SAN DIEGO—Oster and Associates, Inc., a San Diego-based marketing agency, has announced a shift in agency branding to a focus on green marketing. “Being environmentally conscious is not a new philosophy for us,” says Bev Oster, the agency’s president. “It has been at the core of much of the business the agency has done over the past 21 years.” “If we had announced that we were a ‘green’ agency five years ago, no one would have noticed,” she adds. “Today, green is attracting everyone’s attention. And that has triggered some significant growth for the agency.” The agency’s green...

MINNEAPOLIS—Honeywell introduced EXCEL 5000 OpenViewNet, a secure network device that connects the EXCEL 5000 family of controllers to the Internet, delivering remote, Web-based monitoring and control of heating, ventilation and cooling (HVAC) systems. “We’re bringing secure Web access to a legacy control system without forcing users to migrate to a new platform,” says Mike Taylor, vice president of Americas marketing, Honeywell Building Solutions. “With OpenViewNet, facility managers always have control of their EXCEL 5000 systems at their fingertips, saving time and increasing efficiency.” OpenViewNet gives users quick access to building data via Internet Explorer or a Pocket PC-enabled mobile device using...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Green Lodging News has added its first case study to its new Vendor Case Studies section. The case study focuses on the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center in Boston and how it successfully implemented Excel Dryer’s XLERATOR hand dryer. After receiving a recommendation from the deputy director of the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, John Donahue, building superintendent, selected the Excel XLERATOR. It is designed with a high-velocity air stream that blows off excess water droplets and rapidly evaporates the remaining layer of moisture. XLERATOR dries hands in 10 to 15 seconds, three times faster than traditional...

TUALATIN, ORE.—Hartmann & Forbes, a fabricator of sustainable handcrafted window coverings, has converted its signature ColourWeave Collection to use exclusively Low and No VOC paints (Volatile Organic Compounds). ColourWeave is now one of the most environmentally friendly painted matchstick collections of its kind in the industry. “The mission of Project Green is to do our best to minimize the environmental impact across our business,” says Michael Jones, Hartmann & Forbes’ founder and CEO. “The recent strides that paint companies have made in environmentally friendly paints have allowed us, in turn, to provide our clients a more environmentally responsible shade.” Each weave...

ATLANTA—Simmons Hospitality Group’s new ComforPedic by Simmons next-generation memory foam bedding line received the Hospitality Design Best of Boutique Award at the HD Boutique 2007 Exposition & Conference. The honor, which recognizes unique product introductions exhibited at HD Boutique, was awarded to just 11 of the more than 80 Best of Boutique entries. “We are thrilled that Hospitality Design named the ComforPedic by Simmons line one of the best new product introductions at HD Boutique,” says Steve Tipton, vice president of Simmons Hospitality Group. “The Best of Boutique distinction reinforces that our ComforPedic NxG Advanced Memory Foam is truly innovative...

SOMERSET, N.J. – Philips Lighting Co., a division of Philips Electronics North America Corp., an affiliate of Royal Philips Electronics, announces the introduction of ALTO II, its next-generation low-mercury fluorescent lamp technology for the professional lighting market. Twelve years ago, Philips Lighting introduced its original ALTO technology and set a new industry standard by reducing the amount of mercury in its T8 fluorescent lamps to an industry low of 3.5 mg. Today, through Philips Lighting’s innovative technology, ALTO II T8 lamps now contain only 1.7 mg of mercury, a 50 percent reduction from previous levels. Now incorporated into...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Unique Amenities as a Green Product Directory partner. Unique Amenities provides natural ingredient toiletries that are made from environmentally friendly, GE-free (not genetically engineered) ingredients, and are 100 percent biodegradable and recyclable. All of the company’s products are imported from New Zealand for purity and cleanliness. Call (888) 786-4783, go to www.uniqueamenities.com, or e-mail lsheiner@uniqueamenities.com for more information.

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Master-Bilt as a Green Product Directory partner. New Albany, Miss.-based Master-Bilt provides a complete line of refrigerated coolers and freezers—from ice cream dipping cabinets to refrigerated warehouses. Many products are designed with energy-saving features and options such as demand defrost, alarms and light management systems. Master-Bilt also offers Energy Star and CEC certified reach-ins, milk coolers and other equipment. Call 800-647-1284 or e-mail sales@master-bilt.com for more details. Go to Master-Bilt.

NEW YORK—Neo-Metro, a leading design and manufacturing firm of luxury plumbing products and a legacy division of Acorn Engineering, launched their new wall-mounted Ebb Concept wash basins for hospitality and service installations in early 2007, and introduced the Mini Loo eco-dual flush sanitary system at the HD Boutique Show in Miami. Given its custom color, finish and size specifications, Ebb Concept has successfully been showcased in colorful, high visibility national projects that include the Gibraltar Bank in New York City and The Aurora Hotel in Catalina Island among others. The new Betsy Hotel, a boutique hotel named after...

CHICAGO—Tornado announced that its recently released CK LW 13/1 vacuum cleaner has just earned the Carpet and Rug Institute’s (CRI) Green Label certification. The Green Label on a vacuum cleaner tells users that the machine meets the highest standards of operation, efficiency and performance, which can help lower overall cleaning costs and improve worker productivity, as it protects the environment. To earn the certification, the performance of the vacuum cleaner is evaluated in three key areas: • Soil removal—how efficiently the machine removes soil from a test carpet area; • Dust containment—the amount of dust released into the air when using the vacuum cleaner;...