Tennant Company and BISSELL
Homecare, Inc. have joined in a licensing arrangement to make
available to consumers a new floor-care product that cleans
carpets and leaves them dry in 30 minutes or less.
Home users now have the
opportunity to rejuvenate carpet and area rugs while saving
hours of drying time compared to conventional carpet-cleaning
methods.
Minneapolis-based Tennant has
licensed BISSELL its patented carpet cleaning technology that is
marketed under the brand name Ready Space. Marketed by BISSELL
under the brand name BISSELL PROdry, the technology takes the
form of a PowerRoller, designed to trap, lift and remove dirt
from carpet eliminating excess water saturation.
“We’re excited to work with
BISSELL to enable millions of consumers to benefit from having
this innovative cleaning technology in the new PROdry
fast-drying carpet cleaner,” said Chris Killingstad, Tennant
Co.’s president and CEO. “This arrangement is a phenomenal
opportunity to bring Tennant’s cleaning technologies to the
consumer market, and BISSELL is the ideal partner with its
history of quality consumer cleaning solutions.”
“Consumers are demanding more
effective and faster ways to clean, especially as their time
becomes more valuable,” said Jim Krzeminski, BISSELL’s executive
vice-president of Product Development, Sales and Marketing.
“This desire is forcing
innovative cleaning solutions providers such as Tennant and
BISSELL to find ways to incorporate industrial-grade
technologies into residential equipment at a reasonable price.”
PROdry cleans carpet using
BISSELL’s advanced deep-cleaning chemical formula, hot tap
water, the PowerRoller and suction power. The roller traps dirt
from carpet fibers and lifts it into the machine. Sprayers
inside the machine then spray the roller, not the carpet, such
that the carpet never gets saturated and dries in 30 minutes or
less. A powerful vacuum shoe extracts the dirty water into the
recovery tank. Users receive all the benefits of carpet
cleaning, without the disruption of waiting extended periods for
the carpet to dry.
The current financial slowdown
could threaten to put green building on a back burner, according
to a new national survey. But top officials with a Chicago-area
construction association believe that America’s flagging economy
gives the business community a perfect reason to pursue green
building with even greater determination.
The survey, recently released
by Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, says that “as the
economy tightens, marketers report that their firms have a
weaker emphasis on ‘marketing that is beneficial for society’
and that ‘minimizes the impact on the ecological environment.’”
“That trend could apply to
both green products and green building,” said Dan Bulley, senior
vice president of the Mechanical Contractors Association (MCA)
of Chicago and executive director of the Green Construction
Institute. “In the case of green products, a financial slowdown
could shift the priorities of consumers, causing them to switch
to less expensive brands that are not green. But applying that
same shift in priorities to green building would have long-term
negative results for businesses nationwide.”
Stephen Lamb, Executive Vice
President of MCA Chicago, stated that cutting back on green
building efforts during a financial slowdown illustrates the
definition of a false economy. “Such an action might save money
at the beginning, but over a longer period of time, it will
result in more money being wasted,” he said.
When it comes to green
building, how much does going green actually cost? The study
“Costing Green: A Comprehensive Cost Database and Budgeting
Methodology” compared the square-foot construction costs of 61
buildings pursuing Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
(LEED) certification to those of similar buildings without green
goals. Taking into consideration climate, location and other
variables, the study determined that for many of the sustainable
projects, aiming for LEED certification resulted in little or no
impact on the budget.
“Green buildings require
intensive planning to ensure optimal results,” Bulley said, “but
that additional effort is worth it, when you consider that
operating costs will be substantially reduced for the life of
the facility.”
According to the Green
Building SmartMarket Report 2006, energy represents the single
largest controllable operating expense for office buildings,
typically contributing as much as a third of a building’s
variable expenses. The report adds that the commercial office
building industry in the U.S. spends approximately $24 billion
annually on energy costs, and that a 30 percent reduction in
energy consumption, or $7.2 billion, is readily achievable by
improving building operation standards.
MCA Chicago officials took
control of their own building operation expenses this year by
moving their headquarters from a downtown high-rise to a green
building in the suburb of Burr Ridge, IL. MCA Chicago is
striving to receive LEED Gold status for their building, and
Bulley noted that their new headquarters will save on energy
expenses in numerous ways. “In lighting expenses alone, the
building is projected to save 30 percent,” he said. “Artificial
lighting is one of the major consumers of energy in any
commercial building.”
Anpath Group Inc., a producer
of cleaning and disinfecting products, has entered into an
agreement with Minntech Corp. to expand its international
distribution into Japan.
Minntech Corp., located in
Minneapolis, MN, is an EPA and FDA registered facility, and is
the exclusive manufacturer of surface disinfectant cleaners and
animal care products currently marketed by Anpath’s subsidiary
EnviroSystems, Inc.
“The Minntech relationship
provides EnviroSystems with a world-class partner and offers
synergistic opportunities to quickly accelerate the
international growth strategies for both companies,” said J.
