ROCHESTER HILLS, MICH.—C.F. Stinson introduces a breakthrough surface material, the AgION Upholstery Collection; the first, PVC-free upholstery with AgION, a patented, safe, antimicrobial technology that actively targets bacteria on the protected surface of the upholstery for the life of the furniture. Recently recognized with a Best of NeoCon Gold Award, this new collection is durable and environmentally friendly with a “built-in” ability to naturally and continuously resist bacteria and other microorganisms. In addition, it is impervious to fluids and easy to clean. The PVC-free AgION Collection from C.F. Stinson is an innovative surface material, representing an entirely new...

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH—Silver State Inc. has released Torino Polyurethane, a new offering by SilverState fabrics. According to the company, Torino represents a new evolution in polyurethane faux leather, one that brings a high-sheened antique flavor to this category. Until now, the antique look was accessible only in the most exclusive of homes, the top national boardrooms and the finest luxury suites, says Manoli Sargetakis, a principal of Silver State Inc. “We have combined this rich and elegant look with extremely high performance specifications (will meet 800,000 double rubs Wyzenbeek for abrasion) while still maintaining Torino’s unbelievably soft, creamy hand,”...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Valley Forge Fabrics, Inc. as a Founding Sponsor. Valley Forge Fabrics is a 30-year-old American fabric house specializing in quality hospitality and contract upholstery and drapery. Valley Forge is a family owned and operated business with fully staffed offices in the United States, Australia, Dubai, Italy, Hong Kong and Shanghai. Valley Forge introduces FRESH—Fabrics Redefining Environmental Standards (for) Hospitality. FRESH fabrics are made with post-industrial and post-consumer recycled synthetic yarns. FRESH fabrics are recyclable—and meet all the stringent ACT guidelines and hospitality industry expectations for durability, strength, colorfastness...

BRATTLEBORO, VT.—The fully revised seventh edition of the GreenSpec Directory of environmentally preferable building products is now available. More than 2,100 listings from more than 1,500 companies are included—232 are new in this edition. This 392-page edition is organized by the expanded CSI MasterFormat 2004 structure and contains new Division 1 specifications. Go to BuildingGreen.

DUBAI, U.A.E.—Shaza Hotels, the regional lifestyle hotel brand, has announced that all of its upcoming hotel developments will be certified to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards—the internationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of eco-friendly buildings. The certification—the first of its kind across an entire hotel brand in the Dubai region—demonstrates the hotelier’s commitment to environmentally sustainable projects that embody a green lifestyle and embrace the values and traditions of its discerning clientele. The progressive move will ensure that Shaza’s first seven properties—Dubai, Doha, Muscat, Cairo, Bahrain, Jeddah and Marrakech—are designed to follow the internationally-recognized...

ATLANTA—Barry Hotel Partners, a division of Barry Real Estate Companies, and Starwood Capital Group will develop a 1 Hotel & Residences as part of The Streets of Buckhead, the massive mixed-use development spearheaded by Atlanta-based Ben Carter Properties. The 1 Hotel, an eco-friendly luxury global hotel brand by Starwood Capital, will open its doors to the public in 2010, offering guests and residences an unmatched combination of environmentally sustainable architecture, luxurious comfort and impeccable service. “Atlanta has grown up a lot in the last several years and it’s ready for the level of luxury shopping, dining, lodging and living that...

ATLANTA—IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group), the world’s largest hotel group by number of rooms, announced plans for a 100-room new-build Hotel Indigo in Athens, Ga. Construction is anticipated to begin in the fall of 2007, with an expected opening date of spring 2009. The four-story new-build property will be owned by Rialto Property Partners, LLC, under a license agreement with a company in the InterContinental Hotels Group, and will be managed by IHG’s Americas operations division, The Hotel Management Group. Rialto will pursue LEED certification for the new hotel. “We are excited to be expanding the Hotel Indigo brand to Athens,”...

SPARTANBURG, S.C.—Milliken & Co. announced it has registered its corporate headquarters, the Roger Milliken Center, in Spartanburg, S.C., and the Milliken Design Center in LaGrange, Ga., with U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Rating System for Existing Buildings 2.0 (LEED EB). The Georgia facility houses global headquarters for Milliken Floor Covering and Milliken Walk Off Mats as well as providing office space for other Milliken businesses. Milliken Contract’s new showroom in the Chicago Merchandise Mart is registered with USGBC’s version 2.0 LEED for Commercial Interiors Rating System and debuted during NeoCon World’s Trade Fair. The...

SANTA MONICA, CALIF.— Syndecrete introduces its renewable, sustainable solid surface material. Less than half the weight of ordinary concrete, Syndecrete has twice the compressive strength and there are no polymers or resins in its make-up. It is an advanced cementitious composite using natural minerals and recycled materials as its primary ingredients. Highly durable and resistant to chipping and cracking, Syndecrete has won numerous awards and has been featured in one of the first LEED platinum certified commercial projects and just recently, the first LEED platinum certified residential project in the nation. In 2006, Eldorado Stone, LLC purchased Syndecrete from...

NEW YORK—Interior designer Joanne De Palma will introduce her line of sustainable carpet, furniture and hardware at the HD Boutique 2007 Exposition & Conference in Miami Beach, Fla., September 18. “From high-end residential and commercial interior design to environmental product design, I made a shift as a traditional designer,” says De Palma. “Given the current conditions we face in the environment, to me the decision was obvious. Not only do I approach my work from a design standpoint, but from one that is socially and environmentally responsible. This perspective is one that is necessary for the hospitality market. It is...