TOLEDO, OHIO—MTS Seating, a leading manufacturer of hospitality and banquet furniture, announced that its entire line of stack, banquet and restaurant seating has received Greenguard Indoor Air Quality Certification for being low-emitting, a characteristic which minimizes levels of indoor pollutants. According to MTS, it is the first to pursue and receive this designation in the hospitality seating industry. “This certification shows that when we say we’re working toward making continual environmental improvements in our manufacturing processes, we mean it,” said MTS president Phil Swy. “For us, product innovation is a means to not only provide our customers with the stylish...

EAST FREETOWN, MASS.—Heat Transfer Products has unveiled a new 30-tube solar collector panel that will deliver up to 39,000 Btu per panel per day, depending on available sunlight. The collectors are engineered to maximize energy efficiency even at high Delta T temperatures, making them ideal for colder regions or applications demanding higher outlet temperatures. Each panel assembly consists of 30 twin-glass, evacuated tubes to absorb solar energy for heating water. They are shipped with a ready-to-assemble 439 stainless-steel frame for easy rooftop mounting. Rather than wrestling with a cumbersome, prefabricated collector panel on a rooftop, the technician builds the collector...

MURRIETTA, CALIF.—OmniTourism, a globally recognized electronic travel and tourism content production, management, aggregation and distribution company, has taken a stock position in Green Globe International, Inc., owner of the Green Globe brand, a premier green brand for travel and tourism. The position was reported as a stock acquisition in a Form 4 Statement of Change in Beneficial Ownership of Securities filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. It reports a total stock common ownership in Green Globe International of 59,920,893 shares. A link to all of the company’s SEC filings can be found in the “Investors” section of...

LAS VEGAS—NaturesCast, a Filipino-based eco-friendly master furniture and accessories manufacturer with an office and showroom in Las Vegas, has introduced a new Club Furniture Set for the home, office and commercial markets. Like the more than 100 other products in the line, NaturesCast uses an innovative process to create functional and artistic furniture and décor from agro-forest waste such as dry leaves, dead twigs and barks from the forests around Compostela, Province of Cebu, Philippines. The materials are shredded through a special machine and bonded together using odorless water-based binder, then shaped into the unique and functional forms. The Club Furniture...

DES PLAINES, ILL.—Luxury bedding manufacturer United Feather & Down showcased bedding to fit travelers’ eco-friendly, balanced lifestyles during the HD Boutique 2008 Expo & Conference. The event was held from September 17 to 18 in Miami Beach. Highlighted was the company’s organic cotton bedding, the Prestige Naturals Collection for Hospitality, which caters to the growing number of environmentally and socially-conscious consumers around the world. “Now, more than ever, consumers are looking for natural products that have environmental as well as health and wellness benefits,” said Stephen Palmer, Co-President of United Feather & Down. “Hoteliers looking for a natural solution for...

MADISON HEIGHTS, MICH.—Décor Group International (DGI), a leading manufacturer of brand imaging delivery systems, has undertaken a total commitment to green technology. Based in Madison Heights, Mich., DGI has pledged to provide its clients with materials that are biodegradable and/or recyclable in an effort to better meet the needs of the growing number of businesses that are migrating towards a greener existence. Dennis Knoblock, owner and president of DGI, issued the following statement: “Making a change to green technology does not in any way translate to a sacrifice in the areas of quality, durability or presentation. The performance of these...

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA.—In support of their commitment to building upon an innovative range of foodservice equipment systems, Electrolux Professional North America will be showcasing several new products at their booth at the 2009 North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers (NAFEM) Show in Orlando, Florida, February 5-7, 2009. The highly anticipated air-o-convect, a hybrid convection oven which Electrolux just introduced to the market in April 2008, will be on display. Also exhibited at the Electrolux Professional booth #2080 will be the new, 6-pan full size air-o-steam combi oven and several enhanced Electrolux Dito products. Combining the features and benefits...

DALTON, GA.—Shaw Hospitality Group’s new REmix Collection by Kate Korten comes to life with animated patterns and linear motifs found in advertising and art designs of the 1950s and 1960s. REmix offers coordinated guestrooms and public space carpet in both print and tufted patterns. Korten, whose father was a groundbreaking New York art director in the 1960s, grew up on shape, color and form, which are all reflected in REmix. This background influenced her career and continues to provide inspiration in hospitality flooring designs. “The style of illustrations from that era still strikes a chord in me,” Korten said. “I’ve kept...

SEATTLE—Seattle-based O Ecotextiles will brings its “sensuous yet sustainable” textiles for the first time to West Coast Green’s conference and expo, September 25-27, 2008 at the San Jose Convention Center in San Jose, Calif. One of O Ecotextiles’ new prints also was chosen by EcoFabulous.com to grace the master bedroom of the Showhouse at West Coast Green. For the company, whose line with top British designer Emily Todhunter won a House & Garden magazine award at Decorex 2007 in the U.K., their message is simple, direct and firm: Being an “organic textile,” means not just that a fabric uses organic...

HIGHLAND PARK, ILL.—Yesterday’s water bottles and bamboo stalks are today’s dinnerware with a new line of “greener” single-use cups and plates from Solo Cup Company. The products are the first to be launched under the Bare by Solo brand, an eco-forward line of plates and cups. The single-use cups are made from 20 percent post-consumer recycled polyethylene (PET) plastic and single-use plates are made from bamboo. Solo is the first to commercialize a plastic cup using post-consumer recycled material on a broad scale. PET is the plastic from which water bottles and many other containers are made. The material is...