COLUMBUS, OH — The Building Service Contractors Association International (BSCAI) awarded Aetna Building Maintenance, a regional, one-stop source for full-service building maintenance, its top safety award at the 2009 BSCAI Annual Convention & Trade Show, according to a press release.
The award is part of BSCAI’s ongoing effort to promote industry safety and is given to organizations with excellent safety records, the release stated.
Aetna Building Maintenance won in the category of 1,038,961–2,598,960 hours worked, the release noted.
BSCAI has a worldwide network of more than 2,000 member companies from across the U.S. and 30 other countries, the release added.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
A new subclass in polyester carpet fiber
CALHOUN, GA — The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has recognized that PTT fiber, the fiber used in Mohawk Industries' SmartStrand® carpets and that DuPont sells under the brand name Sorona® is worthy of its own subclass called triexta, according to FloorBiz.com.
With its extreme durability, unrivaled stain resistance and unmatched softness, triexta has been determined to be superior to standard polyester and shares little more than a similar chemical structure, the story stated.
Jeff Lorberbaum, Mohawk’s Chairman and CEO, said: "We petitioned the FTC for reclassification because our retail partners told us that the current generic name was misleading to consumers and that retailers found it difficult to clearly communicate the benefits of this different and superior product when it fell into the same category as traditional polyester products. We are thrilled with the FTC’s ruling, particularly because of the business benefits it brings to our retailers. Carpets with triexta offer a true performance advantage to consumers."
The creation of the triexta subclass gives retailers the ability to emphasize and focus on the outstanding features and benefits of the product, instead of defending the negative perceptions sometimes accompanied with the word polyester, the story noted.
According to the story, Mohawk Industries and DuPont jointly petitioned the FTC in 2006 to establish a new fiber subclass within the existing classification of polyester.
This is the first extension that the FTC has approved for textiles in five years and the first extension for residential carpeting since nylon in June of 1959, the story added.
With its extreme durability, unrivaled stain resistance and unmatched softness, triexta has been determined to be superior to standard polyester and shares little more than a similar chemical structure, the story stated.
Jeff Lorberbaum, Mohawk’s Chairman and CEO, said: "We petitioned the FTC for reclassification because our retail partners told us that the current generic name was misleading to consumers and that retailers found it difficult to clearly communicate the benefits of this different and superior product when it fell into the same category as traditional polyester products. We are thrilled with the FTC’s ruling, particularly because of the business benefits it brings to our retailers. Carpets with triexta offer a true performance advantage to consumers."
The creation of the triexta subclass gives retailers the ability to emphasize and focus on the outstanding features and benefits of the product, instead of defending the negative perceptions sometimes accompanied with the word polyester, the story noted.
According to the story, Mohawk Industries and DuPont jointly petitioned the FTC in 2006 to establish a new fiber subclass within the existing classification of polyester.
This is the first extension that the FTC has approved for textiles in five years and the first extension for residential carpeting since nylon in June of 1959, the story added.
First EPA Energy Star-certified hospital
MUSKOGEE, OK — The first hospital in Oklahoma built to Green Guide for Health Care criteria to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards is now open, according to The Journal Record.
The Muskogee Community Hospital is a physician-owned hospital sitting on 22 acres and cost $55 million to construct, the story stated.
According to the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), meeting LEED standards requires compliance in: Sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environment quality.
The Muskogee Community Hospital is the first in the nation to incorporate ground-source geothermal heating and cooling, reducing cooling costs by 45 percent and heating costs by 90 percent, the story noted.
Mark Roberts, president of the Muskogee Community Hospital, said: "A lot of the stuff is not cheap. But if it’s better for the patient, we made the decision to go with it because it’s the right thing."
All of the green practices implemented helped the hospital receive the first EPA Energy Star certification for any hospital or health care facility in the nation, the story added.
The Muskogee Community Hospital is a physician-owned hospital sitting on 22 acres and cost $55 million to construct, the story stated.
According to the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), meeting LEED standards requires compliance in: Sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environment quality.
The Muskogee Community Hospital is the first in the nation to incorporate ground-source geothermal heating and cooling, reducing cooling costs by 45 percent and heating costs by 90 percent, the story noted.
Mark Roberts, president of the Muskogee Community Hospital, said: "A lot of the stuff is not cheap. But if it’s better for the patient, we made the decision to go with it because it’s the right thing."
All of the green practices implemented helped the hospital receive the first EPA Energy Star certification for any hospital or health care facility in the nation, the story added.
Revolutionary corn-based toilet paper
CLERMONT, IN — The winners of this year's Purdue Corn Innovation Contest successfully developed usable toilet paper from the cellulose of corn, according to HoosierAgToday.com.
The winning team, Nature’s Silk, consists of Dave Jaroch, Jessamine Osborne and Janie Stine, the story stated.
Stine says: "We actually use waste cellulose from the fields that’s not being used for anything else. It’s not going to be used for food product, or fabric or anything else."
This environmentally preferable toilet paper could revolutionize the restroom care market and has great potential for widespread use in the near future, the story noted.
According to the story, the team won the $10,000 grand prize from the Indiana Corn Marketing Council.
Osborne said: "Right now, toilet paper is made from wood. You have to use virgin lumber and the world is becoming more environmentally friendly. The gasoline to carry the trees from the forest to the plants is becoming more of an issue. What we have here is 74 million tons of waste not used every year. We can take that waste and farmers can give it to factories that are already present and use it to make our product."
The team’s adviser was Jenna Rickus, professor of agricultural and biological engineering at Purdue University, the story added.
