Cooper Industries Honored in Consulting-Specifying Engineer's 2012 Product of the Year Competition

DUBLIN, Sept. 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Cooper Crouse-Hinds, Cooper Lighting, Cooper Notification and Cooper Wiring Devices, subsidiaries of Cooper Industries plc (NYSE: CBE), a global provider of electrical solutions, have been selected as Gold and Silver award winners in Consulting-Specifying Engineer (CSE) magazine's 2012 Product of the Year competition.

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The annual Product of the Year awards, created to provide information on the top new products in the field, allow readers to choose Gold, Silver and Bronze winners in ten separate categories. 

Earning Gold honors in this year's competition were the ACE Explosionproof Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) from Cooper Crouse-Hinds and the Combination USB Charger with Tamper Resistant Receptacle from Cooper Wiring Devices.

An industry-first, ACE Series Explosionproof VFDs are the only NEMA 7 VFD solutions that can be safely and reliably installed in Class I, Division I or II hazardous areas. Currently available up to 60HP, the ACE Series uses patent-pending active cooling technology that allows a VFD to be housed inside the classified enclosure without the risk of overheating and failing. The product eliminates expensive and complicated installations as there is no need to run long lines of conduit and motor cable, navigate around obstacles or build off-site control rooms in non-hazardous areas to house VFD clusters.

Offering an energy-efficient alternative to bulky adapters, Cooper Wiring Devices also took home Gold honors for its Combination USB Charger with Tamper Resistant Receptacle. Developed in response to the surge in consumer portable electronics devices, the product is ideal for a wide range of applications and provides a permanent, energy-efficient charge. The device's USB charging ports support any electronic product capable of being charged via a 5Vpower adapter and includes UL approved tamper resistant shutters that ensure compliance with 2011 NEC Article 406.12.

Cooper Lighting took home Silver honors in this year's competition with its Lumark Crosstour™ LED Wall Pack Series. The stylish, energy-efficient luminaire offers ultimate versatility for a wide range of solutions and is designed to replace up to 175W metal halide fixtures for an energy savings of up to 90 percent. The all-in-one design allows it to easily mount to virtually any location while its scalable optical design options include three high-performance LED lumen packages and a choice of bright-white or neutral warm color temperature. 

Also given Silver honors was Cooper Crouse-Hinds' Champ FMV LED Floodlight. Combining energy efficiency and long life with high lumen output, Champ FMV Floodlights are ideal for hazardous, industrial and demanding environments. They are available in a total of four models and provide an equivalent 100W-400W similar to metal halide fixtures at half the energy consumption. These products are ideal for use in both gas and dust areas.

Finally, Cooper Notification also took home silver honors for its Wide Area Mass Notification Solutions (MNS), WAVES High Power Speaker Array 7100 Series. Providing highly intelligible voice and tone announcements, the HPSAs can be integrated with an organization's existing audio source, including voice-capable Fire Alarm Control Panels and paging systems as well as SAFEPATH solutions from Cooper Notification. Using leading-edge amplification technology, the products are designed for high intelligibility and energy efficiency. The systems allow messages to be clearly understood from distances of up to 2,000 feet away.

"Our impressive number of Consulting-Specifying Engineer award wins doesn't just validate our position as an industry leader, but reinforces our commitment to develop best-in-class solutions," said Cooper Industries Chairman and CEO, Kirk S. Hachigian. "We aim to build off of these awards as we continue delivering on our promise to provide our end users with the best possible solutions for a wide range of industries."

In addition to awards won through CSE's Product of the Year competition, Cooper Wiring Devices also earned Platinum honors earlier this year in EC&M's Product of the Year competition. To learn more or to view all of the finalists for either award, visit www.csemag.com and www.ecmweb.com.  

To learn more about Cooper Industries and its comprehensive range of electrical products and solutions, visit www.cooperindustries.com.

About Cooper Industries

Cooper Industries plc (NYSE: CBE) is a global electrical products manufacturer with 2011 revenues of $5.4 billion.  Founded in 1833 Cooper's sustained success is attributable to a constant focus on innovation and evolving business practices, while maintaining the highest ethical standards and meeting customer needs.  The Company has seven operating divisions with leading market positions and world-class products and brands, including Bussmann electrical and electronic fuses; Crouse-Hinds and CEAG explosion-proof electrical equipment; Halo and Metalux lighting fixtures; and Kyle and McGraw-Edison power systems products.  With this broad range of products, Cooper is uniquely positioned for several long-term growth trends including the global infrastructure build-out, the need to improve the reliability and productivity of the electric grid, the demand for higher energy-efficient products and the need for improved electrical safety.  In 2011 sixty-two percent of total sales were to customers in the industrial and utility end-markets and forty percent of total sales were to customers outside the United States.  Cooper has manufacturing facilities in 23 countries as of 2011.  For more information, visit the website at www.cooperindustries.com.

SOURCE Cooper Industries plc