Home Depot Launches Orange Works

Atlanta, GA, November 29, 2006--Home Depot today launched Orange Works, a new innovation and design venture with Arnell Group, that will redefine product development for the world's largest home improvement retailer. Comprised of leadership from Home Depot and Arnell Group Innovation Lab, Orange Works has a mission to work with expert vendors on unique and proprietary innovation within The Home Depot that will meet the needs of emerging lifestyle and product trends. "The cornerstone of Home Depot is delivering distinctive merchandise at an attractive price. Orange Works will drive unique product design and accelerate the speed to market with products that are best in class across the store," said Bob Nardelli, chairman, president & CEO of Home Depot. "Knowing Peter Arnell and his expertise in innovation and design, I am confident that this unique venture will ensure we work closely with our vendor partners to develop and design unique and proprietary products to make living easier and more enjoyable for our customers." This new organization will be led jointly by Winston Ledet, vice president of Merchandising Strategy & Innovation for The Home Depot, and Peter Arnell, brand inventor and Arnell Group chairman and chief creative officer. The organization will report to Craig Menear, senior vice president of Merchandising for The Home Depot. The Orange Works team is charged with getting closer to consumers' needs and wants, and creating innovative products that will embody high levels of functionality, next-generation technology, consumer appeal, style and design. "Orange Works has one agenda: to innovate using the great minds, resources and talents of The Home Depot teams and its partners, of which I am now proudly a part," said Peter Arnell, Orange Works chief innovation and design officer. " Orange Works is about creating a new standard of excellence for products in the home improvement category." This unique venture between Home Depot and Arnell Group Innovation Lab is a seamless partnership and collaboration among market researchers, store associates, merchants, designers, vendor partners, architects, engineers, industrial designers, graphic designers, and brand and design strategists. Orange Works will tap global innovations and best practices to bring innovative new products to market across specific "mega-trend" categories, including home safety, aging in place, outdoor living, smart home technology, efficient use of time and space, and eco-friendly products. The multidimensional Orange Works team will take products from conception to presentation at retail in a holistic program that is thoroughly orchestrated from idea to shelf. "The Home Depot will use its unique position in the marketplace with more than 355,000 associates, over 1 billion customer transactions annually, and hundreds of vendor relationships to mine consumer insights and best technologies every day," said Menear. "The expert vendors who get involved will be our key partners in the development of these new and innovative offerings." One of the first Orange Works projects is the launch of a new proprietary brand, Home Hero(TM), which focuses on home safety. The line will feature complementary products, including an innovative fire extinguisher with improved ergonomics designed to complement the decor of any room of the home. In contrast to the traditional red tank that usually is hidden under a sink or in a closet, the new, attractive extinguisher is designed to remain visible in a room and within reach for quick use. The cross-functional Orange Works team is working in conjunction with vendor partner Kidde, which is a part of UTC Fire and Security, a business unit of United Technologies. Two additional Orange Works innovations under development focus on universal design, ideal for consumers who want to age in place or create a more accessible home environment.

Print the Article