CALHOUN, GA.—This year at The International Surface Event (TISE) in Las Vegas, Mohawk is showcasing the company’s dedication to a more sustainable future through innovative manufacturing processes, product design and strategies around positive environmental and social impact. A feature display within the company’s award-winning presence at booth 5803 highlights inspiring sustainability efforts and stories for attendees. As the largest recycler of plastic bottles in North America, Mohawk has made a corporate commitment to support the work of The Ocean Cleanup. The Netherlands-based nonprofit organization is developing advanced technologies to rid the world’s oceans of plastic. Mohawk unveiled an interactive art installation...

ORLANDO, FLA.—Violet Defense Group announced that it has raised an additional $2 million in funding for its germ-killing business, Violet Defense and its agricultural lighting business, Violet Gro. This round of capital was led by Kirenaga Partners, an early-stage venture capital firm with offices in New York and Orlando, Fla. “This infusion of additional capital will enable us to take both companies to their next level of growth, including further build-out of our management team and the product inventory necessary to accelerate the rich pipeline of opportunities that are developing for our products,” added Terrance Berland, CEO of Violet Defense Group. Violet Defense...

BALTIMORE, MD.—Vulcan, the leading provider of commercial cooking equipment, and parent company ITW Food Equipment Group (ITW FEG) announce that Chris Stern has been named Vice President and General Manager of Cooking, North America effective February 10. Mihyar Mohamed, who formerly held the position, will be transitioning to a leadership role in ITW’s Construction Products Segment. During his 23-years at Vulcan/ITW, Stern has consistently delivered strong results and developed and led high performing, collaborative teams. Stern began his career with Vulcan in marketing and was promoted through multiple marketing leadership roles before being named General Manager of the Range Business Unit...

MANCHESTER, N.H.—In an effort to save on energy costs and reduce its impact on the environment, the Mountain View Grand Resort and Spa is building on its energy efficiency partnership with Eversource with plans to continue upgrades over the next few years. When guests visit the iconic Whitefield resort, they often have an unforgettable experience surrounded by the White Mountains of New Hampshire—but what they might not realize is this energy efficiency partnership with Eversource is saving the award-winning hotel more than $22,000 a year while also reducing its carbon emissions. “With the average U.S. hotel spending more than $2,000...

ODESSA, FLA.—Green Lodging News has added Tayst Coffee to its Green Product & Service Directory in the Coffees & Teas category. Tayst Coffee is transitioning hotel rooms and offices from traditional plastic Keurig Kcups into Tayst’s earth friendly compostable pods for Keurig. Tayst Coffee’s premium South American beans are roasted fresh, packed in compostable pods and shipped directly to customers in Earth friendly packaging. Click Here to try Tayst Coffee and to receive a complimentary box. You may also call (516) 962-2141, ext. 704, or e-mail greg@tayst.com. Glenn Hasek can be reached at greenlodgingnews@gmail.com.

LOS ANGELES—In 2018, the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) announced a new workplace safety initiative designed to provide emergency communications and location-based services for employees in the hospitality industry. Backed by major hotels—including Marriott International, InterContinental, Hilton, and Hyatt—the 5-Star Promise has committed to providing panic buttons to hospitality workers across the United States. Unfortunately, while 4G LTE signals from all carriers freely propagate in open areas, inside buildings, it’s severely limited by heavy building material that blocks, absorbs, reflects, and degrades cell and Wi-Fi signals—limiting coverage and creating dead zones. These dead zones are an inconvenience for travelers but...

JAMES, MO.—Prock Operations, Inc. announces the hire of David Mitchum as the new President of Operations for the Quarzo Collection and Salvador Hernandez as the National Sales Manager. Together, they bring decades of experience with leading countertop and specialty surface manufacturers and suppliers. Mitchum was previously president and general manager of U.S. Marble, a subsidiary of Clio Holdings. As President of Operations for the Quarzo Collection division, he will be responsible for oversight of division direction, sales growth, customer development, and ensuring product excellence. Hernandez was previously national commercial sales manager for U.S. Marble. As National Sales Manager for the Quarzo...

SEATTLE—React Mobile, the original inventor of the BLE panic button, announced the launch of the newest version of their Sidekick Bluetooth Panic Button. With over 50,000 Sidekick devices deployed worldwide to date, this intelligent new device has now been redesigned from the ground up to leverage the latest IoT technology and provide unprecedented reliability. This is a major leap forward for enterprise customers that rely on React Mobile technology to protect employees every day. The company developed the enhanced React Sidekick 5.0 in line with new state mandates to address the longevity demands of a workforce that often performs their...

ORLANDO, FLA.—The expensive and marginally successful traditional methods of cleaning HVAC cooling coils are now becoming outmoded due to the introduction of an innovative coil restoration process that returns coils to like-new performance and offering a simple payback of as little as six months. Provided by AQUIS, a premier name in air handling unit (AHU) refurbishment, this new coil restoration process utilizes a unique probiotic technology to clean coils at a microscopic level, unlocking like-new system performance along with energy savings that users can literally calculate. “Traditional coil cleaning, which typically utilizes pressure washers and steam cleaners, fails to treat entrenched...

ST. PAUL, MINN.—Ecolab Inc., a global leader in water, food safety and public health technologies and services, has been named to Bloomberg’s 2020 Gender-Equality Index (GEI). The GEI tracks the financial performance of public companies committed to supporting gender equality through policy development, representation and transparency. Ecolab is one of 325 companies across 50 industries to be included in the 2020 index. “Our diverse teams are helping us fuel greater innovation, drive stronger performance and accelerate our growth,” said Chairman and CEO Douglas M. Baker, Jr. “We’re working hard to ensure Ecolab is a place where everyone can create, contribute...