TROY, OHIO—Hobart announced the redesign of its website. The new site integrates the Hobart, Traulsen refrigeration and Baxter Bakery brands into one seamless front-end user experience from site to site. The interface uses a tab mechanism that highlights all three brands in a cohesive style so Hobart can showcase its full line of commercial food equipment and unique nationwide network of Hobart Service. “The new Hobart site brings Hobart, Traulsen and Baxter together in one online environment,” said Tom Szafranski, president of ITW Food Equipment Group-Commercial. “The updated site provides a seamless connection between the three brands while giving each...

MEMPHIS, TENN.—Home2 Suites by Hilton, the mid-tier extended-stay hotel concept targeting savvy and value-wise extended-stay guests, is utilizing post-consumer recycled content carpeting by InterfaceFLOR, the largest modular carpet tile manufacturer in the world, to outfit its model prototype at the Memphis, Tenn. headquarters. The “Hip and Humble” brand intends to outfit each new location with a variety of eco-friendly design elements and flooring is one spotlighted area. “Home2 Suites is a brand that focuses on marrying style and value while remaining conscious of our environmental impact,” said Bill Duncan, global head, brand management. “InterfaceFLOR shares our commitment and has an...

LAGRANGE, GA.—Acting on input from customers and internal customer care associates, Milliken Floor Covering will eliminate all paper acknowledgements of orders effective August 31. All future notifications will be sent electronically. This move is part of an ongoing effort to eliminate unnecessary paper documents and reduce waste. Not only does this decision save time and paper for printing the documents, it conserves envelopes, postage, toner and energy. Milliken’s Chain of Green partners also will benefit from more timely information exchanges, added convenience, and less confusion due to multiple notice formats. Milliken’s Chain of Green Network encourages sustainability throughout the...

MOONACHIE, N.J.—BULBRITE has unveiled a line of Super High Power Dimmable LED PAR30 and PAR38 bulbs. BULBRITE’s Super High Power LED PAR30 and PAR 38 provide all of the freedoms of traditional incandescent lamps and allow these energy efficient light sources to set a variety of moods and ambience for today’s interiors. The Super High Power Dimmable LED PAR30 produces 500 lumens and is a direct replacement for a 65-watt BR30 or a 50-watt PAR30 halogen bulb. The Super High Power Dimmable LED PAR38 produces 743 lumens and is a direct replacement for a 100-watt BR40 or a 75-watt Halogen...

LAGRANGE, OHIO—West Development Group (WDG), a leader in sustainable roofing products and practices, recently implemented a program that recognizes building owners who recycle EPDM rubber roofing membrane. Through the program, WDG is partnering with organizations to implement sustainable roofing practices by recycling EPDM roofs to keep them out of landfills. Participating organizations—from municipalities to owners of commercial buildings and residential apartments— can receive a “Certificate of Environmental Responsibility” in recognition of their environmental practices. WDG has presented more than 50 organizations with “Certificate of Environmental Responsibility” certificates. The Columbus Dispatch, a newspaper based in Columbus, Ohio, is a recent example...

TROY, MICH.—ilumisys, Inc., developer and producer of next-generation solid-state lighting technology, announced that it has granted a license for its light-emitting diode (LED) fluorescent tube replacement patents to Light Emitting Designs of North Barrington, Ill. “We are pleased to be engaged as a licensee with ilumisys and its parent company, Altair Engineering,” said Tim Taylor, CEO of Light Emitting Designs. “The market for LED tube retrofits is significant and pegged for huge growth in 2010 and 2011. We are pleased to have secured that future growth by being a licensed provider.” The licensing agreement provides for royalty payments to be made...

DALLAS—East Teak Fine Hardwoods, Inc., a leading importer and distributor of the high-quality hardwoods, announced that it has recently selected Scientific Certification Systems, Inc. (SCS) as its new accredited Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification auditor. “In choosing a new auditor, it was important to us that we choose a company that would be attentive to our needs, and SCS was the best fit for East Teak,” says Matt Mladenka, marketing and sales director. “After reviewing several accredited auditing companies, we felt that they could best help us get to where we wanted to be with our FSC-certified wood program.” East Teak,...

MONTGOMERY, ALA.—The new integrated air-source HP-50 Heat Pump Water Heater from Rheem Water Heating offers an Energy Factor (EF) of 2.0, or more than twice the energy efficiency of a standard electric storage water heater. The new water heater qualifies for a federal tax credit as well as many state and utility rebates and incentives. Intended for residential applications, both new construction and drop-in replacement of existing water heaters, the unit has a storage capacity of 50 gallons and meets the qualifications for an Energy Star listing. Measuring only 21 inches in diameter and 75.5 inches tall, the new Rheem...

BOSTON—Integrated Environmental Solutions (IES), a provider of integrated performance analysis software for sustainable building design, announced the launch of VE-Gaia, a step-by-step smart navigation software solution that offers a complete analysis workflow environment designed to guide the user through the process and facilitate analysis understanding. VE-Gaia is composed of a series of navigators which increase productivity, reduce the potential for human error and change the way analysis is undertaken. Using VE-Gaia, designers have the ability to input and manipulate exact building data within an integrated central data model. The smart navigators take users through a range of different analysis...

HILLSBORO, ORE.—Caroma, a leader in dual flush toilets, urinals, and stylish bathroom sinks, announces its newest high efficiency toilet (HET): the Sydney Smart back outlet. The Sydney Smart back outlet HET is one of the first back outlet dual flush toilets to be WaterSense labeled, delivering high performance and water savings in the bathroom. The Sydney Smart back outlet features Caroma Smart technology, developed and mastered over the last decade. It delivers a combination of design, water savings, and performance. The Sydney Smart back outlet is dual flush, using 1.28 gallons (4.8 liters) of water per flush (gpf/lpf) for solid...