ST. PAUL, MINN.—Ecolab Inc. has signed an agreement to support Clearway Energy Group’s 419-megawatt (MW) wind farm, Mesquite Star, in Fisher County, Texas. Construction of the Mesquite Star wind farm is scheduled to begin in the first half of 2019. Through a virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA)—Ecolab’s first—the company will support construction of 100 MW of new renewable electricity capacity within the Mesquite Star wind farm. The renewable electricity generated under Ecolab’s 100 MW VPPA is expected to cover 100 percent of the company’s annual domestic energy use and builds upon the 5 MW of community solar subscriptions in Minnesota...

MILACA, MINN.—Plastic microfibers from our clothing are in our waterways, food, drinking water, and even beer according to many recent studies. Much of this pollution problem starts in our homes when we do laundry as thousands of tiny fibers are shed in each load of laundry. Wastewater treatment plants do not remove all these fibers, so they are finding their way into our rivers, lakes, and oceans. Wexco Environmental, a company based in central Minnesota, has a solution called the Filtrol 160. The Filtrol is the first washing machine filter capable of capturing microscopic fibers. Although some washing machines have...

WEST CALDWELL, N.J.—MaxLite, a leading global manufacturer and marketer of energy-efficient lighting solutions since 1993, has named Spencer Bolgard as President and Chief Operating Officer. “We are excited to have Spencer join the MaxLite team,” said CEO Yon Sung. “His diverse background and deep industry experience make Spencer ideally suited to lead our company to continued growth and success as we turn the page on our first 25 years and begin a new chapter in MaxLite history.” Bolgard joins MaxLite from Phoenix Contact, where he spent the last six years serving as General Manager of the company’s U.S. subsidiary, and Vice...

PROVIDENCE, R.I.—Hydrofinity (formerly known as Xeros), announced that it signed a series of regional full-service sales and distribution service agreements across the United States for its sustainable near-waterless commercial laundry systems. These partnerships follow on the agreements Hydrofinity signed with Eastern Laundry System (ELS) covering New England, New York and New Jersey and with Your Laundry Source in Georgia, which is covering its home state as well as Alabama and South Carolina. Hydrofinity’s new regional sales and service partners include: Viking Services, SAESPY and ECW, covering California; Clean Source, covering Texas, Oklahoma and Arizona; RJ Kool, covering the Midwest; Industrial Laundry...

JASPER, IND.—Indiana Furniture is taking orders for new additions to four existing casegood and seating product lines: Canvas, Gesso, Delphi, and Gleem. Canvas & Gesso Casegoods—New Height Adjustable Options: Ergonomic height adjustable options have been expanded in the Canvas and Gesso lines, now providing a full collection of models that allow users to easily move from sitting to standing and back again while working. New height adjustable units offer seamless design to layer with existing components for any private office or open plan work space. Learn more about height adjustability with Canvas and Gesso. Delphi Seating—New Bariatric Models: Clean lines, five...

DENVER—Fast-growing FloWater, makers of new-tech water Refill Stations, announces a $15 million Series B investment from Bluewater, a world leader in sustainable home, commercial and public water technologies and solutions. Incubated in Silicon Valley, FloWater customers include: Google, Red Bull, Airbnb, prAna, Oneill, Play Station, Specialized Bikes, and Stance, as well as thousands of hotels, gyms, schools, and concert venues in nearly 50 states, creating a new experience with water, one that brings consumers back to the tap and eliminates destructive plastics. With FloWater having recently achieved the milestone of eliminating 100 million plastic water bottles from the market since its...

FARMINGTON, N.Y.—Pioneer Millworks introduces Modern Farmhouse, a sleeker more modern line of wood products including flooring and paneling from sustainable and certified wood sources. Available in a variety of hardwood species, the Modern Farmhouse products are being offered in a high “clean” grade and “casual” grade both with a more uniform appearance than their reclaimed wood counterparts. “While reclaimed wood will always have our hearts, we understand that designers, architects, builders, and homeowners are at times in the market for something with a smoother complexion and less character,” said Jered Slusser, Market Manager at Pioneer Millworks. “Modern Farmhouse fits those...

HOUSTON—Waste Management released its 2018 Sustainability Report. Titled “Change for the Better,” the report highlights progress toward reducing Waste Management’s (WM) greenhouse gas footprint, recycling viability, technology utilization and helping employees, customers and communities to be safe, resilient and sustainable. “The world is changing more rapidly than ever,” said Jim Fish, President and CEO of Waste Management. “To sustain and succeed in the face of this change requires agility, adaptability and, above all, a resilient spirit. We see these qualities tested and proven countless times each day by our employees who manage the environmental needs of our customers. This year’s...

FOREST, VA.—With a flurry of news reports about germs in airports and hotels, travelers have never been more concerned with cleanliness, and businesses have never been more concerned with traveler experience. NanoTouch Materials’ new self-cleaning surfaces address these traveler concerns. In just the first few months after moving to their new headquarters, The Center for Innovation in Smart Materials, NanoTouch has released a self-cleaning film for touch screens that can turn any airport check-in kiosk or in-flight screen into a continuously self-cleaning surface. They have also released self-cleaning elevator button covers. These innovations add to their current lineup of travel...

ST. PAUL, MINN.—Ecolab Inc., a global leader in water, hygiene and energy technologies and services that protect people and vital resources, has signed an agreement to support Clearway Energy Group’s 419-megawatt (MW) wind farm, Mesquite Star, in Fisher County, Texas. Construction of the Mesquite Star wind farm is scheduled to begin in the first half of 2019. Through a virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA)—Ecolab’s first—the company will support construction of 100 MW of new renewable electricity capacity within the Mesquite Star wind farm. The renewable electricity generated under Ecolab’s 100 MW VPPA is expected to cover 100 percent of the...