SAN FRANCISCO—Orbeco Inc. announced that it has signed contracts of two years each with two of the world’s leading hotel chains. The companies represent more than 5,000 hotels. The chains chose Orbeco because it offers safe and environmentally friendly green cleaning products. Orbeco offers products ranging from carpet cleaners to drain cleaners. Orbeco products are harmless to humans, animals and aquatic life. The formulas, all patented, have been designed by a French chemist. The cleaning products include safe, raw materials. All the products have been certified by Green Seal and Woolsafe and are in the process of...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Queenaire Technologies, Ashburn, Va., as a Founding Sponsor. Queenaire, with a management team with more than 30 years in the ozone industry, provides ozone generating products that deodorize and eliminate odors safely and effectively. The company sells five different machines for different size rooms and applications. Queenaire also produces the Newaire Plugin, a portable plug-in unit that can deodorize rooms up to 500 square feet in size. All of Queenaire’s products are ideal for eliminating in-room odors caused by smoke, mold and mildew, pets, and other sources....

BURBANK, CALIF.—Steril-Aire Inc. has published a new application bulletin describing how its multi-patented UVC technology can protect offices, stores and other commercial buildings while reducing costs. The bulletin, titled “UVC and Commercial Buildings,” explains how UVC devices installed in the air handling systems can result in a wide range of benefits, including mold and microbial control, enhanced indoor air quality, and energy and maintenance savings. The bulletin includes an overview of UVC features and benefits, a four-year cost-saving example, and product information on the different types of UVC devices for commercial HVAC applications. Customer testimonials are also included....

TALLAHASSEE, FLA.—The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has partnered with DadePaper Co. to help Florida’s lodging industry improve indoor air quality in hotels and motels across the state. The partnership is the latest component of DEP’s Green Lodging initiative, which encourages hotels and motels to adopt cost-saving green practices that conserve energy, reduce water consumption, protect air quality and reduce waste. “By participating in the Green Lodging Program, DadePaper becomes an example and leader within the lodging industry,” says DEP Secretary Colleen M. Castille. “Their environmental commitment serves as a challenge to hotels, suppliers, trade associations and...

PETERBOROUGH, ONT.—Enviro-Solutions introduces its Green-certified Haze Away Neutral Floor Cleaner. With foot traffic, ice melts placed at building entries in wintry climates can leave a hazy white film on hard-surface floors. This ruins the appearance of the floor and also increases the likelihood of slips and falls. Haze Away safely removes ice melt, salts and other mineral deposits, keeping floor and carpet entries clean, bright, and healthy. For more information, visit Enviro-Solutions.

DUNEDIN, FLA.—Mintek Mobile Data Solutions has released a white paper entitled, “The Case for Automated Asset Management & Preventive Maintenance.” The document makes the case for implementation of an automated solution such as Mintek’s Lodging Asset Management Suite to protect and extend the life of a hotel’s physical assets. The white paper includes examples of hotels that have implemented the company’s handheld, bar code and ASP-based systems. “Smart hotel owners and operators know that proper maintenance and management of hotel’s assets will result in extended asset life and fewer breakdowns,” says Lind Hutton, executive vice president and c.o.o....

ATLANTA—As the hotel industry continues to enjoy strong trends in occupancy and rate in its third year of recovery, there are increasing signs that the pace of increases in certain areas on the expense side of the ledger is gaining momentum. According to a recent study, from 2001 to 2005, hotel maintenance expenses grew 18.3 percent. This is nearly 33 percent greater than the pace of growth for all other hotel operating costs during this same period. As a result of these relatively strong increases, maintenance department costs as a percent of total hotel operating expenses have averaged...

OTTAWA, ONT.—The EcoLogo Program, an environmental certifying and labeling program, is about to launch its “EcoLogo USA Campaign 2006-2007.” The EcoLogo Program certifies products and services as Green and environmentally preferable in a variety of fields and industries. This includes everything from cleaning chemicals, building materials and agricultural products, to automotive and boating tools and equipment. According to Kevin Gallagher, EcoLogo vice president who is heading the program, the goals of the EcoLogo USA Campaign—which will begin September 6, 2007—are twofold: to help U.S. consumers better understand the value of using environmentally preferable products and to promote the...

LANSING, MICH.—Creating and managing hospitality facilities requires special knowledge and skills. The third edition of Hospitality Facilities Management and Design, published by the Educational Institute of the American Hotel & Lodging Assn., provides readers with a comprehensive introduction to the key issues involved in keeping a hotel’s physical plant running efficiently. Written by David M. Stipanuk, a professional engineer and member of the property asset management faculty of the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University, this new edition of Hospitality Facilities Management and Design takes a systems approach to hospitality facilities issues. Readers will learn how technology...

AKRON, OHIO—GOJO is the first company to provide a family of environmentally preferable products that meet the new EcoLogo (Environmental Choice) and Green Seal certifications (CCD-104/GS-41) for hand cleaners and hand soaps. The family of products, which will be available in early fall 2006, includes GOJO’s Green Certified Foam Hand Cleaner and Green Certified Lotion Hand Cleaner. Once a manufacturer attains certification from one of these organizations, the company may place the widely recognized EcoLogo and/or Green Seal logo on the product. This helps buyers—both consumer and corporate—select sustainable products that help protect the environment. “GOJO has...