NATIONAL REPORT—Ice machines operate continuously to manufacture large quantities of ice, and while the low temperatures will slow the development of bacteria and algae, they actually provide an ideal environment for many strains of bacteria, which must be controlled continuously to prevent contamination. Ice machines are central to daily life, whether at home, restaurant, or wherever we have a drink we will have ice in our beverages. Health departments in most cities visit every restaurant on a schedule, and the ice machine is usually the first place they look for potential health issues. Ice makers require scheduled disinfection and wiping down to...

HOUSTON—HITEC, the lodging industry’s leading technology trade show, was held at the LEED Silver George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston June 18 to 21. Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP) just announced that the event broke barriers as the highest attended event in the association’s history with over 6,650 attendees. There were approximately 400 exhibitors, many of whom displayed their latest innovations to help reduce energy consumption in the guestroom. Other exhibitors concentrated on other aspects of sustainability—indoor air quality, for example. The following is a summary of the HITEC announcements having some type of “green” connection: Honeywell launched the...

NEW ALBANY, MISS.—Master-Bilt, manufacturer and supplier of a full line of commercial refrigeration, announced that Rodney Johnson has assumed the role of Regional Sales Manager. As Regional Sales Manager, Johnson will manage the Northeastern United States and Eastern Canada and will be responsible for managing seven manufacturer representative groups. Johnson has over 30 years of sales management experience. Most recently, he worked with Acosta Sales and Marketing where he was Vice President of Sales—Midwest. He was responsible for leading the national sales and marketing company in retail food, commercial food service and non-foods (equipment) industries. Prior to Acosta Sales, Rodney managed...

LOS ANGELES—SONIFI Solutions announced a collaboration with Telkonet, Inc. to make hotel rooms smarter and more connected, by combining energy management solutions with in-room guest entertainment systems. Telkonet’s EcoSmart technology uses intelligent automation and communicates a room’s accurate occupancy status to thermostats, lights, signage and other integrated in-room devices. This feature was recently installed at The Diplomat Beach Resort, Curio Collection by Hilton in Hollywood, Fla. The newly renovated property sits oceanfront along the Gold Coast. “Many of our guests spend time outside of their rooms enjoying our beachside amenities,” said Nelson Garrido, SVP of IT Thayer Lodging, Brookfield Properties....

ATLANTA—Honeywell, a global leader in connected buildings, will launch a suite of next-generation energy management software, smart lighting, voice controls, and secure cloud communication systems at HITEC 2018 in Houston. Through Honeywell technology, the hospitality industry can fully integrate energy management, safety and security systems, property management, and brand network operations for guestroom and building automation. Leading Honeywell’s lineup of new products at HITEC is the INNCOM INNcontrol 5 energy management and guestroom automation control system. The cloud-based and on-premise system monitors real-time guestroom data from intelligent INNCOM devices, such as its e7 Thermostat, to improve a hotel’s energy savings,...

WAUKESHA, WIS.—Telkonet, Inc., creator of the EcoSmart platform of intelligent automation solutions designed to maximize comfort and energy efficiency, has teamed with Volara, the first voice-based hotel guest engagement solution that turns voice into a powerful hospitality business tool. Together, they now offer a hospitality environment in which guests can use voice commands to control intelligent in-room devices and platforms to set scenes within their own hotel rooms. These scenes are able to incorporate one device or many different devices to create the exact environment that a guest requests. From changing temperatures, adjusting shades, dimming lights, adjusting the Do-Not-Disturb...

COLUMBIA, S.C.—Shaw Industries Group, Inc. has completed the construction of a cogeneration Combined Heat & Power (CHP) plant at its Columbia, S.C. fiber production facility. The CHP, which began operating in May 2018, will reduce the plant’s annual greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 26,000 metric tons; that’s an impact equal to removing almost 5,500 passenger vehicles from the road each year. This is the latest in ongoing investments Shaw is making to minimize its environmental footprint. The company recently announced it has achieved carbon neutrality in its commercial carpet manufacturing operations. Companywide, Shaw has made significant investments to help reduce...

ORLANDO, FLA.—Guests staying at the LuMINN Hotel Minneapolis, an Ascent Hotel Collection Member, are controlling their room environments and engaging with the property in new ways. Since adding Intelity ICEbedside tablets to each guestroom—which are interfaced to the INNCOM by Honeywell Integrated Room Automation Systems (IRAS)—guests are controlling room temperature, lighting, drapes and alarm clock directly from in-room tablets. Guests can also access the hotel’s mobile app, powered by Intelity, which provides a direct link to hotel information, services, concierge, transportation, maps, directions and more. “Adding ICEbedside tablets to each room brings another element to the guest experience,” said LuMINN...

NEW ALBANY, MISS.—Master-Bilt, manufacturer and supplier of a full line of commercial refrigeration, announce the hire of Craig Hammel as Director of Customer Care. In his role as Director of Customer Care, Hammel will be responsible for all Master-Bilt customer service functions including inside sales support and technical support. He will be focused on developing and successfully executing best-in-class processes to ensure customer satisfaction. Hammel will also oversee driving a high-performance customer service and support culture that delivers sustainable success and continuous improvement. Hammel has over 15 years of management experience including positions as Customer Care Manager and Sales Inventory and...

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS—Friedrich, a leading U.S. based air-conditioning manufacturer, has been selected by Consulting-Specifying Engineer as a 2018 Product of the Year finalist in the HVAC Air Movement and Compressors category for the company’s innovative VRP (Variable Refrigerant Packaged) Heat Pump system. Friedrich VRP is among other finalists in 12 different categories honored for product innovation and excellence. Voting is now open for Consulting-Specifying Engineer audiences to determine which products will be selected as gold, silver and bronze winners. Final results will be announced Sept. 2018. Information about this year’s awards and the list of the 2018 finalists can be...