WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced Archbishop Desmond Tutu as the opening keynote speaker for USGBC’s annual Greenbuild Conference & Expo. Greenbuild will be held November 17-19, 2008, in Boston. Bishop Tutu, a Nobel Peace Laureate, lead a crusade for social justice and racial conciliation in South Africa as then-General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches. Today, he is revered worldwide as a “moral voice” seeking to end poverty and human rights abuses. “Bishop Tutu’s life, work, and message demonstrate the power of transformational change,” commented Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO & founding chairman of USGBC....

NEW YORK—Standard Textile, a leader in textile manufacturing and distribution, recently launched two new lines of sheeting developed and manufactured using its patented Centium Core Technology. Based on the success of its ComforTwill sheeting—the first line of bed linens available using Centium Core Technology—the company expanded the range of the Centium Core Technology products to include Centima and Centium Satin. According to Gary Heiman, president and CEO of Standard Textile, the new products broaden the choices and ensure that there is an appropriate Centium Core Technology sheeting option for virtually all hotels, regardless of market segment. “Standard Textile is always looking...

LOS ANGELES—Staron Surfaces, a division of worldwide technology leader Samsung, has announced an expansion of its Tempest product line by adding 10 new colors, bringing the entire Tempest palate to 20 color options. The new colors series, branded Tempest Stylist, exudes rich, natural color tones. The series provides an upscale, designer-grade product to professionals and homeowners who are seeking a unique surface for any project. “Like the existing Tempest colors, those in the Stylist series include larger, translucent particulates, which create a look that rivals quartz and natural stone,” said Dale Mandell, Staron’s national sales manager. “In several of the...

KENNESAW, GA.—The Mohawk Group announced that the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) National Furniture Center (NFC) honored the global flooring manufacturer for the second time in four years with the coveted 2007 Evergreen Award during a recent reception in Washington, D.C. The environmental accolade affirms The Mohawk Group’s ongoing dedication to reducing waste by improving energy and resource efficiencies through innovative products, processes and services. “Receiving the GSA Evergreen Award is a shining achievement in The Mohawk Group’s history,” said Al Kabus, president of The Mohawk Group. “Environmental responsibility is a cornerstone of our corporate character, and this honor only...

LAGRANGE, GA.—Milliken Hospitality’s Lucerne modular carpet collection received the Editors’ Choice Award for green décor during the 92nd annual International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show (IH/M&RS) last month at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. This year, the awards program was expanded to include a green equivalent to each of the competition’s five traditional categories of décor, essentials, luxury, restaurant and technology. Editors from leading hospitality trade publications reviewed nearly 150 submissions of cutting-edge, new products, and selected winners based on innovative product design, how a product answers a particular industry need, creative use of material or...

NEW YORK—One of this city’s first hotel projects in pursuit of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification is under construction on Crosby Street in SoHo. The 11-story 9 Crosby Street Hotel will have 75 rooms and is expected to open in the first quarter of 2009. The hotel is being developed by London-based Firmdale Hotels, a company known for high-end properties including the Haymarket Hotel, The Soho Hotel, and Number Sixteen—all in the London area. The company supplying the architects for the project is New York-based Stonehill & Taylor Architects, P.C. The firm is involved in the project...

Design elements cannot be overvalued in the hospitality industry. Carpet contributes to the signature impression, adding comfort to small spaces and human scale to imposing interiors. When specifying carpet for hospitality, there are three considerations to ensure sustainable selections—design and purpose; maintenance during useful life; and end-of-life options. Where do you start and what do you ask? Fortunately the carpet industry has removed the angst from the green certification process. Now a single standard identifies carpets that have a reduced environmental impact. The first multi-attribute American National Standards Institute (ANSI) approved Standard—NSF 140-2007, Sustainable Carpet Assessment Standard was introduced at...

LONG ISLAND CITY, N.Y.—Architects, building developers, owners and renovators now can use the MechoShade Systems’ Mecho/5 solar shading system with EcoVeil shadecloth to contribute to a LEED Innovation in Design point. The point can help buildings achieve LEED Green Building Certification, Silver, Gold and Platinum levels. Mecho/5 with EcoVeil shadecloth is the first complete solar shading system that contributes to an Innovation in Design product. The environmentally friendly system qualified when the U.S. Green Building Council, which manages the LEED program, included Cradle to Cradle certified building products in the Innovation in Design category. Mecho/5 with EcoVeil received Cradle to Cradle...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes To Market, LLC as an advertising partner. The company’s “Alternative Materials for Interior Spaces” includes product lines such as Atmosphere Recycled Rubber Flooring, Fusion Commercial Carpet, Preserve Bamboo, Formis Solid Surface Flooring, Unicork Flooring, and the Wallware Wallcoating System. To Market, based in Oklahoma City, Okla., was founded in 1998. The company focuses on the creation of specifications as it partners with specially selected manufacturers to bring environmentally responsive alternatives to market. Go to To Market, write to pwexler@tomkt.com, or call (866)-772-4772 for more information.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is used by everyone—from facility managers to operations contractors. An often-overlooked detail in the green building discussion is the enormous size of the existing building market—some 80 times larger than the new construction market. Most of the existing buildings that dot our land and cityscapes are operating with little efficiency in terms of energy and water, and are negatively impacting CO2 emissions. Making our existing buildings smarter and more efficient will have a major impact on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance is a tool for greening...