BETHESDA, MD.—Marriott International announced it has signed an agreement with The Red Sea Development Co. to debut its distinguished Ritz-Carlton Reserve brand off the west coast of Saudi Arabia. Slated to debut in 2023, Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, is expected to form part of the eagerly anticipated Red Sea destination and offer a highly personalized leisure experience that blends intuitive and heartfelt service with stunning natural beauty and indigenous design. Nujuma will be the first property from the brand in the Middle East and joins an exclusive collection of only five Ritz-Carlton Reserves worldwide. “We are thrilled to bring our...

Name: Linda Baynham Title: Director of Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility Convention Center: New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center Years in Current Position: 2 years, 8 months Primary Responsibility: “Right now, it is LEED certification. That is what I have been tasked with this year. It brings together everything we are doing. We are trying to be the green convention center in the region.” Organization’s most significant accomplishment in global corporate responsibility: “I am proud of the energy upgrade we just did.” Organization’s most significant challenge moving forward in global corporate responsibility: “I think getting LEED certification is going to be big. We...

SOLON, OHIO—Tarkett, a worldwide leader in innovative and sustainable flooring and sports surface solutions, announces it has successfully met all the requirements of +Vantage Vinyl, an industry-wide sustainability initiative that engages companies across the entire U.S. vinyl value chain. Companies that showcase the +Vantage Vinyl mark have undergone verification by third-party GreenCircle Certified to confirm their progress to the program’s Guiding Principles relating to environmental stewardship, social diligence, economic soundness, open communication, and collaboration. The initiative’s structure ensures that Tarkett is advancing the sustainability journey of the vinyl industry in alignment with targeted United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN...

RALEIGH, N.C.—EDSA, the award-winning and highly influential planning, landscape architecture and urban design firm, is expanding its reach and presence along the East Coast with the opening of a new global office in Raleigh, N.C. The new location marks an expansion of EDSA’s U.S. operations as well as its team, with the appointment of Michael Batts, who rejoined the firm as a Principal earlier this year, and Courtney Moore, who started with EDSA in 2004 and was promoted to Principal in 2020, overseeing operations, building excitement and growing relationships in the region. “Opportunities like this don’t come along often, and...

HIGH POINT, N.C.—Known for outstanding craftsmanship, the 25-year-old design brand, Ethnicraft, is excited to announce that its Oak Eye Dining Chair was the winner of two prestigious awards in this year’s IIDA/HD Expo Annual Product Design Competition which honors innovation, environmental sustainability, functionality, and aesthetic or technical advancements in the hospitality industry. In addition to being named the winner in the Seating: Dining Chair category, the Oak Eye Dining Chair was also awarded the Eric Engstrom Best in Competition award out of all the products submitted across eight categories. With sleek, angular, front legs and flowing smooth connections, the new...

ATHENS—Moxy Athens City opened its doors boldly reinventing the traditional hotel stay in one of the world’s oldest cities. An important innovation of Moxy Athens City is its LEED Gold certification, making it the first “green” hotel in Greece that will receive this distinction. This new hotel will offer fun hunter travelers a playful stay in a city bursting with ancient history, vibrant culture and a thriving social scene. Moxy Athens City is located by Stadiou Street, the perfect starting point to discover the wonders of Athens from the Acropolis and the Parthenon to the picturesque neighborhood of Plaka. Just...

BETHESDA, MD.—JW Marriott, part of Marriott Bonvoy’s portfolio of 30 hotel brands, recently announced the debut of three herb gardens envisioned and planted by renowned landscape designer Lily Kwong as part of the brand’s JW Garden program. Kwong, whose reverence for nature comes to life through her breathtaking botanical installations, is the founder of Studio Lily Kwong, a next-generation landscape design studio with a mission to reconnect people to nature. JW Marriott is guided by similar principles, with a commitment to mindfulness that allows guests to be present in mind, nourished in body and revitalized in spirit—pillars that directly...

DALTON, GA.—Shaw Industries Group, Inc. released its 14th annual corporate sustainability report. Leveraging results from the 2021 Materiality Assessment and ongoing engagement with customers, key stakeholders and industry partners, the company details progress made toward its 2030 goals. As the company continues its commitment to Cradle to Cradle design principles, it has set new goals for net zero operations and diversity and inclusion as part of its sustainability strategy. “At Shaw, we refer to our sustainability strategy as sustainability—putting people at the heart of all we do,” says Kellie Ballew, Vice President of Global Sustainability at Shaw. “That’s what drives our...

CHICAGO—S.I. Container Builds (SICBS), a startup that converts recycled shipping containers into living, rental, and working spaces, announced that it has raised $1.7 million in a seed funding round led by HPA. The round also included participation from Service Provider Capital, Chicago Early Growth Ventures, and Kyle Stenzel. This capital comes on the heels of a record quarter and will enable SICBS to facilitate production facility expansion, accelerate production, and grow its team. Today, two significant problems exist related to the housing market: a lack of availability and a need for sustainable building options. According to the Pew Research Center,...

CROSSVILLE, TENN.—Crossville, Inc. has announced its partnership with MindClick, a leader in rating environmental health performance of manufacturers and their products. Renowned for its corporate commitment to sustainability, Crossville chose to be among the early participants of MindClick’s program. All Crossville products are now included in the MindClick MSAP, with its product selections holding the rating of Leader. “As part of Crossville’s commitment to providing the best resources and solutions for design and installation clients, we continuously research and engage with the latest tools to access critical data needed to guide specification choices,” explained Heidi Vassaloti, Crossville’s Director of Strategic...