SAN FRANCISCO—Starbucks Coffee Co. announced the “Starbucks Greener Stores” framework and a commitment to design, build and operate 10,000 “Greener Stores” globally by 2025. “Starbucks Greener Stores” framework will be built upon comprehensive performance criteria that help ensure the company’s approach to designing, building, and operating its company-owned stores sets a new standard for green retail. Over the next year, Starbucks will develop an accredited program to audit all existing company-operated stores in the United States and Canada against the framework criteria, culminating in 10,000 “Greener Stores” globally by 2025, encompassing existing stores, new builds and renovations. “Starbucks Greener...

SAN DIEGO—In response to growing customer demand, Cali Bamboo, has added nine new floors to its Eco-Engineered bamboo flooring collection. Engineered planks are frequently a strategic choice, with a layered construction that makes them more dimensionally stable, and therefore better suited for high moisture environments like kitchens, bathrooms, and basements. The new floors are the omnichannel company’s first engineered styles with click-lock milling, ideal for glue-down or floating installations. Planks measure 72⅞ inches long, 5 5/16 inches wide, and 9/16 of an inch thick. The entire engineered collection is now available from Cali Bamboo, various flooring dealers across the country,...

SAN FRANCISCO—Today, the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) officially launched its Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment (the Commitment) as part of the momentous Global Climate Action Summit, celebrating 37 founding signatories. In an unprecedented statement of coordinated action from business and cities, states and regions, the 37 signatories, made up of 11 businesses, 22 cities and four states and regions, gathered at a dedicated session to signal the start of a leadership movement towards a decarbonized built environment. Businesses across the world and throughout the building and construction supply chain, have set ambitious targets to eliminate operational carbon emissions from their building portfolios of over 10...

ORLANDO, FLA.—A new concept in tourism is coming to Orlando in 2019. Healthy Vacation Club will be transforming the tourism landscape by meeting the needs of the sustainability, organic, and non-toxic focused travel markets. The travel industry in the United States has been slow to adapt to the quickly growing demand for organic products, leaving those who strive to remove toxins from their lives with few vacation options. The brainchild of this innovative travel concept is Emelie Kamp, a wellness entrepreneur and founder of Worth it Living, a wellness brand whose mission is to empower individuals to live with wellness and...

MIAMI—The Naples Hotel Group, a leading hotel development and management company, celebrates the TownePlace Suites by Marriott Miami Airport for achieving the LEED Silver certification by the U.S. Green Building Council under their rating system, which is the most widely used green building rating system. Naples Hotel Group was awarded the development and management contract for the Miami Airport hotel by owners, Hotelex Airport LLC. The LEED certification identifies the TownePlace Suites by Marriott Miami Airport as an example of sustainability and helping to transform the building industry. According to the U.S. Green Building Council’s website, LEED, or Leadership in...

TEMPLE, TEXAS—A year after launching its educational initiative, Understanding Wood: Sourcing Against the Grain, Wilsonart announces a renewed commitment to help educate architects and designers (A&D) about using responsibly sourced wood materials. To further support the A&D community, Wilsonart is conducting a second National Day of Learning event, launching a cross country education tour, adding new content to its educational hub, and renewing its grant to Interlochen Arts Academy. “We learned from our outreach last year that professionals in the industry are eager to be more informed about the materials they specify,” noted Tammy Weadock, Communications Manager at Wilsonart. “We...

SAN DIEGO—Cali Bamboo, the direct-to-consumer and omnichannel leader in both flooring and decking, has named industry veteran Bob Fish as its new Director of National Sales. Fish spent the last 30+ years at Shaw Industries, and most recently served as an Anderson/Tuftex Regional Vice President. His contributions to the company resulted in consistent sales growth and a stream of accolades, including Tuftex National Regional Vice President of the Year in 2017. He brings to the Cali team a wealth of industry experience in both the United States and Canada, and decades of close relationships with top flooring retailers. Rich Mandel...

JASPER, IND.—Indiana Furniture announced Strategic Furniture Group as its new manufacturer’s representative to manage sales in the southern California region, servicing Los Angeles to San Diego and the surrounding areas. Strategic Furniture Group is an independent rep firm with over 100 years of combined experience in all areas of contract furnishings and finishes, offering a uniquely expert and personal approach to support the needs of commercial projects. With excellent customer service and the ability to meet a wide range of client budgets and requests, Strategic Furniture Group is poised to assist a broad range of vertical markets including corporate, education,...

Recently, a new category of surfacing materials hit the market, and represents what is truly next in engineered surfacing: sintered stone. Sintered stone is the moniker firms like Lapitec and Neolith have chosen to differentiate their products from traditional quartz materials. These products are superior in a myriad of ways: They are stain resistant, scratch resistant, as well as heat and frost resistant; They are ideal for outdoor use and do not fade or yellow like other materials; They can be used as exterior cladding, and in some cases reduce air pollution; and They are incredibly hard and impenetrable. Where...

AUSTIN, TEXAS—Scandinavian Spaces together with partner brand Skandiform, are offering three comfortable, sustainable chairs—Deli, Decibel, and Phaze. Delivering furniture with a purposeful sense of personality and harmony, the contract furniture is designed for the modern, minimalistic environment. Collaborating with well renowned designers and architects within the industry, the Deli, Decibel, and Phaze balance modern minimalism with functional detailed design. The Deli offers an organically formed seat shell in a stylish, stackable chair. A happy hybrid, Deli was created to combine function and relaxation into one unique and undeniably poised chair. Lending comfort to the contract world of interior spaces, Deli...