Lloyd Breedlove, Anpath Group, Inc. president and CEO. “The
addition of the Japanese market supports our goals to expand our
multi-national business presence and addresses the worldwide
needs and opportunities for our systems, products, services, and
technologies.”
World-wide demand for cleaning
and disinfecting products continues to rise with the increased
public awareness and expanded industry guidelines, said Roy K.
Malkin, president and CEO of Minntech. “The EnviroSystems
products are ideal for use in a wide range of markets that are
in need of disinfection and cleaning to help prevent the spread
of infectious microorganisms while offering a favorable profile
for health and environmental effects.”
Breedlove went on to say, “Minntech
will not only accelerate our transformation into a pure-play
infection prevention and control company, but provide us with a
significant global platform upon which to build. Minntech has
already developed and initiated execution of its strategic plan
for Japan with an initial shipment of our EnviroTru Disinfectant
& Deodorizing Cleaner.”
NASA Selects Sponge-Jet as a
Superior Technology
Sponge-Jet Inc., a Portsmouth,
NH provider of clean, dry, low dust, reusable abrasive blasting,
was selected by NASA’s Acquisition Pollution Prevention (AP2)
Office as a “superior technology” following an extensive three
year abrasive blasting study.
The objective of the study as
published “was to qualify candidate alternative low emission
surface preparation/depainting technologies for structural steel
applications at NASA facilities. The project compares the
surface preparation/depainting performance… to existing surface
reparation and depainting systems or standards.”
Test data collected at NASA’s
Stennis Space Center in Mississippi compared plastic blast
media, hard abrasive media, portable laser coating removal,
liquid nitrogen, mechanical removal with a vacuum attachment and
Sponge Media composite abrasives. Field-testing and final
evaluation rated each technology based on ease of use, surface
cleanliness, surface profile, waste and particulate generation
and substrate damage.
The report concluded,
“Sponge-Jet proved to be a low-dusting alternative that achieved
adequate paint strip rates on carbon steel. Other benefits of
Sponge-Jet include the high recyclability of the media, ease of
use, and the high levels of worker visibility.”
“While we are not surprised
with the results, we are honored to be included in this NASA
Pollution Prevention Office Joint Test Report, and to be
regarded as the highest-rated solution is the cream of our
efforts which date back to the early nineties,” said Tony Anni,
marketing director of Sponge-Jet, Inc.
Sponge-Jet’s technology has
also been listed as an effective alternative to other
conventional abrasive technologies by the U.S. Coast Guard.
A Coast Guard report found
that the “Sponge-Jet media and process may be used as an
alternative to conventional grit blasting.” Sponge-Jet’s low
dust, low rebound, recyclable abrasive blasting technology is
widely used by the U.S. Navy and other national security forces
both domestically and abroad. Among its many benefits is the
ability to increase the serviceable life of marine-related
assets while reducing the impact that conventional abrasive
blasting typically has on the environment.
Sponge-Jet composite abrasives
are currently used in certain detachments to remove paint,
bottom-coat, tank linings, anti-foulant and non-skid coatings.
The media is also used to prepare surfaces on hulls, houses,
decks, bilges and in engineering spaces — and can now be used in
all units.
DadePaper Acquires Colonial
DadePaper, a supplier of
paper, plastic, foam disposables and Jan-San products, has
acquired Colonial Paper of Ocala, FL.
The acquisition complements
DadePaper’s strategic expansion and growth plans designed to
better serve their customers, the company said.
David Tuck, president of
Colonial Paper, will remain with the company along with the
majority of his staff as operations transition to DadePaper’s
Orlando, FL, branch.
Headquartered in Miami,
DadePaper has eight distribution branches, 12 depots, and 21
sales-support centers located strategically throughout the
Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic US, Puerto Rico, and the
Caribbean.
VFA to Assess Vegas Schools
VFA, Inc., a provider of
solutions for facilities capital planning and spend man agement,
has announced that the Clark County (Nevada) School District
(CCSD) has selected it to conduct facility condition assessments
for more than 200 schools and administrative facilities.
The nation’s fifth largest
school district has hired VFA to also provide capital planning
software to support the development of its 2008 Capital Master
Plan (CMP).
CCSD currently employs VFA
facility capital planning and asset management software as the
central repository for facility data and a decision support tool
in creating capital plans and budgets.
The software enables CCSD to
compare the relative condition of each school, calculate costs
associated with both ongoing maintenance and new construction,
and create optimal renewal budgets and capital plans.
VFA has been working with CCSD
since 1998 and has previously completed two phases of facility
condition assessments. In addition to VFA, De-Jong, Inc., an
educational facility planning firm, which completed a 2003
master plan for CCSD, and Tate, Snyder and Kimsey, a design firm
based in Henderson, NV., that has worked with CCSD since 1975,
will assist in creating the district’s CMP.
This plan will provide the
basis for long term planning and capital expenditures including
new construction, additions, remodeling and renovation of
existing facilities, timely replacement of outdated facilities
and modifications or replacement of infrastructure.
