ASBURY PARK, N.J.—The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) awarded Philips Electronics the Bright Tomorrow Lighting Prize (L Prize) in recognition of being the first company to successfully develop an LED replacement for the common 60-watt incandescent light bulb. Submitted in 2009, the Philips LED bulb was the first and only product to successfully complete 18 months of rigorous field, lab and product testing, meeting or exceeding the high standards established by DOE for quality. In 2007 the U.S. DOE established a competition, the L Prize, challenging the lighting industry to develop replacement technologies for two of the most widely used...

MIAMI—Loews Hotels are migrating to the Hotel Service Optimization System (HotSOS) from MTech. For the past 15 years Loews Hotels have automated their processes for responding to guest requests and work order fulfillment via MTech’s Espresso! Quality Management solution. Today, the Loews Miami Beach Hotel, Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando, Loews Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando, and Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando Resort have upgraded to MTech’s next-generation solution to provide an even higher level of quality service, and in a more timely fashion. All 18 Loews Hotels will be running with HotSOS by first...

ORTING, WASH.—Baxter, a leader in designing and manufacturing quality foodservice and bakery equipment worldwide, recently launched the next generation of its popular mini rotating rack oven. The new OV310 Series ovens include updated and additional features without sacrificing the quality performance or small footprint that have become industry standards. New features include a larger viewing area (350 square inches total) with dual-pane glass, hidden door hinges and longer-lasting silicone door gaskets for a better oven-door seal. Other enhancements include vertical door handles with a positive latching system, surface-mounted digital controls and easier access to power breaker/gas shutoff valve through the...

ST. PAUL, MINN.—Ecolab Inc. has been named to Forbes magazine’s “The World’s Most Innovative Companies’ list, which appears in the August 8 issue of Forbes. Ecolab ranks 28th out of 100 companies on the global list. “Our purpose—to make the world cleaner, safer and healthier, everywhere it matters—drives our commitment to innovation,” said Douglas M. Baker, chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer, Ecolab. “Our customers want new products and programs that provide superior results along with water, energy, waste and labor savings. We remain focused on continuing to lead innovation in our industry and finding new and...

RIPON, WIS.—UniMac, a leading provider of on-premises laundry equipment, announced the introduction of over-dry prevention technology that allows laundry managers to reduce labor, energy and linen replacement costs associated with over-drying. Over-drying occurs when tumble dryers run longer than needed because they cannot detect when linen has reached its optimal dryness level or when staff uses incorrect cycles. This causes linens to deteriorate faster, decreases throughput and uses excessive energy. OPTidry over-dry prevention technology is an innovation that connects sensors located within the lifters to UniMac’s rotary transfer switch to offer high levels of accuracy. The result is a pinpoint dryness...

OAKLAND, CALIF.—Móz Designs expands its line of eco-friendly metal wall coverings with Blendz, a series of color-rich aluminum panels that introduce a new aesthetic to dull walls and surfaces. The Blendz panels are composed of 80 percent post-industrial recycled aluminum and contribute to LEED 2.0 MR Credit 4—Recycled Content. Once the product’s design life has ended, Blendz panels can again be recycled for other applications. Blendz decorative surfaces can be installed as laminates or specified as heavier-gauge pre-fabricated metal panels for walls, railings, ceilings, columns, elevators and many other architectural applications. The full range of Blendz color sequences are available in...

DALLAS—Hotels and resorts throughout the world are discovering problems with the continued use of natural thatch roofing material, which is causing harm to the environment and financial difficulty for the hotels and resorts. A recent increase in thatch roof fires has caused the hospitality industry to examine its use of natural thatch roofing materials and structures. Natural thatching requires costly and time-consuming maintenance along with the treatment of environmentally harmful chemicals, such as flame-retardants and insect fumigants that can put guests in danger or cause the loss of business. The issues with natural thatching materials can be avoided with...

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA—Concept Amenities, a leader in the supply of environmentally responsible guest bath amenities, has named Catherine “CJ” Burgher as its new vice president sales Luxury Hospitality. Burgher, who had been West Coast sales manager at rival Molton Brown, will spearhead Concept Amenities’ new luxury sector and focus on direct sales of Luxury Collection brands to the 4+ star hotel market with exclusive licensed retail brand amenities. “The expansion into luxury sales is not new to our company,” notes Gary Coward, president of sales at Concept Amenities. “We’ve created 4+ star luxury collections for over 28 years but this new...

CROSSVILLE, TENN.—Inspired by the natural stone from which it derives its name, the new Bluestone by Crossville features a field of soft earthen tones, enhanced by fossil-like impressions and the subtle pearlescence of embedded shells. Bluestone Porcelain Stone tile is available in both natural and honed finishes. Designed for both commercial and residential installations, Bluestone contains a minimum of 20 percent recycled content and is manufactured in Crossville using processes that have been certified by Scientific Certification Systems. It’s available in four colorways—Colorado Buff, Arizona Brown, Pennsylvania Blue and Vermont Black—and a variety of sizes: 24" x 24", 12" x...

SANTA CLARA, CALIF.—WattStopper has created a YouTube channel in order to share its growing video library with a wider audience. Viewers can choose from numerous informative short subjects on topics ranging from installing specific controls to selecting high ROI control investments. The channel is updated frequently, and subscribers receive automatic notifications when new content is added. Viewers can watch the videos on mobile devices as well as their computers. By uploading video content to YouTube, WattStopper enables sales reps and distributors to incorporate this informative content in their own communications, providing added value to customers. The YouTube channel also directly...