Furniture parts design contest celebrates ninth successful year.

As Doug Mockett & Co. puts out the call for entries to this year's competition, the contest's founder recalls its glorious past.

The Doug Mockett & Company/Wood & Wood Products Design Contest was started in 1986 as a "Let's see what happens if...." Now celebrating its ninth

When our company started the contest, it was really in response to two things. First, I had written to three of the biggest names in product design, suggesting that they design some furniture components that my firm would make and market to the industry. Well, I waited for their replies, and nearly a decade later, I am still waiting to hear from any of these big shots.

Second, gnawing away at me were the many telephone calls we were constantly getting from people in the industry. People from the largest companies and people from small cabinet shops would call and say, "Hey, I've got this great idea for a frammis to go onto a whatziz and I can't do anything with it. Can you help me?"

So, we decided to forget the big shots and listen to our callers, which led us to think, "Let's have a design competition so that people from all over can send in their great ideas and we'll find new stuff to share with industry and have a lot of fun." So, off we went, charging into the darkness without a clue of what we were doing. It was probably best that way, too!

We made up an ad and ran it all over announcing a design contest just for furniture components, hardware and parts. We sent out a press release. Then, we sat back and waited. We didn't have to wait long. The phone rang off the hook. We got mail. We got entries. This was beyond our wildest dreams. One day we sat down on the floor with boxes and envelopes spread out all over and opened each of them up. We could not believe the ideas that were sent to us. They were great!

This was a real relief, because way down deep I wondered, "What if we threw a design contest and nobody came?"

All winners are First Place

Since that formative beginning, the contest has remained largely the same. The one thing that makes this competition unique is there is only First Place. There are no Second or Third Place awards, nor are there any Honorable Mention Awards. However, there also are no limits to the number of First Place awards the judges may grant. The number of winning entries has varied from year to year, from a low of one to a high of three.

Maybe this is selfish on our part, but I've always believed that the judging is quite subjective. What you like may not be what I like. But I don't think we are here to determine what I like versus what you like. I believe we are here to do our best to discover new ideas that may solve wood-workers' problems, to lead the way in new concepts and new hardware solutions and to help furniture makers work better and easier. That's all.

Our goal is to bring to you the best contest designs and hope they find a market and an acceptance. That is why there is only First Place. If it is good enough to present to you, it is First Place.

Prizes & rules

The First Place award consists of $1,000, an engraved Nambe bowl and a royalty based on the sales of the design. In early 1994 we mailed out 1993 royalty checks totaling nearly $12,000 to previous design contest winners. That shows there were a lot of sales in 1993 from past design contest winning designs.

As far as the rules go, all we ask is that entrants provide a clear explanation of their idea. A drawing is very helpful and a model is outstanding in helping the judges understand the submission. Please keep in mind, we are looking for furniture parts and components only, not complete items of furniture. Entries must be sent to us Registered, Return Receipt to: Doug Mockett & Company, P.O. Box 3333, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266, USA; phone (310) 318-2491. The deadline for the 1994 contest is Friday, August 19. Winners will be announced about October 1.

A word for our co-sponsors

The competition went along just fine for five years with increased numbers of entries from all over the USA and the world, then received a tremendous boost in 1992 from the co-sponsorship of WOOD & WOOD PRODUCTS and CUSTOM WOODWORKING BUSINESS magazines. Their involvement helped create greater awareness of the competition and, I think, gave the aura that if the leading publications in the industry are involved, this must be a good thing. Certainly the number of entries shot up in the past two years with their assistance.

The editors of W&WP and CWB also help judge the contest and their views have been very helpful. The editors are a lot closer to the entire scope of the industry than we are, and their comments and evaluations carry a lot of weight in selecting the winners.

It's been a very rewarding experience. We are constantly looking to the future with this competition and are constantly seeking the next great idea. We hope to have your entry to open this year.

PAST CONTEST WINNERS

A total of 18 products have earned "First Place" since the Doug Mockett & Co. Design Contest was launched in 1986. Here is a recap:

1986 -- Peter Stathis and Suzette Sherman of New York, N.Y., for their "Squiggly" drawer pull

1987 -- Robert Ingram and Jack Larimore of Philadelphia, Pa., for their Table Leg Sabots

Thomas D. Pierce of Rochester. N.Y., for his drawer pull

1988 -- Alan K. Calnek of Baltimore, Md., for his Egyptoid table leg

Aaron Zorndorf of Pacifica, Calif., for his Clean Line wire management system

1989 -- Nancy Burfiend of Seattle, Wash., for her drawer pull

Stephen Goldberg and Thomas Touhill of Philadelphia, Pa., for their air vent grille

1990 -- Mark Behrens of Charlotte, N.C., for his shelf clip

Rick Poliquin of Los Angeles, Calif., and L.P. Mascitti of East Hazel Crest, Ill., for their junction box grommet.

Michael Albrizio of Broad Brook, Conn., and Martin Calverly of Mansfield, Conn., for their teleconferencing fish hook grommet

1991 -- Hugh White of Sarasota, Fla., for his air vent grommet cap

Roger Tertocha of Bremeton, Wash., for his table leg

1992 -- Marvin Cooke of St. Louis, Mo., for this table ganging clamp.

Robert Tertocha for his CPU holder

1993 -- John Loftus of Costa Mesa, Calif., for his Baserace Wire Manager

Gordon Kyle of Oneco, Conn., for his solid surface material applications for office furniture designs

1994 -- YOU?