February 28 and ran through March 3. The show will be held a second weekend beginning March 7 and lasting through March 10 at New Towne Mall at New Philadelphia. Many displays remain at the mall throughout the week.
The show features fresh ideas for yard, garden and home improvement and construction as well as a variety of locally-owned businesses that have the experience and the expertise to help you take better care of the home you own or build the home you have always dreamed of owning.
Saturday, March 2 visitors were treated to the Second Annual Red Hat Style Show in the Food Court. The show was overwhelmingly popular last year and will prove to be a mainstay of the show in years to come. A prize for prettiest hat, sponsored by The Pro's Table Restaurant at New Philadelphia was awarded as well as a prize for the most unusual hat and the most flamboyant hat.
Earlier in the day Ohio nurseryman, certified arborist and landscape designer Fred Hower took center stage to a full house as he hosted a live two-hour long broadcast on local radio favorite WJER.
Still to come at the annual show is a demonstration by students of Karams Martial Arts and Sports Training at New Philadelphia on March 9 at 11 a.m.in the food court. Students of various skill levels have been practicing for weeks to showcase just some of the things they learn under the instruction of Adam Karam and staff at the second generation martial arts school that specializes in age-appropriate Tae Kwon Do along with tumbling, batting cages and adult exercise classes.
Past ECO-BIA president Bill Linerode of Linerode Construction Ltd. at Dover credits the home and garden show to putting him in touch with his newest customer. A couple we had met at a Parade of Homes event in 2005 recently had had trouble selling their home and was just about ready to take it off the market, said Linerode. By chance they just sold it and when they ran into us at the show I was able to take them that same evening to see a home we had just completed. They liked it and are letting us build their new home.
ECO-BIA president Brad Waldenmyer of Waldenmyer Builders is seeing a trend in more ranch homes. Baby Boomers are aging and they are in better financial shape to build a home they can grow old in, said Waldenmyer. As builders we need to pay more attention to what women want in homes. The women-centric home has features like a small office space in the kitchen for a laptop computer for instance.
Waldenmyer says Tuscarawas County can expect a small surge in new home construction in 2013 with the national average at 15.6% according to HUD. Tuscarawas County could see a projected increase of 25 or maybe even 30% by 2014, said Waldenmyer.
Living landscape displays help visitors imagine what designs will look like in their own yards. Shane Wallace, of Landscape Solutions at Strasburg said customers are looking for no-mow natural landscapes that are easy to maintain and allow for outdoor living. People are choosing to invest money in their homes rather than go away for a vacation, said Wallace. Outdoor cooking spaces remain popular and water elements like fountains are taking the place of ponds.
Its an exciting time for homeowners and local businesses and there is no better way to get connected that at the ECO-BIA Spring Home and Garden Show at New Towne Mall.
