INWOOD, N.Y.—Electrolux has published its annual Sustainability Report for 2013, highlighting a new target to halve the Group’s CO2 impact by 2020 compared to 2005. The report, available here, focuses on how the business strategy and the approach to sustainability are intertwined.“At Electrolux we want to deliver smarter, more resource-efficient solutions to more people around the world,” said Keith McLoughlin, President and CEO of Electrolux. “To make this kind of positive difference every day, sustainability has to be fully embedded across our organization and right at the core of our business strategy.”The biggest environmental impact created by Electrolux is...

ST. JOSEPH, MICH.—Maytag Commercial Laundry recently welcomed two new team members—Dawn Marie Smith, marketing manager, and Eric DeJong, senior product manager.   “Dawn and Eric are proven leaders who will help us grow our business through their strategic product and marketing efforts,” said Bob English, general manager at Maytag Commercial Laundry. “With extensive industry-related experience, we are better poised to support our customers and our robust commercial laundry product portfolio.”  Smith has held a variety of successful roles in sales, brand, merchandising and product development since joining Whirlpool. In her new role, she will lead the Maytag Commercial brand strategy,...

CHICAGO—An independent panel of foodservice operator experts from across the industry has selected finalists for the third annual 2014 Operator Innovation Awards. The judges have selected finalists in each of five categories: Health and Nutrition, Marketing, Menu Development, Sustainability and Technology. The winners in each category, in addition to the Innovator of the Year, will be announced live in Chicago at the Destination: Celebration gala on Saturday, May 17, during the 2014 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show.  “The Operator Innovations Awards finalists demonstrate the business case for innovation by connecting with consumers in new and interesting ways that...

RIPON, WIS.—Huebsch has extended its product range with the introduction of the HT200, a 200-pound tumble dryer for on-premises laundry accounts. Available with Galaxy controls, the single-pocket tumble dryer can help laundry operators increase staff productivity and utility efficiency.“We are committed to providing our commercial laundry customers with the most efficient and durable equipment to meet their unique laundry needs,” Huebsch North American Sales Manager Kathryn Q. Rowen said. “With a capacity range of 25 to 200 pounds, Huebsch has a tumble dryer that will deliver on-premises laundries of any size fast dry times without wasting energy.”The Galaxy-equipped HT200...

MONTGOMERY, ALA.—Wind Creek Hospitality (WCH), one of the largest hospitality companies in Alabama, announced a new initiative focused on promoting regional food that includes growers, purveyors, consumers, chefs and restaurateurs, amateur cooks, food banks, and nonprofits promoting healthy lifestyles.  “Wind Creek’s Southern Table: Setting a Place for Good Food” is a multi-faceted initiative spearheaded by WCH President Jay Dorris. Designed to expand access to good food for citizens across the region, this effort will promote the culinary industry and its traditions, and support locally grown and produced food.In making the announcement in Montgomery, WCH’s Vice President of Marketing Michael...

CHICAGO—Master-Bilt’s award-winning Master Controller, featuring Web2Walk-In software, is now Apple iOS compatible making remote monitoring and adjustment of walk-ins accessible from any device with an Internet connection including a PC, Mac, smartphone or tablet. The newest Master Controller will debut at the 2014 National Restaurant Show May 17 to 20 at Chicago’s McCormick Place.In addition to iOS compatibility, a new defrost function built into the Master Controller’s Web2Walk-In software monitors coil temperature and automatically turns on evaporator fans for a short time when the coil is warm to melt accumulated frost and ice from the fan guards. This function...

LOS ANGELES—Palace Resorts recently installed the InvoTech Systems, Inc. Multi-Property RFID Linen and Laundry System for automated linen and laundry control and cost reduction. Palace Resorts implemented the InvoTech Linen System at all of its resort properties and installed InvoTech’s Laundry System at the Palace Resorts laundry distribution center. The InvoTech System provides Palace Resorts with complete control over linen inventories and establishes more efficient operations.InvoTech provides Palace Resorts with both Spanish and English language operating systems, so that each user can specify his or her preferred language for ease of use. InvoTech also supplied on-site system training and...

CHICAGO—Green Seal, an independent nonprofit providing sustainability certification for products and services, launched a new sustainability standard for restaurants and food services in conjunction with The Green Chicago Restaurant Coalition and The Rosenthal Group.The standard, GS-55, covers retail restaurants and institutional food service operations through rigorous criteria that minimize environmental impact in several categories. These include food sourcing through use of foods produced in a sustainable manner; waste management, including food waste, compostable waste, recycling and water quality management; energy use; water consumption and the use of other environmentally-preferable products and services.GS-55 is the result of a pilot program...

ORLANDO, FLA.—The two hotels in Grande Lakes Orlando—The Ritz-Carlton Orlando and JW Marriott Orlando—are among the first lodging establishments in Central Florida to send food waste to the Central Florida Energy Garden. Owned and operated by Harvest Power and located within the Reedy Creek Improvement District, the recently opened Energy Garden converts organic waste into renewable biogas and natural fertilizers. (See related article.)Twice each week, food waste from the two facilities’ banquet operations is picked up and taken to the Energy Garden. Bob Brown, Chief Engineer for the hotels, says about 20 to 30 tons a month of food...

MADBURY, N.H.—Vertal US Inc., a Madbury, N.H. based company that specializes in the design and manufacturing of urban, on-site, in-vessel composters, is now offering its CITYPOD composters. CITYPOD composters’ offer a complete odor control guarantee and numerous technical patent pending innovations that make on-site composting user and operationally friendly. Consumer expectations for socially accepted on-site,in-vessel composting projects are related to total control of odor emissions, ease of operation and profitability.With its new on-site food waste processing technology, Vertal US provides compliance in line with the many new state regulations banning food waste and other organic materials from landfills.John Clifford,...