BOSTON—Seattle-based O Ecotextiles, which debuted in the United States last year, announced that its fabric was selected as one of BuildingGreen’s 2008 Top 10 Green Building Products by the editors of Environmental Building News and GreenSpec. This seventh annual award recognizes the most innovative and exciting green building products added to the GreenSpec Directory during the past year or covered in Environmental Building News. O Ecotextiles’ message is that being an “organic textile” means not just that a fabric uses organic fibers in the yarn, but that every step of the production process has been certified eco-friendly. The company produces...

TEMPERANCE, MICH.—MTS, a leading manufacturer of premium seating for the hospitality industry, announced that Bart Kulish has been named president of the company. Kulish, who joined the company in 1985, most recently served as vice president and general manager. Phil Swy, who has held the title of president since 1993, will assume the role of CEO. “Bart is an exceptional leader who has managed our day-to-day operations very effectively for the last several years,” said Swy, whose family co-founded and continues to own and operate MTS. He is uniquely qualified to continue our growth and to guide our company going...

NATIONAL REPORT—For those who specify and/or purchase fabric for items such as furniture and draperies, options that include recycled content have been around for a long time. Over the last year, however, fabric suppliers have increased the number of “green” options they offer. Today, it is easy to find polyester fabric made from yarn derived from recycled plastic bottles. Sustainable fabric made from natural fibers is also quite common. While the price point for some sustainable fabrics can be higher, some vendors are able to offer sustainable lines at the same price as traditional fabrics because of the high...

TRINITY, N.C.—Sealy Global Hospitality, one of the world’s leading hospitality mattress manufacturers, has created a new line of Sealy Posturepedic sleep systems with convertible pillowtops. They were created specifically for hospitality environments looking to balance the demand from customers for greener practices without compromising cost or comfort. While conventional pillowtops cannot be detatched from mattresses, the innovative reversible pillowtop on the Sealy Posturepedic Convertible Collection mattress has been engineered to be easily removed, rotated or replaced by a single person using VELCRO brand fasteners, which adhere the pillowtop to the mattress’ core. Rotating and inverting the pillowtop allows for four...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Grosvenor, the international property development, investment and fund management group, is embarking on a $35 million renovation and re-branding of an old Holiday Inn hotel in Chevy Chase, Md. It closed earlier this year and will reopen as a Courtyard by Marriott in the spring of 2009. Grosvenor is seeking a Silver LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) for the newly renovated hotel. The renovation will include expanding the hotel from 214 to 226 rooms and creating 1,500 additional square feet of retail space just north of Saks Jandel with...

CHICAGO—Hyatt Hotels & Resorts has announced the January 2009 launch of its second property under its new brand, Andaz. Located on Los Angeles’ Sunset Strip—the site of the Hyatt West Hollywood—Andaz West Hollywood will reflect the cosmopolitan feel of its surrounding neighborhood while showcasing the brand’s friendly and caring service, relaxed ambience and vibrant social spaces. Launched in 2007 with Andaz Liverpool Street in London, the Andaz brand was designed with simplicity and locality in mind. Andaz offers a flexible and personalized experience beginning with the arrival process. Departing from convention, guests are welcomed into the Andaz Lounge, a non-traditional...

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA.—Valley Forge Fabrics has appointed Kimberly Roeser vice president of the company’s worldwide sales force. Kimberly’s successful career in hospitality spans 20 years and includes a consistent focus on design and quality. After graduating from West Virginia University with a Bachelor of Science degree, Kimberly became a published residential designer for Worells Interiors of Palm Beach, Fla. Kimberly merged her love for high design with her innate ability to communicate well when she changed her career path and went to work for Bamboo Abbott. Her role included selling decorative window blinds as well as private label items. It...

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.—Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. announced that its flagship Element hotel—Element Lexington—is the first Starwood hotel to earn Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program and the first hotel in Massachusetts to achieve this prestigious rating. Element Lexington earned LEED Gold certification in recognition of its superior performance in areas including water and energy conservation and improved indoor environmental quality measures. The hotel, which opened its doors in July 2008, expects to recoup its investment in green building in less than five years, due to associated operational savings....

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) annual Greenbuild conference welcomed nearly 30,000 attendees in November at its show in Boston, the most robust crowd in the show’s seven year history. Greenbuild is the world’s largest conference and expo dedicated to green building, and convenes the building industry for three days of educational sessions, renowned speakers, green building tours, seminars and networking events. This year’s show offered a slate of educational offerings, covering a diverse array of current topics, from green jobs, green building technologies, to biodiversity and social equity. Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Laureate and revered advocate against...

LOUISVILLE, KY.—LSI Wallcovering announced it will pick up freight costs to bring used vinyl wallcovering back to its Second-Look Recycling Center in New Castle, Ind. The Louisville, Ky.-based wallcovering manufacturer made the move to ensure that rising fuel costs don’t discourage specifiers from recycling wallcovering. Second-Look accepts all makes of vinyl wallcovering and covers freight from any location in the continental United States and Canada. Second-Look is the first program to recycle post-consumer vinyl wallcovering and has diverted hundreds of thousands of pounds from the landfill since it began operations in 2005. Effective immediately, the free freight program is available...