CINCINNATI—As coronavirus paralyzes the world with fear, bioscience enterprise The Gilla Co. has developed and independently tested a product shown to be at least 99.9 percent effective in killing the deadly virus. The product, Gilla (pronounced “jilä”), received EPA registration last year as a sanitizer and disinfectant that kills germs such as the flu virus, staph, and MRSA. The Gilla Company’s pursuit of coronavirus testing is consistent with the company’s continued active exploration of the benefits of Gilla. For example, preliminary tests suggest that Gilla protects treated surfaces for a week or more. This gives Gilla the potential to...

FAIRFIELD, CONN.—In ensuring the safest, most sanitized space for your guests—the most protected from the New Coronavirus (2019-nCoV)—ions are your best friend. So says Steve Levine and Tony Abate from AtmosAir Solutions. Their company’s technology has been proven to eliminate the Coronavirus, other viruses, bacteria, fungi and allergens. Levine is President & CEO of the Fairfield, Conn.-based company and Abate is Chief Technology Officer. At the core of AtmosAir systems is Bi Polar Ionization technology. Within an HVAC system or as a standalone unit, ionization tubes are placed. As airflow passes through the tubes, Bi Polar—positive and negative—ions are created...

ODESSA, FLA.—Green Lodging News has added APEX Steam Cleaners to its Green Product & Service Directory. APEX steam cleaners clean, sanitize and deodorize without chemicals and a minimal amount of water usage. In addition, the high heat kills bed bugs without an exterminator. They are available in multiple models each with a wide range of accessories. APEX fully backs its steam cleaners with a two-year warranty on the unit’s pressure vessels and a 90-day warranty on all other parts. Call APEX Steam Sales at (609) 267-0922 or e-mail sales@apexsteam.com for more information.

ST. PAUL, MINN.—Ecolab Inc., a global leader in water, food safety and public health technologies and services, has been named to the Water Security List, with an A rating by CDP, the nonprofit global environmental disclosure platform. This year’s CDP Water Security A List recognized 71 companies globally for their sustainable water management initiatives. “Ecolab’s inclusion on the A List is recognition of our work to advance sustainable and strategic water management with our customers and in our own operations,” said Emilio Tenuta, Chief Sustainability Officer at Ecolab. “As we enter this new decade, we are expanding our capabilities to...

ATLANTA—New research from Oxy-Gen Powered, a leader in innovative odor eliminating solutions, demonstrates that lapses in odor control can be a detriment to an organization. According to their survey, conducted online by The Harris Poll from January 9 to 13, 2020 among 2,013 U.S. adults ages 18 and older, a majority of Americans (93 percent) say a foul odor would negatively impact their perception of an organization. The poll also offers a closer look at the types of businesses most affected by unpleasant smells. “No building occupant or visitor wants to be greeted with an unpleasant smell in a lobby, restroom or anywhere else in a facility,” said Andy Piucci, Vice President of Sales—North America, Oxy-Gen Powered. “This research highlights the risk organizations take when they fail to properly eliminate indoor odors caused by urine, feces, kitchens, mold, mildew, pets and more.” The Harris Poll found that 79...

MINNEAPOLIS—When it rains on the 1.6 million square foot Minneapolis Convention Center, that water is collected in an underground rainwater storage area that holds up to 250,000 gallons of water. According to Jessica Klimisch, Marketing Manager for MCC, that water is used for irrigation around MCC and diverts an estimated 5.4 million gallons of runoff annually from the Mississippi River. The rainwater collection system is just one of many green initiatives at the LEED Certified MCC. For example, kitchen areas and restrooms have been upgraded with fixtures that use 50 percent less water. Atop the center are 2,613 solar panels...

ORLANDO, FLA.—Violet Defense Group announced that it has raised an additional $2 million in funding for its germ-killing business, Violet Defense and its agricultural lighting business, Violet Gro. This round of capital was led by Kirenaga Partners, an early-stage venture capital firm with offices in New York and Orlando, Fla. “This infusion of additional capital will enable us to take both companies to their next level of growth, including further build-out of our management team and the product inventory necessary to accelerate the rich pipeline of opportunities that are developing for our products,” added Terrance Berland, CEO of Violet Defense Group. Violet Defense...

ORLANDO, FLA.—The expensive and marginally successful traditional methods of cleaning HVAC cooling coils are now becoming outmoded due to the introduction of an innovative coil restoration process that returns coils to like-new performance and offering a simple payback of as little as six months. Provided by AQUIS, a premier name in air handling unit (AHU) refurbishment, this new coil restoration process utilizes a unique probiotic technology to clean coils at a microscopic level, unlocking like-new system performance along with energy savings that users can literally calculate. “Traditional coil cleaning, which typically utilizes pressure washers and steam cleaners, fails to treat entrenched...

ST. PAUL, MINN.—Ecolab Inc., a global leader in water, food safety and public health technologies and services, has been named to Bloomberg’s 2020 Gender-Equality Index (GEI). The GEI tracks the financial performance of public companies committed to supporting gender equality through policy development, representation and transparency. Ecolab is one of 325 companies across 50 industries to be included in the 2020 index. “Our diverse teams are helping us fuel greater innovation, drive stronger performance and accelerate our growth,” said Chairman and CEO Douglas M. Baker, Jr. “We’re working hard to ensure Ecolab is a place where everyone can create, contribute...

ATLANTA—Washington, D.C. is ringing in the new decade as the number one city on Orkin’s Top 50 Bed Bug Cities list. Meanwhile, Baltimore fell to the second spot after three years as the frontrunner, and Indianapolis joined the top of the list. The list was not broken down by cities with the most problematic hotels. Flint saw the biggest jump moving 16 spots to number 31 after only joining the list in 2018. Pittsburgh and Champaign both broke into the top 20, and Myrtle Beach and Toledo joined the top 50 list for the first time. The list is based on...