And, if there was an underlying theme in the comments from The News' independent panel of contractors who judged the entries in the first edition of the Dealer Design Awards, it could be summed up this way: The simpler, the better.
"No question," admitted one News contractor-judge. In truth, the contractor-judges had a difficult time selecting the winners among the more than 150 products submitted for consideration by manufacturers. Each entry was reviewed and scored by five independent contractors, who focused on design features that assisted in installation, maintenance, and service, as well as quality and performance.