FORT WORTH, TEXAS—In an effort to more wholly focus and invest in its fastest growing areas, Niagara Conservation recently divested a portion of its business to AM Conservation Group, Inc., a Charleston, S.C.-based supplier of weatherization, energy and water conservation products. Among the acquired products are Niagara Conservation’s showerheads, aerators, lighting and weatherization products, which all will continue to be sold under the Niagara brand name. Niagara will retain its toilet and program related business. Niagara Conservation plans to expand its line of ultra-high-efficiency toilets and pioneering utility programs by investing in a new toilet manufacturing plant in Kokomo, Ind.,...

GUIYANG, CHINA—Johnson Controls, a leader in building technology and services, recently helped Hyatt Regency Guiyang become Hyatt Group’s first hotel in China to achieve gold certification in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, New Construction (LEED-NC Gold). Peter Templeton, vice president of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), and Nellie Cheng, China director of USGBC, officially awarded the certification to Qiao Gencai, general manager of Hyatt Regency Guiyang.“Zhongtian Group promotes a sustainable lifestyle, builds green cities, practices energy conservation and reduces emissions in our work to develop western China,” said Luo Yuping, chairman of Zhongtian Urban Development Group and...

INWOOD, N.Y.—Your laundry staff is a busy bunch. Sorting loads, transferring them from washer to dryer and finally, finishing, folding and getting them shelved. Still, most days they find time to unknowingly dump a bucket of money in the trash. True, the bucket reference may be a bit dramatic, but chances are there is an activity going on in your laundry that is costing the operation money—human error. Managers employ a variety of tactics to help prevent human error. They focus on bringing in quality employees and spend ample time training them. But short of constant supervision, which, let’s face it,...

TAMPA, FLA.—Hasek Communications, the Tampa, Fla.-based publisher of Green Lodging News, has added an Electrolux Professional Laundry Equipment Case Study to its website. The case study details the Hilton Concord’s recent installation of new Electrolux Professional washers and dryers. Roseville, Calif-based A2Z Laundry Systems spearheaded the installation of the equipment at the 329-room hotel. Lead consultant on the Hilton Concord’s overall sustainability efforts is Charles Smith, CEO of Hotel Sustainability Solutions Inc. (HSSI).As HSSI began the task of evaluating options, key factors considered were the efficiency of the equipment, availability of rebates or incentives, distributor/manufacturer service and support, and...

MANKATO, MINN.—All that’s left is the waiting for the official plaque from the U.S. Green Building Council. When it arrives the Courtyard Mankato Minnesota will become the first hotel in the Gopher State to receive LEED certification. Considering all of the property’s green features, the honor will be well deserved. The 93-room property, about a year old, is owned by Mercury Investments L.P. Preston Lougheed is the general manager.“As far as we know we are the first Marriott in the United States to have solar panels,” Lougheed says. “It was a big investment.” The 40 kW, 192 panel system...

SAN JOSE, CALIF.—In celebration of the Fairmont San Jose hotel’s newly renovated on-premise laundry, the hotel’s leadership hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony earlier this year, complete with a special cake—a model of one of the new Milnor washer-extractors. Attending the ribbon cutting were the Fairmont’s General Manager, Kelley Cosgrove, Executive Laundry Manager, Jason Lustbader, and Chief Engineer, Larry Wick, along with the hotel’s laundry staff and representatives from the commercial laundry experts, Western State Design (WSD). To cap off the celebration, the hotel’s pastry chef surprised guests with a cake for the ceremony, which was a detailed replica of one...

SACRAMENTO, CALIF.—Edmund G. Brown Jr. announced that the Hilton Concord of Concord, Calif., has won a 2013 Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Award (GEELA) for its outstanding commitment to sustainability and the environment. Hilton Concord was the recipient for the GEELA Environmental and Economic Partnerships award and is the first Hilton brand hotel to ever win this award.GEELA is California’s highest and most prestigious environmental honor. This program recognizes individuals, organizations, and businesses that have demonstrated exceptional leadership and made notable contributions in conserving precious resources, protecting and enhancing the environment, and building public-private partnerships.“Hilton Concord is a true...

MORROW, GA.—TOTO announced that it has shipped its high-performance bathroom fixtures to assist more than 2,000 families in Moore, Shawnee and El Reno, Okla., with their long-term rebuilding process.“Our hearts go out to the victims of May’s devastating tornados,” said Bill Strang, president of Operations for the Americas, TOTO USA. “We wanted to aid our friends and neighbors in Oklahoma with their long-term recovery process, so we are sending three 40-foot container trucks laden with our beautiful designs that offer superior performance—toilets, faucets, showers, and accessories—to help families in these communities rebuild their homes.”TOTO is assisted in this humanitarian...

MANCHESTER, N.H.—Xeros, the innovator of an ultra-low water cleaning system, announced it has joined a leading alliance committed to improving supply chain sustainability in the apparel and footwear industries. Xeros, the company formed to commercialize polymer bead technology developed at the University of Leeds, is now a member of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), which also includes household names such as Adidas, Burberry, Coca Cola and Levi Strauss.   The coalition is an industry-wide group of more than 100 leading apparel and footwear brands, retailers, manufacturers, government organizations, nonprofit entities and academic institutions, committed to improving supply chain sustainability.In its...

NORTH OLMSTED, OHIO—For the second year in a row, a Moen Commercial product has been awarded a Production Innovation Award (PIA) by Architectural Products’ magazine—this year, the M•Dura Heavy-Duty Manual Flush Valve won in the restroom and plumbing category. The awards are judged by a group of 50 independent industry professionals to honor innovation in the development and refinement of buildings-related products. The M•Dura flush valves were selected for their heavy-duty construction and proprietary design. These products feature Moen’s Accuset piston technology that requires virtually no maintenance or replacement parts for the life of the flush valve. Accuset is a self-cleaning...