DALLAS—ForrestPerkins announced that Bree Dahl, Vice President, will lead its San Francisco office, previously led by Cliff Tuttle, who recently passed away. San Francisco is a key strategic location for ForrestPerkins, with a focus on high design.    “Our San Francisco team brings a fresh approach with a focus on cutting edge lifestyle design,” says Deborah Lloyd Forrest, FASID, ISHC, President of ForrestPerkins. “This group of young, highly creative designers represents the future of ForrestPerkins and our commitment to grow our distinctive brand of luxury design on the West Coast, and in Hawaii and Asia.”Bree Dahl, LEED AP ID+C, Vice...

CHICAGO—American Hydrotech Inc. has released a free, interactive digital version of the company’s Garden Roof Planning Guide. The app was unveiled recently at the AIA Expo in Chicago. Any iPad user can immediately download the app for a comprehensive guide to vegetative roofs, from concept to completion. Users can also learn about the American Hydrotech Garden Roof Assembly and its benefits, including economic incentives and environmental factors like stormwater management.The app features pinch-to-zoom product photography, video animations, photo galleries showing Garden Roof Assemblies in real-world applications, and design considerations.“Our new app comprises 18 years of vegetative roof experience, presented...

ATLANTA—Peerless Open LED luminaires from Acuity Brands, Inc. have been acknowledged as the sole recipient of the annual Most Innovative Product of the Year award from the LIGHTFAIR International 2014 awards competition. The LFI Innovation Awards, judged by an independent panel of esteemed lighting professionals, recognize the best innovations from more than 500 of the world’s leading manufacturers across the lighting industry.“The Peerless Open luminaire represents a significant advancement in lighting,” said Jimalee Beno, Acuity Brands Lighting Vice President and Peerless Value Stream Leader. “It clearly shows we are no longer limited by form factor when designing and engineering...

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA.—On the heels of the January 2014 completion of its wind turbine energy savings program, Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort has installed an EnviroPure Food Waste Disposal System. The system is a self-contained, continual-feed, organic waste disposal system designed to convert food waste into water on-site.The EnviroPure system can break down up to 900 pounds of organic waste per day with no odor, no sludge buildup and no need to send the resort’s waste to a landfill. In addition, the system’s aerobic decomposition process produces no harmful methane gases.According to John Allan, General Manager, Hilton Fort Lauderdale...

ST. PAUL, MINN.—As part of its 2014 Light Fair introductions, 3M Architectural Markets debuted its 3M Specular Film Protected D50 Series. Allowing lighting designers to efficiently control LED light while saving energy, this 98.5 percent reflective film improves thermal management, increases optical efficiency and lumen output, and reduces LED and LED circuitry costs.Brad Zinke, Business Development Manager for 3M Architectural Markets, notes, “3M Specular Film is about providing more light with less energy. It encompasses everything designers consider when positioning and creating light—brightness, efficiency, distribution, and quality. The potential for applications is great. These films can be used in...

SAN DIEGO—HD Supply Facilities Maintenance, a leading distributor of maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) products, was presented the International Torch Award for Marketplace Excellence by the Council of Better Business Bureaus (BBB). The BBB International Torch Award recognizes businesses for exhibiting outstanding ethical practices and contributions to building marketplace trust.“We are honored to be recognized by the Council of Better Business Bureaus for demonstrating trusted local execution,” said Anesa Chaibi, President and CEO of HD Supply Facilities Maintenance. “I am proud to accept this prestigious award on behalf of our team of dedicated associates, who display every day their...

SALT LAKE CITY—At Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC), held recently in Los Angeles, Control4, a provider of residential and commercial automation systems, showcased the latest update to its hotel automation solution, which adds seamless, secure wireless music streaming capabilities for hotel guests and improved energy intelligence solutions for hotel owners. Control4 Hospitality OS 2.5.3 adds support for the company’s Wireless Music Bridge, which allows guests to stream music from their smartphones, tablets, or other portable devices via Bluetooth. Wireless Music Bridge gives listeners access to their private music libraries as well as streaming music from services like Pandora,...

TAMPA, FLA.—Hasek Communications, the Tampa, Fla.-based publisher of Green Lodging News, has added a UniMac case study to its website. The case study focuses on the Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Club in St. Petersburg, Fla. and its use of UniMac on-premises washer-extractors and tumble dryers. The hotel upgraded its laundry equipment in 2011 with the assistance of equipment consultant Jason Downey of Southeastern Laundry Equipment. Following an extensive evaluation of the Vinoy laundry facility, Downey and Southeastern developed a plan recommending the right size low-maintenance UniMac equipment to best fit the department’s needs.“Every laundry is different;...

WILDER, KY.—Zenith Motors LLC, an Alternative Fuel Conversion Manufacturer, announced that its Electric Vans have become the first electric commercial van to receive a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Certificate of Conformity. Mandated by the Clean Air Act of 1990, the EPA Certificate of Conformity is a required certification for vehicles to operate on U.S. roads and highways and certifies that vehicles conform to all EPA regulations and emission standards.“We are extremely pleased to have the first commercial electric van to have received EPA Certificate of Conformity,” said William Yung, CEO of Zenith Motors LLC. “This certificate allows our...

GREENVILLE, S.C.—In the United States, lighting accounts for approximately 23 percent of a hotel’s energy cost. To expedite and encourage savings, Hubbell Lighting announced a new energy efficient lighting program to cut hospitality electricity costs by 60 percent, translating to a 5.58 percent increase in profitability.The initiative, called createchange, consists of two offerings from Hubbell Lighting:A suite of unique audit tools and other product selection resources implemented with Hubbell Lighting consultants that allow hotels to precisely forecast the economic impact of various lighting retrofit strategies and identify any utility rebates that are available.A 90-day risk-free trial program called “Compare...