MIAMI—On Contact Solutions, a supplier of scientifically-based green products to the hotel industry, announced that it is now offering Cimi-Shield, a soybean extract spray that is non-toxic and that prevents bed bug infestations for one year. Cimi-Shield ensures against infestations by leaving a residual that kills the bugs that hatch after treatment, eliminating the need for retreatment for 12 months.In 2006, the Bed Bug Registry, a free, public database of user-submitted bed bug reports from across the United States and Canada, was founded. Today, the Registry has collected 20,000 reports from 12,000 locations and states. “Until a reliable, safe...

ATLANTA—AloStar Bank of Commerce has awarded Forest, Va.-based NanoTouch Materials with its Rising Star Award. NanoTouch will receive a one-time $5,000 micro loan to address its business goals and needs. Recipients of the Rising Star Award are referred by their current banker and carefully selected by AloStar representatives.NanoTouch Materials is a manufacturer of antimicrobial, self-cleaning touch point and “object resting area” products. These products include facility touch points such as door push pads and door handle wraps as well as portable products including travel, desk and snack mats. The company’s primary customer base includes the hospitality, travel, food service,...

WEST CHICAGO, ILL.—Tornado Industries, a leading manufacturer of professional cleaning equipment, has just introduced six new products for the professional cleaning industry. These new systems are all designed to address changing needs and challenges in the industry—including the increased need for more competitively priced, high-performing, safer and more sustainable effective cleaning equipment—as well as changes in the needs and wants of facility managers and other end-customers.According to Jolynn Kennedy, marketing manager for Tornado, the six new systems include: •    The Windshear Storm air blower/dyer with “driven air technology” that can provide very high air velocity but uses less energy and...

ORLANDO, FLA.—Anyone attending The NAFEM Show from February 7 to 9 with the goal of greening up their kitchen would have found hundreds of ways to do so thanks to the innovations brought to the trade show floor by the more than 500 exhibitors in attendance. The North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers event, held every two years, attracted approximately 20,000 foodservice professionals to the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla.Companies touted advancements in cooking, ventilation, water filtration, water recycling, water heating, cooking oil management, ice making, warewashing, food waste management, refrigeration, balers, and even vegetable, herb...

HAILEY, IDAHO—Rocky Mountain Hardware, a leading manufacturer of solid bronze architectural hardware, is entering into a collaboration with Olin Brass to produce antimicrobial copper surface hardware.In announcing the relationship, Christian Nickum, Rocky Mountain’s CEO, said, “This represents a major leap for us. We’ll be marking our 20th anniversary in 2014, and this opens the door to a whole new category of business with the wellness industry where architectural hardware needs can now be answered not only with a distinctive aesthetic and proven Made in America quality product, but also with a new generation surface recognized by the U.S. EPA...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Green Seal, the nation’s oldest nonprofit environmental certification organization, announces the publication of GS-51, a new standard designed specifically to address the life cycle impacts of laundry care products for institutional and industrial settings.Traditional laundry products are significant contributors to water pollution, and both manufacturers and users risk exposure to harmful chemicals through inhalation and skin contact when using many of these products. In addition to minimizing or eliminating the use of many hazardous ingredients often found in these products, GS-51 provides an important benchmark in terms of product concentration. The standard establishes minimum requirements for concentrated (2X)...

While “green” cleaning in hotels is common, less is known about green carpet care. This is unfortunate because, in many facilities, carpet is the largest surface used on a daily basis, and some carpet cleaning methods have the potential to negatively impact the environment. Let’s define green carpet care to help facilitate the discussion. A working definition may be as follows: “Green carpet care involves using systems, products, and procedures to help keep carpets clean and healthy with the least impact on the cleaning worker, building users, and the environment.” The goal of green carpet cleaning can be accomplished when the...

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA.—Armchem, a leading business to business distributor of more than 50,000 specialty industrial products, and a winner of Merfin’s Growing Green Program Award, introduces a new green version of their number one product, Grout 66. The green version is a non-corrosive, non-fuming tub, tile and grout cleaner that provides top-tier performance for cleaning tubs, tile, grout, walls, toilet bowls, urinals, shower stalls and other bathroom surfaces. Grout 66’s highly concentrated formula uses the latest acid replacement technology to remove dirt, soap scum, salts, body oils, rust, lime, calcium and iron deposits in 30 seconds. The...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes NanoTouch Materials, LLC as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. NanoTouch antimicrobial mats, packaged in a tamper-evident pouch or a convenient travel tube, use nanotechnology to constantly kill bacteria, viruses and fungi without the use of heavy metals or diluted poisons. The mats can be offered as a guest amenity and be used on the bathroom vanity or desk as a place to rest a toothbrush, glasses, medicines, or other personal items.NanoTouch antimicrobial facility touch points also use nanotechnology to constantly kill bacteria, viruses and fungi....

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.—MIOX Corp., an industry leader in on-site chemical generation technology, announced it is an ISO 9001:2008 Certified Company. MIOX designs and manufactures equipment that generates oxidant based chemicals on demand.“MIOX places the highest value on the voice of the customer, and that trust is only gained through delivering great products,” said MIOX chief operating officer, Kyle Lee. “We are honored to have achieved our ISO certification based on our standard business practices. Our customers can buy with the security that they are receiving high quality standardized products continuously being evaluated for improvement.”MIOX’s ISO registrar, Orion Registrar, completed two...