WILMINGTON, DEL.—American Hometec, Inc. introduces its patented coilless technology for electric tankless water heaters. American Hometec’s innovative coilless technology heats water indirectly with a patented space industry quality quartz tube technology with a semi-conductor coating for increased efficiency and water conservation. With American Hometec’s coilless gechnology, the electric components are never in direct contact with the water being heated, preventing accumulation of lime scale inside the unit. Other electric heaters on the market immerse coils in water to directly heat the water, which causes heat spots, and over time, lime scale builds up and causes a decrease in heating...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Vantage Hospitality Group announced that all of its nearly 900 Americas Best Value Inn and Canadas Best Value Inn properties throughout North America will carry shampoo, body lotion and bath soap with biodegradable packaging in their guestrooms. “This isn’t just a commitment to the environment, it’s a commitment to our hotel owners and guests,” said Roger Bloss, CEO, president and founder of Vantage Hospitality. “Americas Best Value Inn has grown tremendously since we began 10 years ago and we plan to be around for a very long time. Therefore, we need to make sure we maintain the cities and...

PISCATAWAY, N.J.—American Standard Brands, a leading manufacturer of bath and kitchen plumbing products, announced its commitment of $1 million over a two-year period to The Nature Conservancy to increase awareness of how consumers can conserve water every day and to provide support of the Conservancy’s mission of protecting the Earth’s most vital natural resource—our drinking water. “As the world’s largest conservation organization, The Nature Conservancy is committed to changing the way water is used and managed to ensure a sustainable supply for people while ensuring ecological health,” said Brian Richter, director of The Nature Conservancy’s Global Freshwater Program. “We...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Kenyon International as a Green Product & Service Directory Partner. Kenyon International manufactures Kenyon Custom “suite green” compact ceramic cook tops with one or two burners and in 120-, 208- and 240-volt models. The cook tops include “HOT” and “ON” indicator lights. Kenyon Custom’s Lite-Touch Q Outdoors waterproof one-burner cook top and All Seasons Electric Grill for outdoor kitchens are available in 120-volt models. Kenyon International offers a three-year product replacement warranty. For more information, e-mail sowens@kenyonappliances.com, call (860) 664-4906, or go to www.kenyonappliances.com.

HOLLAND, N.Y.—Staroba Plastics, Inc. announces the acquisition of EcoStar from Carlisle Construction Materials. EcoStar, known for its premium roofing tiles manufactured from recycled rubber and plastic, will now be known as EcoStar LLC under the ownership of Staroba Plastics. Based in Holland, N.Y., Staroba Plastics has manufactured the product since its inception. EcoStar LLC will have full control of all aspects of manufacturing, marketing and selling the EcoStar line of products and will be ideally positioned to consolidate its position as one of North America’s leading suppliers of synthetic roofing tiles. The visionary glimpse of what EcoStar is today began...

NORFOLK, NEB.—MP Global Products, a leader in the manufacture of underlayment for the flooring industry, announced that FiberBacker, by MP Global Products L.L.C, has earned Indoor Advantage Gold certification from Scientific Certification Systems (SCS), the organization’s highest level of indoor environmental quality certification and the most stringent indoor air quality certification in the country. It is the first underlayment for ceramic and porcelain floors to do so. The seal from SCS requires conformance with limits for 80 different volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) and is intended to insure that individual occupants’ overall exposure to any one of these chemicals does...

WARWICK, N.Y.—With the motto “Eco-friendly is Design Friendly at Impact,” Impact Enterprises, Inc., a leader in menu cover manufacturing, has announced a new green initiative: All custom menu and binder cover material options first presented to Impact’s customers will be materials that are considered environmentally friendly. For several years, Impact Enterprises has researched solutions for quality and durable eco-friendly menu cover materials. The company, based in New York and Nevada, has determined that it can initiate the same new designs and material combinations and provide the same wide selection of materials that it is known for, but now its selection...

GARDEN CITY, N.Y.—Reinforcing its “responsible lighting” commitment, WAC Lighting introduces LEDme Recessed Downlights. WAC Lighting, a leading manufacturer and designer of track, recessed, undercabinet, monorail and decorative lighting, develops nearly all of its responsible products in the family owned, ISO 9001-certified manufacturing campus with in-house UL approved testing labs. Developed for both residential and commercial applications, WAC’s new LEDme Downlights utilize the latest energy efficient LED technology, and offer a potential LED life of 50,000 hours. The fixtures are dimmable and available in 2-, 3- and 4-inch apertures. Designed with a clean, architectural look, LEDme Recessed Luminaires are engineered for...

GAINESVILLE, FLA.—The National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) “Your Role in the Green Environment” curriculum has been approved by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) for 15 hours of continuing education under the Green Building Certification Institute’s (GBCI) Credentialing Maintenance Program. Under the new Credentialing Maintenance program, LEED Accredited Professionals (APs) must earn 30 continuing (CE) education hours every two years and LEED Green Associates must earn 15 (CE) hours every two years to maintain their LEED credentials. “We are very excited about having our green training program approved by USGBC to support maintenance of LEED credentials,” said...

MADISON, WIS.—Quarra Stone, the Madison, Wis.-based company that supplies and fabricates natural stone for signature architectural and restoration projects throughout the country, has launched a comprehensive database that identifies dimensional stone quarries throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. The database is designed to enable architects who are specifying natural stone in their projects to earn points towards LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. Current guidelines call for the award of one point towards LEED certification for builders who use dimensional stone that is quarried within 500 miles of construction. “The use of natural stone in buildings is...