I attended HD Expo in Las Vegas from May 15 to 17. With approximately 900 exhibitors and 10,000 attendees, the show is proof that our industry is still enjoying strong growth—through both new construction and renovation. I walked the aisles looking for signs of sustainability.
Companies are much more subtle than they used to be in pushing their green commitments, but I did come across quite a few examples of suppliers with interesting stories to tell and products or services to introduce. It would be impossible to include all the companies but here are some examples that caught my eye.
Living Canopies—Living Canopies introduced its “Living Umbrella.” Flowering or edible vines take the shape of an umbrella top and provide an all-natural shade solution. Maintenance is made simple with a solar-powered, automated watering system. The complete Living Umbrella includes a frame and base, the solar-powered watering system, and the canopy of plants.
Encore Hospitality Carpet—Based on the world beneath the surface of the water, the movement of water and waves, and where the land meets the sea, the fREEForm collection by Encore Hospitality Carpet made its debut at HD Expo. All designs within the collection draw inspiration from the natural wonder of reefs, including the exotic and mythical creatures that occupy them, as well as the way light reflects both above and below the water’s surface.
Shaw Contract—Shaw Contract introduced Community, a custom collection created to give designers unlimited options to meet the demands of new hospitality-centric environments. Community brings together cut-and-loop construction Broadloom rugs and custom broadloom for hospitality-centric spaces with Shaw Contract’s latest innovation, Tailor Tuft, a custom tufting broadloom machine that allows for pile height customization.
Reclaimed Wood from Rocky Mountain Region
Centennial Woods Reclaimed Wood—Centennial Woods featured its reclaimed wood made of sustainably harvested Ponderosa Pine, Lodge Pole Pine, Douglas fir, and Spruce from the Rocky Mountain region. Centennial builds, maintains and then reclaims the aged wood off the hundreds of miles of snow fences lining the Wyoming highways at no cost to the taxpayer. It turns out that Wyoming’s intense weather conditions are ideal for producing stunning and sustainable weathered wood.
Plant With Purpose— Plant With Purpose’s programs equip farming families around the world to increase farm yields, heal damaged ecosystems, improve nutrition, and increase household savings and opportunities. This integrated approach solves two major issues facing the world today: environmental degradation and rural poverty. Plant With Purpose is currently working with two Shade hotels in California. Guests are encouraged to support Plant With Purpose by placing door hangers outside their rooms and foregoing cleaning services. Every night that a guest places a Plant With Purpose “Trees give shade. Shade gives trees.” door hanger outside their room, Shade plants one tree in their honor. As a thank you, guests receive a “Give Shade” cocktail chip to redeem at Shade’s onsite restaurant and bar. Should guests buy a “Give Shade” cocktail at Zinc or Sea Level, Shade generously plants another tree with Plant With Purpose.
The Shade Store—The Shade Store was at HD Expo with its wide variety of shades including shades made from Sunbrella fabrics—five colors in four transparencies for custom solar shades. For every order, The Shade Store donates to the Arbor Day Foundation.
Skyco Shading Systems—A member of the U.S. Green Building Council, Skyco’s focus is on motorization and green energy solutions for LEED goals like daylighting, thermal comfort, and enhancing views through glare control.
Gate House Furniture—Gate House Furniture featured its line of ECO luggage racks, low portable tables, rectangular serving trays, and square serving trays. Gate House’s ECO line is made from recycled materials and stainless-steel hardware. The coordinating pieces are fade resistant, solid color throughout, and ideal for indoor or outdoor use.
Wooded River—Based in Caldwell, Idaho, Wooded River was in Las Vegas showing its bedding and pillow ensembles, furniture (as part of Fireside Lodge Furniture Co.), shower curtains, drapery, and lines of fabrics and leathers.
Vintage Timberworks—Vintage Timberworks featured its antique timbers, planking, and flooring. It provides authentic recycled wood either in original “as is” condition or can custom mill reclaimed wood into beams, planking, box beams, or flooring to meet desired dimensions and appearances.
Bed Lifting Systems
Atkinson Ergonomic Solutions, Inc.—Atkinson Ergonomic Solutions demonstrated its BedLift. It provides housekeepers and maintenance workers a dramatically improved ergonomic approach to their work routines. When raised above and away from nightstands it allows a single housekeeper to easily rotate the largest mattresses.
Ezi-Maid Bed Lifting Systems N.A.—The Ezi-Maid Bed Lifting System is an innovative product that was designed to guarantee the reduction of injuries related to bed making. The device also makes it possible to clean under beds and provide a cleaner, healthier environment for staff and guests alike. The device lifts the bed up off the floor to waist height so housekeeping staff can make the bed standing up. Not only will this reduce the amount of injuries for the housekeeping staff, but also means that hotel owners can potentially expect significant reduction in workers compensation claims, resulting in increased profits.
Denali Furniture—Portland, Ore.-based Denali Furniture sources its wood locally from Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. It works with local arborists to make sure its wood is properly sourced. Much of the wood comes from deadfall or urban salvage logs. Metalwork is performed in-house, by skilled craftsmen. Much of the scrap metal for cast iron bases comes from melted down engine blocks, or other waste metals.
Moen—Moen featured its wide array of water-saving faucets and showerheads in many different design styles.
Dometic—Dometic introduced its new CL480 series refrigerators for hotels that do not provide stocked minibars, but rather want to provide the convenience of a spacious refrigerator to their guests. The refrigerators are available in a glass door for easy viewing of the contents or a black, stainless steel solid door that matches modern and stylish decor. All models of hotel refrigerators in the CL480 series have interior LED lights, tempered glass shelving that is easy to clean and stronger than regular glass, and automatic defrost, which saves energy and prevents moisture damage.
Milliken & Co.—Milliken & Co.’s Floor Covering and Specialty Interiors businesses joined forces to highlight the breadth and depth of Milliken’s hospitality product offerings. Milliken featured both flooring and interior upholstery products, including the revolutionary sustainable performance fabric, Breathe by Milliken. Breathe fabrics are the first fluorine-free performance fabrics compatible with both natural and manmade fibers. Milliken Floor Covering launched a new collection called Forces of Nature, which aligns well with the natural focus of the eco-conscious Breathe by Milliken fabrics.
Kenyon International, Inc.—Kenyon offered its compact and sustainable one and two burner ceramic electric cooktops that are available in 120, 208 or 240 volts. Features include: push-to-turn knob or touch controls, quick to heat radiant ribbon elements, and beveled or rounded edge. Kenyon’s award-winning patented All Seasons Electric Grills in 120V UL are flameless, smokeless and safe for cooking indoors or out.
Rechargeable Cordless Lamps
Greenchance Inc.—Greenchance Inc. demonstrated its NEOZ Rechargeable Cordless Lamps that provide up to 260 hours of light on a single charge (with LED bulb).
Soundproof Windows, Inc.—Soundproof Windows was on hand with its windows that help eliminate up to 95 percent of noise without replacing new windows. They also can provide an energy savings of approximately 16 percent per occupied room night.
Navien, Inc.—Navien featured its condensing tankless water heaters, combi-boilers, and boilers. As part of its corporate philosophy, Navien is committed to promote leading edge eco-friendly technologies and create a better and greener environment for future generations.
GrassTex—GrassTex showed its very natural-looking synthetic turf that requires no pesticides or harmful chemicals, no mowing, and no watering.
TOTO—TOTO showcased its newest “Life Anew NEXT” IoT system and smart, fully-connected public restrooms, in partnership with GP PRO, as well as TOTO’s NEOREST NX Suite offerings.
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