DALTON, GA.—Shaw Industries Group, Inc. (Shaw) recently earned top honors in the Floor Covering Weekly annual GreenStep awards, which recognize the flooring industry’s contributions to sustainability. Shaw received the magazine’s most prestigious recognition, the Pinnacle Award, in addition to winning the Practice/Process and International award categories and being named honoree in the People and Promotion/Communication categories. “We’re proud to be recognized as an industry leader in sustainability,” said Kellie Ballew, Vice President of Global Sustainability at Shaw. “We’re steadfast in our commitment to minimizing our impact on the environment and maximizing human potential. It’s about people and the planet. The events...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Green Seal announced a new certification standard for paints and coatings that fully aligns with the latest version of the LEED green building rating system. Products certified to Green Seal’s updated paint standard are designated by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) as complying with the requirements for the LEED v4 and v4.1 low-emitting materials credit. Green Seal’s paint certification is the only mark in the marketplace to qualify products for both LEED v4.1 credit requirements and Amazon’s Climate Pledge Friendly badge, making it simple for health-focused buyers to identify safer products. The updated GS-11 Standard for Paints, Coatings, Stains and Sealers is...

JASPER, IND.—Indiana Furniture announced an expansion of their portfolio with six new and enhanced lines set to launch over the course of the remainder of this year. These additions take design and flexibility to the next level, amplifying style and functionality across a broad range of applications to better support personalization and overall productivity. They’ve taken height adjustability to new elevations, comfort to new degrees of relaxation, traditional styling to modern sensibility, and personalization options to an entirely new form of luxe—to “live the plush life,” says Mike Blessinger, V.P. of Sales & Marketing for Indiana Furniture. Indiana Furniture introduces Plush...

RIYADH—The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC), the developer behind the ambitious regenerative tourism project, The Red Sea Project (TRSP), has revealed design plans for its new mountain resort named Desert Rock in the wadi vistas in the west of the country. Created by the world-class architectural design firm, Oppenheim Architecture, Desert Rock is designed to protect and preserve the environment and will allow guests to connect with the nature and local culture of the region. “We wanted to create a destination that allows guests to experience Saudi Arabia’s untouched beauty,” said John Pagano, CEO of TRSDC. “Desert Rock will provide guests...

VALENCIA, SPAIN—Adela Rex is Andreu World’s first collaboration with French designer, Philippe Starck. It is part of the 100 percent pure wood project, which brings together seating and tables, made in part or entirely with only selected slow-growing wood from reforested forests that are harvested on the company’s own land. In many cases, the pieces are made without using any component of any other material—with guaranteed quality and a FSC 100 percent certification. Adela Rex uses plywood, possibly the most sustainable because its use is far superior, taking the ply to the limit with a special mold that makes it...

SOLON, OHIO—Tarkett North America announces the introduction of two soft-surface patterns and a digitally printed luxury vinyl tile, created in collaboration with designer Jhane Barnes. Following her signature process of translating mathematical formulas into striking patterns, Jhane used the geometric concept of space-filling fractals to create her latest carpet styles: Corollary and Spin-Off. A space-filling fractal is a pattern that can be infinitely duplicated, without overlapping itself. Using patented software, Jhane squeezed, rotated, and mirrored certain pieces of a space-filling fractal until various squares and rectangles emerged. As a result, Spin-Off delivers the look of modular planks and tiles, even when it’s installed...

CHICAGO—The Mitchell Group has introduced the newest offering in silicone upholstery fabrics, Sta-Kleen Silicone Digital Prints. The new digital print collection offers the same environmental, performance, and cleaning qualities as the award-winning Sta-Kleen Silicone fabrics, announced Bill Fisch, President. The collection will initially consist of seven digitally printed fabrics that have been designed for the healthcare, hospitality, contract, and other commercial markets. “Sta-Kleen Silicone is produced in a new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility. It was conceived, planned, and constructed under the direction of an environmentally driven team that’s trained in and remains dedicated to fuel efficiencies, resource conservation and recovery, and production...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Board of Directors announced that Mahesh Ramanujam will be stepping down as president and CEO of USGBC, Green Business Certification, Inc. (GBCI) and Arc Skoru, effective Nov. 1, 2021. This announcement comes as a part of the organization’s review of its structure, go-to-market strategy and leadership to optimize the organizations’ support of the green building community, expand the green building marketplace, increase access to sustainable, healthy and resilient places, and ensure organizational excellence. “Mahesh Ramanujam has a deep dedication to the green building movement and has worked tirelessly to advance the goals of...

The world’s environment is affected primarily by real estate, transportation, and manufacturing. Due to the influence that these industries have on each other, it is clear that designing and operating sustainable buildings have a tremendous impact on the environment. Some of the concerns addressed by sustainability practices include inefficient site planning; lack of smart growth; waste of water, electricity, and energy; overconsumption and excessive waste; not using sustainable materials; minimizing transportation; the lack of healthy indoor air quality; increased pollution; depletion of the ozone layer; and climate change. Challenges & Misconceptions The hospitality industry was slow to adopt sustainable operations and design because...

CALHOUN, GA.—Mannington Commercial announced that it has completed the purchase of select assets from AtlasMasland, the commercial floor covering business of The Dixie Group. The purchase provides Mannington Commercial with expanded carpet manufacturing capabilities, an extensive set of well-established product lines and more sales resources to meet its customers’ evolving needs. “Today marks an exciting new chapter for Mannington Commercial and our customers,” said Mannington Commercial President Tom Pendley. “These new resources enable us to further penetrate strategic, high-growth market segments while providing a broader array of flooring solutions for our customers. We welcome AtlasMasland to the Mannington family and...