NEW YORK—Hervé Houdré has taken his passion for sustainable development and 40 years of experience in luxury hospitality and launched H2 Sustainability Consulting. His focus is to help the hospitality industry, cities, regions and the academic world conceive, integrate and implement pertinent and profitable sustainability strategies—aligned to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development goals—in their economic model. While taking the helm of some of the most prestigious institutions of the industry, such as the Plaza Athénée-New York, Hôtel de Crillon-Paris, Plaza Athénée-Paris, Kempinski Hotels & Resorts (COO), Willard InterContinental-Washington D.C. and InterContinental Barclay-New York, Houdré became one of the world’s strongest...

ONTARIO, CANADA—As warmer weather returns in many parts of North America, one thing that restaurants, school cafeterias, and all commercial kitchens must be aware of is the return of insects. Many insects hide during the cold winter months, but warmer weather brings them out in force. “One of the big concerns with ‘creepy crawly’ pests in food service facilities is that they carry foodborne illness,” says Mike Watt, with Avmor, one of the oldest and largest cleaning chemical manufacturers in North America. “E. Coli, Salmonella, Staphylococcus, can all be spread by insects.” Watt suggests that an increased focus on floorcare is...

GLENVIEW, ILL.—Energy and resource efficient cooking equipment from some of the professional food world’s most trusted brands have, for the 11th consecutive year, earned ITW Food Equipment Group the nation’s highest award for energy efficiency. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded ITW Food Equipment Group its Energy Star Partner of the Year—Sustained Excellence Award for 2018, the agency’s highest industry honor. By maintaining a focus on energy savings and efficiency in the manufacturing of food equipment from its family of premium brands—Hobart, Baxter, Traulsen, Vulcan, Wolf, Stero and Wittco to name a few—ITW Food Equipment Group has earned Partner...

NEW YORK—Humanscale introduces the Smart Ocean chair, an inventive adaption of the Diffrient Smart chair that incorporates almost 2 lbs. of recycled fishing net material (NetPlus). Sourced from Bureo, an emerging venture developing innovative solutions to prevent ocean plastic pollution, this is the first tangible product of its new partnership and marks the first product available to purchase from the consortium of companies under the NextWave initiative. “Fishing nets comprise approximately 10 percent of the plastic pollution in the ocean today,” says Humanscale Founder and CEO Robert King. “Our partnership with Bureo helps further our goal to achieve a net...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Delta, a global leader in power and thermal management solutions, announced that it has received the 2018 Energy Star Partner of the Year: Sustained Excellence Award for continued leadership and superior contributions to environmental protection through energy efficiency. The Sustained Excellence Award is conferred to enterprises that have achieved Energy Star recognition for multiple consecutive years, surpassed its selection criteria and have also actively promoted its unique value through a wide range of channels and corporate materials. Delta’s accomplishments will be recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy at a ceremony in...

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS—Travelers are often weary, and the lodging industry knows it. That’s why promising a quality night’s sleep has become a key marketing advantage touted by many of the top hospitality players. Yet beyond thread count, branded mattresses and customizable pillow menus, some hoteliers are overlooking the basics for creating a better sleeping experience for guests. With allergy and humidity seasons now arriving, the need to increase guest comfort is as obvious as the nose on a face. Thanks to new technology introduced by Friedrich Air Conditioning Co., a leading U.S.-based manufacturer of heating, cooling and other air-conditioning products, the issue...

SAN FRANCISCO—Verdafero Inc., a provider of utility analytics software and energy efficiency consulting, has announced a new utility billing analysis service for their utility analytics software platform. This new capability enables Verdafero’s commercial customers to analyze their utility bills for billing errors and operational problems within their entire property portfolio while considering real-world influencing factors such as weather, events, utility price increases etc. The new module provides the capability to quickly and efficiently find errors and discrepancies in users’ increasingly complicated utility bills and take corrective action where needed. Building on Verdafero’s suite of building analysis software, this requested ability to...

ATLANTA—Rheem has introduced a new high-efficiency commercial gas water heater. The heater features built-in smart monitoring technology, universal retrofit features and an all-inclusive leak detection and prevention system. The design of Triton was influenced by feedback from plumbers who worked with Rheem to identify the top installation, service and maintenance concerns for commercial applications. Being able to prevent problems before they occur was among the top issues for commercial customers, which is why Triton is equipped with an advanced and accurate leak detection and prevention system. Factory installed to ensure proper alignment and accuracy, the system can catch a leak...

ELKHART, IND.—Dometic will be exhibiting at Boutique Design West in Los Angeles, for the first time April 4 to 5 at booth #1232. Dometic is known for providing smart solutions, reliable products, and outstanding design and this is how they achieve that recognition: Smart Solutions Hotel guests want a place to keep their drinks cold, snacks fresh, and valuables untouched just as they are at home. Dometic offers a variety of minibars and safes that provide additional in-room comfort, convenience, and safety for hotel guests.  Reliable Products Dometic understands that guests are not always as gentle on products in hotels as they would...

AZUSA, CALIF.—Many states and municipalities across the country have restrictions on when, and for how long, yards and shrubs can be watered. Many are looking for ways to maximize the efficiency of the water they use, and to reduce their monthly water bill. In recognition of World Water Day, Rain Bird, a leading supplier of irrigation products for residential, commercial, golf, and agricultural applications, offers these steps to help you use water intelligently: 1) Know Your Yard Understand Your Soil. The soil type in your yard will greatly affect your watering schedule and influence the type of sprinkler you choose. A...