EAST LONGMEADOW, MASS.—Excel Dryer, Inc., manufacturer of the XLERATOR Hand Dryer, announced that Sybil Jandette has joined its growing team as New Business Development Manager, Latin America. A current resident of Mexico with extensive experience in supply chain management for manufacturers in Latin America and China, Jandette will be responsible for developing Excel Dryer’s strategy and growth in the Latin American market. “Sybil brings her own unique experience working in the Latin American market to Excel Dryer, and we are so excited that she will be able to share her knowledge as a trusted member of our team,” said William Gagnon, Vice President of...

NORTHBROOK, ILL.—UMF Corp. recently announced that Mabel Castro, guestroom attendant (GRA) at the Chicago Marriott Downtown, has earned the company’s third annual Guest Room Attendant Excellence Award. UMF established the GRA Excellence Award in 2020 to acknowledge the crucial role GRAs play in ensuring hotel guest safety, satisfaction, and loyalty in the COVID-19 era. “In the more than 15 years that Mabel has worked for Marriott, she has been recognized countless times by our guests for going above and beyond,” said Chicago Marriott Downtown Director of Services Victoria DeSantis. “She consistently exceeds our guests’ expectations, exuding positive energy, remembering our return...

Like it or not, when a hotel’s next Quality Assurance Inspection rolls around, Employee Safety Device (ESD) compliance will now be part of the checklist if the property is managed or franchised by one of the 60 hotel companies that made a pledge to the AHLA’s 5-Star Promise initiative. That means if the hotel has not equipped certain associates with an emergency alert device or panic button platform by the time the brand inspector shows up, chances are likely it can fail. Those who thought QA Inspections were nerve-wracking before may be gob smacked when they see the new brand mandated ESD...

Housekeeping was highlighted in the news prominently the last few weeks. First, the Los Angeles City Council in late June passed a measure to limit the daily workload of housekeepers, offer overtime pay under certain circumstances, provide “panic buttons” to protect their workers from sexual harassment and do away with policies that automatically forgo daily cleaning. Many hotels and hotel companies across the nation did away with daily cleaning when COVID-19 first struck to reduce the spread of the disease and because of labor shortages. The measure, according to the Los Angeles Times, was strongly supported by Unite Here Local...

NATIONAL REPORT—An American Hotel & Lodging Association survey showed that 97 percent of respondents were experiencing a staffing shortage. The most critical staffing need is housekeeping, with 58 percent ranking it as their biggest challenge. Just about everything to do with housekeeping needs a do over, with its reputation for low pay, exposure to chemicals and a high rate of injuries due to repetitive tasks. Several companies have come up with solutions for one of the most back-hurting tasks of a housekeeper—the lifting of the mattress. According to Yonatan Guy, CEO of Beddingo, a housekeeper typically changes 20 to 25...

WOOSTER, OHIO—Wooster Products’ FLEXMASTER Safety Renovation Treads offer an easily applied anti-slip surface to interior or exterior stairs. An extruded aluminum base is covered with Flex-Tred anti-slip tape which provides a much higher coefficient of friction, whether wet or dry, significantly reducing the risk of slips or falls. They are available in lengths to 12-feet and with a variety of tread depths. Various colors, including fluorescent colors and NITEGLOW Glow in the Dark are available; all colors extend uniformly throughout the abrasive surface. The abrasive FLEX-TRED tape is chemically bonded onto the extrusion with an adhesive matrix capable of...

LOMBARD, ILL.—Radonova, a global leader in radon measurement, has relocated from their Westmont, Illinois address to just 5 miles up the road to Lombard, Illinois as part of a long-term growth plan. The new facility more than doubles their capacity to sell and process radon tests and measurements in the United States and Canada. The new office, located at 1 East 22nd Street, Suite 200 in Lombard, Illinois offers space for additional inventory and future expansion. “We had been in our old office location for 6 years and were outgrowing the space,” says Radonova, Inc. Operations Manager Steve Leslie. “The move...

In case you missed it, on June 21 the Los Angeles City Council approved a measure that will reduce the workload for hotel housekeepers. According to the Los Angeles Times, most hotels in the city of Los Angeles will be required to limit the daily workload of housekeepers, offer overtime pay under certain circumstances, provide “panic buttons” to protect their workers from sexual harassment and do away with policies that automatically forgo daily cleaning. Unite Here Local 11, a union representing Southern California hotel workers, filed more than 110,000 signatures on a petition to put the measure on the city’s November...

ORLANDO, FLA.—Showing how it is providing a complete range of application-specific autonomous robots to the hospitality industry, LG Business Solutions USA demonstrated three unique UL-certified robots at HITEC 2022. Appearing together at a trade show for the first time, the LG CLOi ServeBot, the LG CLOi GuideBot tour guide robot and the newly UL certified autonomous LG CLOi UV-C Bot roamed at the Orange County Convention Center. “LG is committed to leading the way in the development of a broad range of autonomous robots that can improve and enhance the hospitality experience for our channel partners,” said Michael Kosla, LG Business Solutions USA’s Hospitality Vice President....

ROSEMONT, ILL.—The Global Biorisk Advisory Council, (GBAC), a Division of ISSA, announced that Dr. Deborah Birx, world-renowned medical physician, infectious disease expert, and diplomat, will be the keynote speaker at the GBAC Symposium on Air Considerations, August 16 to 17, at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. The inaugural GBAC Symposium will bring together scientists and industry thought leaders to share innovations and best practices for improving indoor air quality in nonhealthcare settings. “The GBAC Symposium is our next step in driving innovation and advancement to make our world safer,” said GBAC Senior Director Michael Diamond. “This event will bring together environmental safety and...