MILWAUKEE - Three contractors won top prizes totaling $12,500 in The Coolest Garage Contest sponsored by Johnson Controls/PENN®. Grand prizewinner Michael Marconi of Yorktown Heights, N.Y., received a $10,000 garage makeover; second prizewinner Barry Erickson of Longmont, Colo., received a $2,000 lawn tractor; and third-prize winner Randy Summerall of Kuna, Idaho, received a $500 tool cart. The Coolest Garage Contest ran from May through September in authorized Johnson Controls/PENN distributor locations throughout the United States and Canada. With every purchase of a Johnson Controls/ PENN product, contractors received an entry form they could fill out for a chance to win one of the top three prizes. Winners were selected by random drawing from thousands of entries.

"I was blown away when Johnson Controls called me and said I won the grand prize," said Marconi. He plans to have the interior walls and floor of his garage painted, in addition to purchasing power tools, a lawn tractor, leaf blower, generator, and shelving. "I was planning to fix up my garage anyway, but getting $10,000 was like a dream come true," said Marconi.

Publication date: 12/19/2005