“Developing a capital master
plan that aligns with our mission of providing a quality
environment for our students’ education is our primary
objective,” said Paul Gerner, associate superintendent,
facilities division, for CCSD. “And the comprehensive data and
analysis provided by VFA and its partners serves as a strong
foundation to ensure the effectiveness of the plan.”
Clark County, which stretches
across 8,000 square miles of southern Nevada including the
metropolitan Las Vegas area, operated 341 schools as of the
2007-2008 school year. With an overall enrollment of nearly
309,000 students, the district operates one of the nation’s
largest school construction and modernization programs, opening
nine new schools and two replacement schools in the fall of
2007.
“As one of the fastest growing
school districts in the country, Clark County continues to
demonstrate its strong investment in the future through the
proactive management of a constantly growing facility
portfolio,” said Jerry Kokos, president and CEO at VFA.
“The 2008 Capital Master Plan
will enable the district to make informed long term facility
budgeting decisions and most importantly ensure that it
continues to deliver on its mission. VFA is pleased to expand
our longstanding relationship with the Clark County School
District.”
UGL Unicco Extends GreenClean
UGL Unicco, a subsidiary of
United Group Limited (UGL), is extending its GreenClean
initiative to encompass energy, water, operations & maintenance
and several other categories where the company has special
expertise that it shares with customers.
Launched in October of 2004,
UGL Unicco GreenClean was the first comprehensive sustainability
program in the industry by any service provider. It
fundamentally changed the way the company purchases equipment
and supplies, manages worksites and measures results.
“Sustainability encompasses a
lot more than it did just four years ago,” said George Lohnes,
vice-president, Marketing, UGL Unicco. “UGL Unicco Green-Clean
is evolving to meet today’s needs and will continue to move
forward as the understanding of how we can affect change
advances. We are absolutely committed to the most progressive
environmental practices so our customers can have safe and
healthy buildings. We are pleased with how far we have come to
date and we are excited about the prospects for the future.”
UGL Unicco GreenClean now
addresses sustainability on more levels through a broader
portfolio of services. The company also has several U.S. Green
Building Council LEED AP (Accredited Professional) experts who
are available to guide property owners and managers through the
certification process.
The expanded UGL Unicco
Green-Clean program takes a more comprehensive approach to many
core functions. For instance, the effects of cleaning operations
on energy usage are considered, and have resulted in new site
level policies and procedures to reduce energy usage on a
case-by-case basis.
Additionally, to meet the
needs of customers in the U.S. and Canada, the list of approved
cleaning supplies now includes not only Green Seal-certified
products but also products approved by Environmental Choice.
The program now also supports
a wider range of services that are relevant to LEED for Existing
Buildings: Operations & Maintenance guidelines in order to help
customers achieve certification and to retain the status going
forward. It also helps others that have not gone through the
formal process but want to follow a best practices approach to
sustainability.
Specifically, addresses
several LEED Registered Building Checklist categories including:
Sustainable Sites: In addition
to core indoor and outdoor facilities services, UGL Unicco helps
customers improve sustainable transportation options, as well as
reduce light pollution.
Water Efficiency: The company
brings its expertise to bear on water metering, as well as
efficient indoor and landscaping water uses.
Energy & Atmosphere: UGL
Unicco introduces customers to energy & atmosphere best
practices, and monitors and manages renewable energy,
refrigerants and other operations that affect indoor air
quality.
Materials & Resources: The
company continues its sustainable purchasing and waste
management practices and extends these services to customers for
use with their internal systems.
Indoor Environmental Quality:
In addition to continuous progress in cleaning operations, UGL
Unicco offers HVAC services including thermal monitoring, filter
maintenance and other services that improve IAQ metrics.
Grosvenor CIMS Certified With
Honors
Grosvenor Building Services,
Orlando, FL, has attained the CIMS Certification with Honors,
the highest quality recognition from the ISSA, the cleaning
industry’s leading trade association.
CIMS serves as a valuable tool
that allows cleaning organizations and facility managers to
develop and maintain consistently high standards of quality, and
demonstrates an organization’s commitment to overall customer
satisfaction.
“We are extremely honored to
be recognized by our industry’s leading quality organization,”
said Rita McCauley, president of Grosvenor Building Services,
Inc. “The ISSA has established a set of strict criteria that is
based on universally accepted management principles and applies
these elements to entire organizations.”
Grosvenor was judged on five
areas of management best practices that have proven to be the
foundation of high-performance, customer-focused cleaning
organizations:
Quality systems, service
delivery, human resources, health, safety & environmental
stewardship and management commitment.
“The company is led by an
absolute professional who believes in, and provides exemplary
support for her GBS team,” said James Vaughan, Jr., CIMS
assessor. “In return, she receives a dedicated group of
individuals who service customers by going above and beyond what
is expected.”
Established in 1959, Grosvenor
Services is a large, family owned and run professional contract
cleaning and services company.
The company employs more than
5,000 employees and has offices throughout the United States,
England and Ireland, working with a wide range of clients across
many sectors. Grosvenor has more than 50 years experience in the
industry.
