Wheelbarrow Beats All Odds, Continues To Carry Loads of MONOPOLY Game Cash For Generations to Come

CAMP HILL, Pa., Feb. 6, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- True Temper®, an Ames True Temper® brand, and 137 year old manufacturer of wheelbarrows, concluded a successful campaign to save the iconic wheelbarrow MONOPOLY game token from early retirement.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130206/PH55662 )

Hasbro announced in early January that it would retire one of the classic game tokens through the fan-voted MONOPOLY "Save Your Token" promotion on the brand's Facebook page. The wheelbarrow trailed all other tokens for a majority of the competition and was projected by many critics as the token most likely to be retired.

The True Temper team learned of the Facebook competition shortly after the promotion launched and immediately took action to "SAVE THE WHEELBARROW." The team engaged local and regional media, customers, garden enthusiasts, and the citizens of central Penn., to promote the wheelbarrow. True Temper also developed a YouTube video series around the campaign, highlighting humorous ways the wheelbarrow can help out. The "SAVE THE WHEELBARROW" campaign resulted in widespread media coverage in outlets across the state, which rallied around the local manufacturing base.   

"The dedication and passion of our employees, our customers, suppliers, and the local community is what saved the wheelbarrow from retirement," said Eric Bernstein, Vice President of Marketing and Product Development, Ames True Temper. "Thank you to everyone who rallied around the wheelbarrow, showing your dedication to American manufacturing and this iconic product."

The wheelbarrow token finished in seventh place in front of the flat iron, the losing game token that is forced in to retirement.

The True Temper wheelbarrow business began in Harrisburg, Penn. in 1876. In 1921, the facility moved to its current location in Camp Hill, Penn., where it has remained for 92 years. Today a team of over 100 employees is capable of building a True Temper wheelbarrow every 6 seconds. 

As a result of this "come from behind" effort, True Temper is launching its new Facebook page.  For additional information and to find out more about the True Temper journey in the "SAVE THE WHEELBARROW" campaign and "Save Your Token" competition, visit True Temper on Facebook.

About Ames True Temper^®
Ames True Temper is the leading, as well as the oldest, manufacturer of non-powered lawn and garden tools in the U.S. Headquartered in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania (near Harrisburg), the company manufactures and markets a wide variety of long-handled tools, wheelbarrows, cutting tools, garden hoses and hose accessories, striking tools, snow tools, decorative garden accessories and planters.  Ames True Temper brands are among the most recognized across their primary product categories.  Its brand portfolio includes True Temper^®, Ames^®, UnionTools^®, Garant^®, Hound Dog^®, Dynamic Design^®, Southern Patio® as well as the commercial offerings under the Jackson^® and Razor-Back^® Professional Tool brands.

SOURCE Ames True Temper