TAMPA, FLA.—Hasek Communications, the Tampa, Fla.-based publisher of Green Lodging News, has added an Electrolux Professional Laundry Equipment Case Study to its website. The case study details the Hilton Concord’s recent installation of new Electrolux Professional washers and dryers. Roseville, Calif-based A2Z Laundry Systems spearheaded the installation of the equipment at the 329-room hotel. Lead consultant on the Hilton Concord’s overall sustainability efforts is Charles Smith, CEO of Hotel Sustainability Solutions Inc. (HSSI).As HSSI began the task of evaluating options, key factors considered were the efficiency of the equipment, availability of rebates or incentives, distributor/manufacturer service and support, and...

MANKATO, MINN.—All that’s left is the waiting for the official plaque from the U.S. Green Building Council. When it arrives the Courtyard Mankato Minnesota will become the first hotel in the Gopher State to receive LEED certification. Considering all of the property’s green features, the honor will be well deserved. The 93-room property, about a year old, is owned by Mercury Investments L.P. Preston Lougheed is the general manager.“As far as we know we are the first Marriott in the United States to have solar panels,” Lougheed says. “It was a big investment.” The 40 kW, 192 panel system...

TROY, OHIO—The Hobart Center for Foodservice Sustainability (HCFS), a nonprofit, industry-wide forum supporting the foodservice industry’s drive for sustainable equipment and design, is currently accepting applications for its annual $5,000 sustainability grant. The 2013 HCFS grant recipient was Duluth Grill in Duluth, Minn. The grant, now in its seventh year, is awarded to the individual or organization judged to have the best-executed foodservice or grocery sustainability project of the year. Applications must be received by 5 p.m. ET on February 28, 2014, and the recipient will be announced in mid-April. The grant application form as well as rules and conditions...

SAN JOSE, CALIF.—In celebration of the Fairmont San Jose hotel’s newly renovated on-premise laundry, the hotel’s leadership hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony earlier this year, complete with a special cake—a model of one of the new Milnor washer-extractors. Attending the ribbon cutting were the Fairmont’s General Manager, Kelley Cosgrove, Executive Laundry Manager, Jason Lustbader, and Chief Engineer, Larry Wick, along with the hotel’s laundry staff and representatives from the commercial laundry experts, Western State Design (WSD). To cap off the celebration, the hotel’s pastry chef surprised guests with a cake for the ceremony, which was a detailed replica of one...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Planglow USA as a founding sponsor. Planglow USA supplies a range of branded eco food boxes, cups and containers for “grab and go” markets. Along with unique labels and proprietary labeling software “LabelLogic” and “NutriLogic”, clients can personalize their branded product identity.Founded in the United Kingdom, Planglow has been supporting foodservice operators around the globe for more than 25 years. In 2012 the company introduced a plant-based bio laminate to many of its food containers. Planglow is the only company to offer items lined with this material...

VERNON HILLS, ILL.—Scotsman Ice Systems announced the availability of the Essential line of ice machines, a quality compact line manufactured in Scotsman Ice System’s award-winning facility in Fairfax, S.C., to best suit the needs of those in the under-100-lb cuber market.“We are excited to announce the Essential line of undercounter cubers to the marketplace,” says Jeff Biel, director of marketing at Scotsman Ice Systems. “Our customers asked for a basic, under-100-lb cuber to suit lower ice production operations, and we are happy to meet that need.”The dimensions of the line are 15" or 20" wide, 38" tall, 24" deep...

WINTER PARK, FLA.—Ask Executive Chef J. Christopher Windus of Hamilton’s Kitchen at The Alfond Inn to define his culinary style and he’ll use the phrase “refined rustic.”What that means, clarifies Chef Windus, is that, “I'm taking comfort food and trying to refine it a little bit. The dishes may seem simple but there are a lot of things going on to layer the flavors.”His efforts in the kitchen of the three-month-old restaurant have quickly earned him the title of “Best New Chef” in the Silver Spoon Awards from Orlando Magazine. At Hamilton’s Kitchen, Chef Windus works against a dining...

ST. JOSEPH, MICH.—Attendees of the recent Maytag University Factory Commercial Laundry Sales School received in-depth, hands-on training for the company’s multi-segment product portfolio and an intensive session on the coin-store market. In addition, sessions delved into the company’s energy calculators, financing options and market discussions specific to multi-housing and on-premises segments.“Attendees of our sales school leave better prepared to succeed in a very complex commercial laundry market,” said Rex Braden, national sales manager at Maytag Commercial Laundry. “Our sales team presents information in an easy-to-digest format that educates attendees about our expansive product portfolio, selling techniques and tools available...

MANCHESTER, N.H.—Xeros, the innovator of an ultra-low water cleaning system, announced it has joined a leading alliance committed to improving supply chain sustainability in the apparel and footwear industries. Xeros, the company formed to commercialize polymer bead technology developed at the University of Leeds, is now a member of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), which also includes household names such as Adidas, Burberry, Coca Cola and Levi Strauss.   The coalition is an industry-wide group of more than 100 leading apparel and footwear brands, retailers, manufacturers, government organizations, nonprofit entities and academic institutions, committed to improving supply chain sustainability.In its...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The National Restaurant Association (NRA) each year prepares its What’s Hot culinary forecast of menu trends for the coming year. The NRA surveyed nearly 1,300 professional chefs—members of the American Culinary Federation (ACF)—to find which food and beverage items will be hot trends on restaurant menus in 2014. The top 10 food trends for 2014: 1. Locally sourced meats and seafood; 2. Locally grown produce; 3. Environmental sustainability; 4. Healthful kids’ meals; 5. Gluten-free cuisine; 6. Hyper-local sourcing (e.g. restaurant gardens); 7. Children's nutrition; 8. Non-wheat noodles/pasta (e.g. quinoa, rice, buckwheat); 9. Sustainable seafood; and 10. Farm/estate branded...