LAS VEGAS — GPR Product Development, Danvers, Mass., won the ECRM/MMR Buyers Choice Award for Cappy, it’s beverage can “EZ-Opener/EZ Closer” designed to open and reseal beverages in cans of all sizes. The award was presented at ECRM’s Impulse, Front-End & Checklane EPPS earlier this month in Las Vegas. New York-based Mission was a finalist with its portable-sized and impulse-packaged cooling towel.

Cappy beverage opener/closer

The two companies were selected from dozens of entries in the award program, samples of which were displayed in the ECRM hospitality area during the EPPS meetings. Buyers cast their votes based on product innovation and packaging.

The patented Cappy was developed to easily open and seal canned beverages. One side of the device slides under the tab and lifts it to open the beverage, while the other side slides onto the tab and is then rotated over the opening, sealing it closed to maintain freshness, prevent spillage, and prevent insects from entering. It is key chain ready, child safe, and dishwasher safe. The Cappy is available in 12 colors to identify ownership, and comes in a variety of impulse packages and displays, including singles and a 4-pack for a clip strip display (see video).

“Though my segment hasn’t aired, I received two offers on TV’s Shark Tank, from Daymond John and Mark Cuban,” said Gary Richard, President of GPR Development.

Mission’s HydroActive On-The-Go Instant Cooling Towel was created out of consumer demand for a more portable size of its original cooling towel. Its HydroActive technology cools to 30 degrees below average body temperature and is activated by simply soaking the towel with water and snapping it in the air. The towels are reusable, machine washable, chemical-free and offer UPF 50 protection from the sun. It retails at $9.99 for the impulse version.

HydroActive On-The-Go Instant Cooling Towel

Launched in 2009 by a group of elite, world class athletes including Dwyane Wade, Serena Williams, Drew Brees, David Villa, and Carli Lloyd, Mission seeks to pioneer Thermoregulating innovations to maximize athlete performance and recovery. The company first unveiled its line of innovative instant cooling towels in 2012, and has since expanded the line to cover a wide range of instant cooling gear and accessories, and most recently launched heating accessories.

“There’s nothing more important to me than performance and safety – they go hand-in-hand,” said Professional Soccer Player and Olympic Gold Medalist, Carli Lloyd, a Mission co-founder. “We play in all types of weather conditions and MISSION’s focus and commitment to helping athletes perform at their best is what puts them in a league of their own, and what attracted me to the brand.”