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A look back at the best facility lighting options for 2014
Pamela Tresp Facilities & GroundsThe ladies out there will remember that the most popular episode on Oprah Winfrey's show was her annual "favorite things" episode. While I'm certainly not Oprah and not giving any product away, I do want to share some of my favorite things from this past year used in various commercial/industrial facilities. Hopefully, some of this information will be of value and maybe spark some ideas to make your life easier.
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Home renovations: Are heated bathroom floors a good fit?
Bambi Majumdar Interior Design, Furnishings & FixturesExperts and economists are optimistic about the housing scenario in 2015, and they have reasons to be after the tough past few years. Along with the overall economic recovery and an improving job market, there are other positive signs to boost the market as well.
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‘Sweet’ self-healing corrosion materials are in field testing
Alan Kelsky EngineeringMiddle-aged men who attempt skateboarding for the first time are likely to come away from that experience with lots of abrasions and cuts. But, other than cleansing the wounds, they will heal if left alone. Imagine the engineering possibilities if materials such as steel and concrete had the same self-healing properties of human skin.
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Lawn care companies should expect unexpected questions
Fred Berns Facilities & GroundsThey're the questions from hell — the ones lawn and landscape professionals hate to hear, but often do. The questions may deal with price (as in, "Why is your company so expensive?"), safety ("The pesticides you use are dangerous, aren't they?") or a variety of other topics.
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Passive Paul meets Aggressive Homeowner Harriet
Roger Daviston Facilities & GroundsPassive Paul wakes up and starts his usual day, always moving against himself but not seeing it that way. He constantly doesn't resist anything that homeowners tell him. He finds it extremely uncomfortable to confront others, and he would rather not say much and just let things go.
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Disruptive plastic products rapidly emerging in green building field
Don Rosato EngineeringGreen building technology redefines how we make and live in buildings. From a plastics material and processing perspective, we can both reduce a building's energy consumption and simultaneously provide for a building's energy production. These plastic material and process advances "disrupt" an existing market by displacing earlier technology. Let's delve into some emerging green building technologies that involve plastic material and processing aspects.
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Video: A timely, terrific marketing tool for green industry pros
Fred Berns Facilities & GroundsDuring a drought years ago, a garden center owner in Colorado Springs, Colorado, mentioned a soil nutrient product during a news segment on a local TV station. Within a few days, his center sold more than 300 bags of that product. It was, Mike Spencer recalled, proof-positive of the power of video exposure.
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Green building regulatory trends drive plastics use
Don Rosato EngineeringThe construction and operation of buildings has a significant impact on the environment. In the U.S., buildings account for 39 percent of total energy consumption and 38 percent of carbon dioxide emissions. Buildings also use a tremendous amount of natural resources to construct and operate.
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European cooling industry pledges to take action on HFCs
Andrew Gaved ManufacturingYou may recall last month that I drew some comparisons between the work that was going on in Europe and the U.S. over getting to grips with high-GWP refrigerants. At the time, I praised the U.S. for the recent actions on cooling — both the government and agencies for "wielding the stick" in hastening the moves toward lower GWP, and the cooling industry for committing some serious investment to low-GWP projects.
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Facility managers, salespeople and the Golden Rule of business
Pamela Tresp Facilities & GroundsFor a long time I didn't like the idea of being considered a salesperson. I love to help people, but I don't believe in manipulation or sales tactics. When I owned my own business, I did my own prospecting and selling but always saw myself as a helper, not a salesperson. I knew people had choices, and working with me may or may not be a good choice for either of us.
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