SAN DIEGO—HD Supply Facilities Maintenance, a leading single-source supplier to the hospitality industry, announced that more than 100 of its associates have obtained the Certified Master Hotel Supplier (CMHS) designation, more than any other supplier in the hospitality industry.“As a professional supplier, it is important that we have a deep understanding of the hotel industry,” said David Kahn, CMHS and vice president, HD Supply Facilities Maintenance—Hospitality Solutions. “By supporting all of our hospitality associates through the CMHS program, we are empowering them to help our customers identify practical solutions to real-world challenges.”The CMHS designation is considered by the American...

SAINT PAUL, MINN.—Planglow USA, a leading provider of branded labels and compostable packaging to the “grab and go” foodservice industry, will be showcasing its products at the International Hotel, Motel + Restaurant Show (IHMRS) for the very first time (November 9 to 12 in New York City at the Javits Center). The company will feature two branded collections of compostable grab and go packaging, as well as the company’s labeling software—LabelLogic.Planglow USA offers two branded collections of matching packaging and labeling: six piece premium-look Rosso range; and 15 piece Natural Collection. These include: sandwich wedges; tortilla wrap packs; windowed...

ALPHARETTA, GA.—After its North American début in New York City this May, the Axor Starck Organic Collection will be featured at Boutique Design New York 2013 (BDNY), November 10 to 11 at the Jacob K. Javits Center in New York. Philippe Starck’s fifth collaboration with Axor will be on display in Booth #509. The collection has many attributes that make it suitable for a wide range of applications, especially hospitality. With design by luminary Philippe Starck and craftsmanship and innovation by Axor, the collection is a natural for this market, which demands superior aesthetics, functionality, sustainability and durability.Of Axor’s...

SPOKANE, WASH.—Ecova, a total energy and sustainability management company, announced a new Water Outlier Investigation service to help multi-site commercial and industrial companies optimize their water performance. Together, Ecova’s Resource Benchmarking Report and new Water Outlier Investigation services identify facilities that are performing above or below the norm for all facilities—and provide customized solutions to reduce consumption at those targeted sites.“Water prices are on the rise, climbing by almost 30 percent in the past four years for the commercial and industrial sector as we found in our recent Big Data Whitepaper,” said Bob Zak, senior vice president, facility solutions,...

PISCATAWAY, N.J.—American Standard is the first plumbing manufacturer to offer 1.1 gallons per flush (gpf) manual flushometer toilet systems that use 14 percent less water than 1.28 gpf high efficiency toilet (HET) flushometer systems, and 31 percent less than 1.6 gpf systems. These toilet systems consist of a 1.1 gpf manual toilet flush valve combined with either an American Standard Afwall or Madera universal toilet bowl.An ideal solution for architects and specifying engineers focused on water conservation, these new toilet system flush valves significantly reduce water use without sacrificing performance. This level of water savings will contribute toward LEED...

MIRAMAR, FLA.—Trend Group, an international manufacturer and distributor of unique mosaic tiles and natural stones headquartered in Vicenza, Italy with production facilities and offices in several countries, along with its subsidiary company, Granite Transformations, has partnered with Kohler Co. to further each company’s eco-friendly mission of keeping unnecessary waste out of landfills. With this collaboration, Kohler Co. provides pre-consumer porcelain from their bath and sink manufacturing to be re-purposed for the production of Trend’s newest line of exclusive granite surfaces.This two-year partnership has resulted in the creation of Trend products #1606 and #1607, also referred to as Terra Chiara...

NEW YORK—Designtex announced that Susan Lyons, president of Designtex, will be honored as a Legacy Innovator at the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute’s inaugural Innovation Celebration event, which will be held in New York on November 15 to recognize leaders in product design innovation as they create better products for our world.This award recognizes Lyons’s pioneering role as a passionate but practically minded advocate for environmental sustainability in textile design. In 1993, Lyons, then Creative Director of Designtex, began to research the possibility of developing a collection of ecological fabrics. But at that time no one knew exactly...

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM—Siemens Building Technologies Division and Carlson Rezidor recently announced cooperation on an energy saving program in Radisson Blu and Park Inn by Radisson hotels in Europe. The target is 25 percent savings in five years.The pilot project will be held at the Radisson Blu Hotel Amsterdam, which will bring an estimated 30 percent saving on the total energy spend of the hotel with a total payback time of just more than four years. It focuses on guestroom controls, optimization of the Siemens Building Management System, LEDs and a number of additional quick win measures.The Siemens energy optimization program...

MIAMI—Coverings ETC announces the newest addition to its Bio-Glass collection: “Topaz Blue.” This new color is made from 100 percent upcycled bottles. Topaz Blue rounds out a roster of six colors including White Diamond, Oriental Jade, Fossil Amber, Malachite, and Emerald Forest.Merging subtle elegance with durability, Red Dot Design award winner Bio-Glass is stain proof and scratch resistant, making it ideal for kitchen countertops, back-splashes, vanities, and wall coverings. It is available in sheet sizes measuring 110" x 49" x ¾" thick. Bio-Glass is suitable for partitions, facades, and other decorative surfaces. They’re as durable as granite and, being...

ATLANTA—Acuity Brands, Inc. has extended its line of P Series LED Downlighting Modules from Lithonia Lighting. The family now features 4-inch, 5-inch and 6-inch LED modules that deliver an expected service life of 46 years for a wide range of applications.Designed to fit almost any manufacturer’s recessed can-style housings (4-inch, 5-inch and 6-inch) for no-hassle retrofitting, the new P Series LED downlights offer more flexibility with the most popular downlight sizes for residential and light commercial applications. Additionally, the new 4-inch P Series LED downlight offers the same light output as a 65-watt incandescent lamp, to deliver more illumination...