According to the story, the team's experiments left them with a form of rayon that degrades rapidly in water but is incredibly soft, strong and absorbent while it is intact; there is one application for paper products that’s perfect for that, toilet paper.
The winning team, Nature’s Silk, consists of Dave Jaroch, Jessamine Osborne and Janie Stine, the story stated.
Stine says: "We actually use waste cellulose from the fields that’s not being used for anything else. It’s not going to be used for food product, or fabric or anything else."
This environmentally preferable toilet paper could revolutionize the restroom care market and has great potential for widespread use in the near future, the story noted.
According to the story, the team won the $10,000 grand prize from the Indiana Corn Marketing Council.
Osborne said: "Right now, toilet paper is made from wood. You have to use virgin lumber and the world is becoming more environmentally friendly. The gasoline to carry the trees from the forest to the plants is becoming more of an issue. What we have here is 74 million tons of waste not used every year. We can take that waste and farmers can give it to factories that are already present and use it to make our product."
The team’s adviser was Jenna Rickus, professor of agricultural and biological engineering at Purdue University, the story added.
According to the story, the team's experiments left them with a form of rayon that degrades rapidly in water but is incredibly soft, strong and absorbent while it is intact; there is one application for paper products that’s perfect for that, toilet paper.
Distributor employee pawns several high-end vacuums
EAU CLAIRE, WI — A man working for a distributor is accused of stealing $12,000 worth of vacuum cleaners, according to WQOW-TV.
Aaron Whitley, who faces felony charges if convicted, allegedly stole the high-end vacuum cleaners from Upland Distributing, his place of employment, the story stated.
Whitley's boss was tipped off by another employee who noticed the $3,000 vacuums were being sold on e-Bay by a local pawnshop, the story noted.
According to the story, Whitley's boss noticed four of the vacuums were missing.
After the pawnshop records were checked by police, it was determined that Whitley was the one who pawned them, the story added.
Police say Whitley admits to pawning an additional two vacuums and selling another to an acquaintance.
Aaron Whitley, who faces felony charges if convicted, allegedly stole the high-end vacuum cleaners from Upland Distributing, his place of employment, the story stated.
Whitley's boss was tipped off by another employee who noticed the $3,000 vacuums were being sold on e-Bay by a local pawnshop, the story noted.
According to the story, Whitley's boss noticed four of the vacuums were missing.
After the pawnshop records were checked by police, it was determined that Whitley was the one who pawned them, the story added.
Police say Whitley admits to pawning an additional two vacuums and selling another to an acquaintance.
Florida Marlins to receive LEED-certified stadium
MIAMI — Construction will soon begin on a new $640 million stadium for the Florida Marlins baseball team, according to the South Florida Business Journal.
Upwards of $4.5 million is being allocated to ensure that the stadium meets or exceeds Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the story stated.
The Florida Marlins, which have won two World Series championships since their 1993 debut, currently share a stadium with the Miami Dolphins football team, the story noted.
The project is planned to be completed by the start of the 2012 season, at which time the team's name will be changed to the Miami Marlins, the story added.
Upwards of $4.5 million is being allocated to ensure that the stadium meets or exceeds Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the story stated.
The Florida Marlins, which have won two World Series championships since their 1993 debut, currently share a stadium with the Miami Dolphins football team, the story noted.
The project is planned to be completed by the start of the 2012 season, at which time the team's name will be changed to the Miami Marlins, the story added.
Custodian saves school money and student from choking
SALEM, OR — The head custodian at Kennedy Elementary School has saved the school money, paper products and now a students' life, according to the Statesman Journal.
David DeMastus, a 14-year veteran with the Salem-Keizer School District, successfully performed the Heimlich maneuver on third-grader Ernesto Lua Diaz after the student began choking on a piece of hamburger, the story stated.
DeMastus said: "I pulled the Heimlich maneuver on him, and the first time I did it, I did it real soft because he's a little third-grader. It didn't work, so the next time, I gave him the full thing, and up comes a piece of hamburger."
According to the story, DeMastus was awarded the Bob Wickman Life Saving Award for the act of heroism by the Keizer Fire District.
On top of saving lives, DeMastus also saved the school hundreds of dollars by fixing a large piece of playground that was too rickety and was to be scrapped; he fixed it with $3 worth of bolts, the story noted.
DeMastus saved the school paper by changing paper towel dispensers from those with a crank to those with a knob; he enacted the change based on an experiment he did in the restrooms, placing a pump and crank paper towel dispenser side by side in the boys and girls bathrooms and noticed all of the paper towel dispensers with cranks were empty while the pump dispensers still held half a roll, the story added.
David DeMastus, a 14-year veteran with the Salem-Keizer School District, successfully performed the Heimlich maneuver on third-grader Ernesto Lua Diaz after the student began choking on a piece of hamburger, the story stated.
DeMastus said: "I pulled the Heimlich maneuver on him, and the first time I did it, I did it real soft because he's a little third-grader. It didn't work, so the next time, I gave him the full thing, and up comes a piece of hamburger."
According to the story, DeMastus was awarded the Bob Wickman Life Saving Award for the act of heroism by the Keizer Fire District.
On top of saving lives, DeMastus also saved the school hundreds of dollars by fixing a large piece of playground that was too rickety and was to be scrapped; he fixed it with $3 worth of bolts, the story noted.
DeMastus saved the school paper by changing paper towel dispensers from those with a crank to those with a knob; he enacted the change based on an experiment he did in the restrooms, placing a pump and crank paper towel dispenser side by side in the boys and girls bathrooms and noticed all of the paper towel dispensers with cranks were empty while the pump dispensers still held half a roll, the story added.
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