PEORIA, ARIZ.—LG HI-MACS, a leader in premium acrylic solid surfacing, launched LG Eden, the industry’s first environmentally conscious acrylic product, in conjunction with Earth Day and the City of Chicago’s Going Green: Earth Month Kick-off. Like Chicago, one of the top U.S. cities for green building, LG HI-MACS is committed to raising awareness of the simple things—like transitioning to green building products—that individuals and businesses can do to help improve the environment. Highlights of Chicago’s Earth Month Kick-off included a speech by Mayor Richard Daley and a showcase of more than 25 organizations presenting a unique mix of...

TOKYO AND NEW YORK—Konica Minolta Holdings Inc., Konica Minolta Technology Center Inc. (collectively KM) and the General Electric Co. announced that they have signed a strategic alliance agreement to accelerate the development and commercialization of OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) devices for lighting applications. The goal is to bring OLED lighting to market within the next three years. “Having such unprecedented attractive features as flexible, thin, lightweight, and sheet form OLED lighting is considered one of the most promising new business opportunities for us in the future,” says Masatoshi Matsuzaki, President, Konica Minolta Technology Center Inc. “We are...

WEST BLOOMFIELD, MICH.—In Crypton’s ongoing effort to provide cleaner, greener and better textiles to the marketplace, the company announced that going forward, all Crypton Fabrics, not just Crypton Green, will now be finished with its new, low-emitting, optimized formulations for stain, moisture, bacteria, and odor resistance. By June 2007, all fabrics processed at Crypton’s Kings Mountain facility will be using the same recalibrated chemistry that was developed for Crypton’s greenest product, Crypton Green. Crypton Green leads the company’s “Green” initiative, a combination of optimized chemistry and basecloth requirements. However, the company came to the conclusion that to be...

ALSIP, ILL.—Litetronics introduces its plug-in compact fluorescent tube (PFT) lamps. The pin-based compact fluorescent lamps use 80 percent less energy than incandescents and last 13 times as long. The two-pin starter lamps work with magnetic ballasts, while the four-pin starter models are for use with electronic ballasts. The two-pin PFT lamps have a 10,000-hour average rated life, and the four-pin lamps boast a 15,000-hour average rated life. Compared to other compact fluorescent lamps, the four-pin PFT lamps offer a 33 percent longer life. All PFT lamps offer a 2700K correlated color temperature and a high CRI of 82....

NEW YORK—Leonardo Media, an international leader in providing e-marketing solutions for the travel and hospitality industries, announced that The Leading Hotels of the World, Ltd. Leading Spas collection directory is now available online as a digital eBook. Using the original artwork from the printed version, Leonardo created an exact replica of the 120-page directory into a dynamic and eye-catching electronic format—complete with links to the Leading Spas website and page zoom functionality that provides online viewers with the feeling that they are reading a printed brochure. “It is tremendous to expand our relationship with The Leading Hotels...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Lodging Technology, Roanoke, Va., as a Founding Sponsor. Lodging Technology is a leading provider of innovative guestroom energy management systems. Lodging Technology, an EnergyStar Partner, is the originator (1980) and recognized leader of infrared sensor-based hotel energy conservation, and provides direct sales, installation, service, and leasing options. Lodging Technology’s products have been installed in thousands of hotel guestrooms over the past 27 years. GEM System Energy Management, and its optional features, will provide substantial savings of 35 to 45 percent, increase profits, and improve staff response,...

BOSTON—The award-winning Seaport Hotel recently installed a BioX system, a high-volume organic waste decomposition unit that eliminates organic waste naturally. The system, the first operational unit of its kind in New England, will reduce the amount of trash and recyclables Seaport hauls away, resulting in a cleaner environment. The BioX, sold by Action Comax Environmental Inc., Newark, N.J., consists of a stainless steel unit that is odorless, energy efficient and that runs automatically and quietly in the hotel kitchen. The system breaks down hundreds of pounds of food waste per day from Aura Restaurant & Bar, the Bakery...

DUNEDIN, FLA.—Mintek Mobile Data Solutions, a developer of turn-key solutions for city utilities, lodging and cable companies, announced that it is celebrating its 20th year in business. For two decades, Mintek has specialized in automated systems that incorporate bar coding and mobile devices to provide oversight of processes such as preventive maintenance and warehouse inventory tracking. “It is with great pride that we announce our 20th anniversary,” says Jim Hutton, President of Dunedin, Fla.-based Mintek. “It is a landmark worth celebrating. Mintek has reached 20 years because it has always given its customers what they want: the most...

INDIANAPOLIS—Delta Faucet Co. announces its involvement in the biggest commercial construction project in the western hemisphere—the MGM Project CityCenter in Las Vegas. Chosen by MGM Mirage and Gensler, a leading architecture, interior design, planning, and strategic consulting firm, Delta will provide bath and shower fixtures for the 68-acre urban development. The project will change the face of the Las Vegas strip with a mini city, redefining urban living. Product from both the Delta and Brizo brands of Delta Faucet Co. will be included. “CityCenter is not only design-centric, but it incorporates new products that many people have not...

DANBURY, CONN.—FuelCell Energy Inc., a global leader in the development and manufacture of high temperature hydrogen fuel cells for clean electric power generation, announces an advanced fuel cell stack design that boosts the power output of its Direct FuelCell (DFC) power plants by 20 percent. The company is incorporating the enhancement across its entire line of power plants. This enhancement reflects the commitment of FuelCell Energy to provide its customers with ultra-clean and reliable distributed power—efficiently and economically. By improving thermal management of electrochemical activity within the fuel cell stack, the company has increased the power output from...