WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced that a performance by environmental advocate and nine-time Grammy winner Sheryl Crow will help open its Greenbuild 2009 Conference, the world’s premier forum on sustainable buildings and communities. The Greenbuild International Conference & Expo is being held this November 11 to 13 in Phoenix. More than 25,000 people attend Greenbuild every year, and its increasing profile and size led USGBC to open this year’s event at Chase Field, home to Major League Baseball’s Arizona Diamondbacks. The Nov. 11 opening evening will feature presentations and a keynote address, in addition to Crow’s performance. “Beyond...

WAYLAND, N.Y.—Gunlocke, an industry leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of wood contract furniture, is making it easy to include its sustainable product portfolio in projects to earn valuable LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) credits. Gunlocke’s latest online tool, the Green Calculator, provides designers and facility managers the opportunity to easily calculate how Gunlocke products can contribute to the earning of LEED credits for current and upcoming commercial interiors projects. “Gunlocke’s commitment to the environment and role as a leading resource for sustainable products is evident in our new Green Calculator tool,” said Roy Green, Gunlocke director...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes JL Furnishings (“JLF”) and its sister company, Lone Meadow, as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. JL Furnishings and Lone Meadow weave creative, cutting-edge design into thoughtful domestic furniture manufacturing, specifically for the hospitality industry. They are one of a handful of American-crafted milling specialists in volume contract seating. Privately held and performance driven, JLF/Lone Meadow both offer flexible solutions in fine seating and tables. As the “first in” leader of “green” hospitality seating, Lone Meadow has made a commitment to achieve manufacturing standards that are environmentally...

DALLAS—LQ Management LLC, one of the largest operators of limited-service hotels in the United States, has long had an interest in running properties that are energy efficient. It has been an Energy Star partner since 1995, first established a compact fluorescent lighting program for its La Quinta Inns and La Quinta Inns & Suites brands in 1999, has a towel and linen reuse program at its more than 700 hotels, has deployed guestroom energy management systems in more than 160 properties, and is currently working with the American Hotel & Lodging Assn. to follow its 11 Minimum Guidelines for...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Internationally recognized architecture and design firm, CORE, announces the hiring of Brian R. Judis, LEED AP. Judis will serve as the hospitality practice senior project manager, according to CORE management. Judis brings 15 years of experience managing large and often transformational hospitality projects to the CORE team. Most recently associated with Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc, where he was the director of capital expenditures, Judis implemented capital investment projects upwards of $70 million annually and was the lead manager for the design and construction of numerous hotel projects throughout the United States. His tenure at Host and,...

LOS ANGELES—Commercial carpet manufacturer Bentley Prince Street, Inc. announced that it has received a third-party verified Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for its broadloom products. This achievement marks the first time a North American broadloom carpet product has received an EPD, the international gold standard for illustrating the various aspects of a product’s performance. “The significance of this EPD verification is the amount of detail and transparency required, providing the most accurate, objective picture available of a product’s true environmental impact,” said Anthony Minite, president of Bentley Prince Street. “This is the best impartial tool available to provide customers with a...

PARSIPPANY, N.J.—Looking down on the roof of Wyndham Worldwide’s new headquarters on a sunny day could be hazardous to your eyes. The 83,000 square feet of white roofing on the top of the company’s new corporate headquarters building in Parsippany just might reflect the sun back at you. The white roof, which helps keep the building cool during the summer, is just one of the many green features found at Wyndham’s three-level corporate office. According to Faith Taylor, vice president, sustainability and innovation for Wyndham Worldwide, the complex opened earlier this year in February and more than 800 employees...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—A new 226-room Courtyard by Marriott hotel in Chevy Chase, Md., on the Maryland/Washington, D.C. border is now open to the public. Grosvenor Americas, the international property development and investment company, has completed a $35 million renovation and re-branding of the original 39-year-old building. The new Courtyard by Marriott Chevy Chase is designed to meet the criteria for the Gold LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED is an internationally recognized certification system that measures how well a building performs across a number of areas that matter most: energy...

NORTH WALPOLE, N.H.—Len-Tex Corp. announced that its entire line of contract wallcoverings has been certified to meet the indoor air quality (IAQ) standards of California’s Section 01350 for low VOC emissions. This specification developed by the state of California measures key environmental performance in building materials, primarily interior finish products. All Len-Tex wallcoverings meet the standards outlined in the section’s IAQ testing protocol, which stipulates that independent laboratories test materials for chemical emissions. In addition, Len-Tex wallcoverings have also been certified to meet the stringent criteria of the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS section 01350) in...

MILWAUKEE—Timber Holdings International, the original Iron Woods brand of naturally durable hardwood products, announced a partnership with MEISTER of Germany to be the U.S. distributor of the first Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified laminate flooring line for the United States. The new flooring is suited for both commercial and residential buildings, and complies with LEED requirements set forth by the U.S. Green Building Council for green buildings. The laminate line includes both cork backed (9.3 mm) sound-absorbing, and non-cork backed (8mm) products in 4" and 5 1/2" widths. This floor is produced using the newly-developed direct printing technology, so there...