Tile Doctor Shield™, the first non-toxic antimicrobial product approved for hard surfaces, has been named as a finalist by the internationally known 2011 Edison Best New Product Awards™. Shield is a finalist in the Consumer Packaged Goods – Household category, one of 12 categories honored by the Edison Awards.

The distinguished awards symbolize the persistence and excellence personified by Thomas Alva Edison, inspiring America’s drive to remain in the forefront of innovation, creativity and ingenuity in the global economy. 

“This year’s Awards recognize a broad array of innovations including far-reaching products, services and technologies that impact daily life,” said Edison Awards Steering Committee chair Sarah Miller Caldicott, a great grandniece of Thomas Edison. “The Awards applaud the forward-thinking innovations for which Thomas Edison remains internationally admired. It’s exciting to see companies like The Tile Doctor continuing his legacy of challenging conventional thinking.”

“We are extremely honored to be a finalist for such a reputable award, we feel Shield is a game changer in the household cleaning space and this recognition reinforces our hard work and commitment to create a product that is not only effective but is also non-toxic and 100 percent safe to use in the home,” said Curt Rapp, founder and CEO of The Tile Doctor. “At The Tile Doctor our goal is to provide continuous innovation and environmentally-friendly products, and it’s truly humbling for Shield to be recognized for just that.”

The ballot of nominees for the Edison Best New Product Awards™ is judged by roughly 2,000 members of the not-for-profit Marketing Executives Networking Group (MENG), an organization comprising America’s top marketing professionals and academics. In a comprehensive peer-review process, the nominees are judged on Marketplace Innovation, Marketplace Success, Technological Innovation, Market Structure Innovation, Societal Impact, and Design Innovation.

Winners of the Gold, Silver and Bronze awards will be announced April 5, 2011 at the historic Capitale ballroom in New York. For more information about the Edison Award finalists, please visit www.edisonawards.com.