NATIONAL REPORT—No matter what size your facility is, chances are great that it can benefit from the latest window film advancements. In fact, some window films can help generate up to 30 percent savings in heating and cooling costs. Once questioned because of stories about bubbling or fading—mostly untrue according to experts—window film today is a reliable product that can provide many benefits. “Window film saves everybody money,” says Jeff Cohen, owner of Kustom Options, a window film installer based in Murrieta, Calif. The first benefit is energy savings. Window film, typically installed on the inside of window glass, rejects heat,...

INDIANAPOLIS—Ralston Square, a $60 million condominium and retail project proposed for downtown Indianapolis, includes a hotel that will pursue Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification. The boutique-style hotel, which will include 150 to 160 rooms, will be part of a 10-story building located just two blocks from the new Lucas Oil Stadium, the future home of the Indianapolis Colts. The developer for the project is Indianapolis-based Ralston Square Ltd. Liability LLC. The architectural firm designing the complex is Ratio Architects, also of Indianapolis. The steel and brick building will have a rooftop terrace planted in grass or gardens, energy-efficient...

SAN DIEGO, CALIF.—Cali Bamboo, the company committed to saving the planet one customer at a time, announced the opening of a distribution center in Philadelphia to service growing demand on the East Coast for bamboo products. The new distribution center, located hours from major markets in New York, Canada and the entire Eastern Seaboard, will enable Cali Bamboo to grow its business, reduce its carbon footprint, and expand the firm’s growth with contractors, builders and architects on both coasts. Previously, orders from the eastern half of the country or up to Canada were taking seven to 10 days for...

CITY OF INDUSTRY, CALIF.—Projects using Bentley Prince Street carpet will now find it a little easier to earn a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) credit, thanks to recently revised U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) guidelines. Under the new USGBC guidelines, Bentley Prince Street products that are certified to the stringent “California Gold” standard can now contribute to a LEED Innovation in Design credit. The LEED Innovation in Design Credit provides design teams and projects the opportunity to be awarded points for exceptional performance above LEED requirements. All of Bentley Prince Street’s standard broadloom products are certified to...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Enviro Bath LLC as a Green Product Directory partner. Enviro Bath is a company dedicated to being green. Its product line consists of water-conserving sensor faucets, and sinks cast from solid recycled metal. All Enviro Bath products are cast from salvaged brass, aluminum and various other alloys. Enviro Bath offers numerous original finishes and unique designs. Enviro Bath product is made here in the United States and the company welcomes custom projects. Go to Enviro Bath, write to joe@elitebath.net, or call (866)-701-2284, for more information.

LOS ANGELES—Samsung, a leader in technology and manufacturer of Staron Solid Surface and Tempest, has been granted Greenguard certification by the Greenguard Environmental Institute for its Staron Solid Surface material, including the new Staron Tempest line, as well as its all-acrylic sinks and bowls. Each of the product lines has passed the requirements of two Greenguard certification programs. Greenguard Indoor Air Quality Certified product certification is granted for low-emitting interior building materials, furnishings and finish systems. The more stringent Greenguard for Children & Schools certification is granted for low-emitting interior building materials, furnishings and finish systems used in educational (daycare...

LOUISVILLE, KY.—Second-Look, the first recycling program for vinyl wallcovering, has won the Gold Award for Most Sustainable Product from IIDEX/NeoCon Canada, the Symposium Distinction Award for Most Sustainable Product from the Healthcare Facilities Symposium & Expo, and the Grand Prize for Environmental Solutions in the Innovations Competition at NeoCon. Second-Look was launched this year by Louisville-based LSI Wallcovering and took home the top environmental prize at the three international design shows. A comprehensive sustainable solution, Second-Look includes a retrieval program that reclaims used vinyl wallcovering made by any manufacturer from renovation projects. The used wallcoverings are transformed...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Church Chair Industries, Inc. as a Green Product Directory sponsor. Church Chair is currently offering Green Foam, a new foam product made from renewable resources. It is an environmentally friendly alternative to standard foam in chair cushions. Environmental benefits include organic, halogen-free fire retardants. Church Chair offers more than 50 chair styles, as well as a free sample chair program. Call (800) 331-5411, e-mail sales1@churchchair.com, or go to www.churchchair.com.

TRUCKEE, CALIF.—Located more than a mile high in the Sierra Nevada Mountains about 200 miles northeast of San Francisco, the Cedar House Sport Hotel has been very well received since it opened in mid-2006. Business is good and the owners of the 42-room property have successfully staked their claim as developers of one of the most environmentally efficient buildings around. Ironically, the owners—the husband and wife team of Jeff and Patty Baird—had never run a hotel or inn prior to opening their Truckee-based property. They have significant travel experience, however, especially in Europe, and learned a lot about how a...

NATIONAL REPORT—When it comes to wallcoverings, designers, hotel owners, purchasing agents and others have not always had the most environmentally friendly choices. Vinyl—polyvinyl chloride or PVC—years ago included heavy metals and solvent inks. Today, however, it is a different world and 90 percent of heavy metals have been eliminated and water-based inks are used. Some wallcovering makers still tout vinyl’s durability and value, and one has even started recycling it, but others are now offering non-PVC alternatives. One company that has made a big splash at trade shows in the past year with its recycling initiative is LSI Wallcovering, Louisville,...