Clients In The News
- May
- 21
Posted on May 21, 2012 by Nora DePalma
The sleek and functional Prevoir Collection of stainless steel kitchen sinks is highlighted in a Woman’s Day feature on contemporary kitchen trends.
The appliance sink, pictured above, features deep, spacious, straight-sided bowls to easily hold large loads of pots, pans, dishes, and glasses. Its brushed stainless steel surface is designed to complement stainless steel appliances, while the drop-in installation style adds to the clean, contemporary look of the sink. A trio of useful accessories comes standard with the appliance sink: a colander and glass cutting board that slide along the ledge of the sink for increased stability and convenience, and a roll-up stainless steel grid to protect the surface of the sink.
- May
- 11
Posted on May 11, 2012 by Nora DePalma
The May issue of Kitchen & Bath Design News highlighted the new Steam@Home steam generator from Mr. Steam.
Sized to fit smaller baths and smaller budgets, the new Steam@Home from Mr. Steam is 20 percent more compact than regular Mr. Steam generators. Available in three different models designed for 3′x4′ tile showers, 3′x5′ tile showers, and for existing acrylic units, list prices for the generator range from $1,250 to $1,450. Steam@Home units feature a 20-minute timer, polished chrome in-shower control. It also comes standard with a cool-to-the-touch AromaSteam steamhead that can hold essential oils to infuse aromatherapy into the steamroom.
This is the second time Kitchen & Bath Design News has featured this product; the Steam@Home generator was also included in the April 2012 issue.
- May
- 3
Grundfos North America President Jes Munk Hansen joined Danish Trade Minister Pia Olsen Dyhr at a recent congressional forum in Washington, D.C., to discuss how Grundfos’ home country, Denmark, is meeting the economic, environmental and energy challenges of the coming decades and how the U.S. can apply these lessons.
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- Jes Munk Hansen, president of Grundfos North America, (standing) spoke at a recent congressional forum exploring the nexus of energy, water and climate change that was sponsored by The Royal Danish Embassy and the Environmental and Energy Study Institute.
Hansen challenged American policymakers to enact an energy-efficiency labeling system—more sophisticated, but similar to the EPA’s Energy Star program— that would allow non-technical purchasers and specifiers to easily identify energy-efficient products.
“A labeling system would lift the entire industry to new heights,” Hansen said. “Our elected officials must set ambitious energy goals. Producing energy is one of the biggest consumers of energy. At the same time, moving water accounts for up to 20 percent of electricity use. We need to address this nexus now in order to ensure a positive and prosperous future.”
More information on the congressional forum may be found here.
- Apr
- 18
Posted on April 18, 2012 by Nora DePalma
The new partnership between American Standard Brands and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation was featured on JustMeans.com, a site that follows sustainable and socially responsible business news. American Standard has teamed up with the Gates Foundation to develop and test a low-cost, prefabricated toilet system as part of a challenge to improve safety and sanitation in developing countries.
In collaboration with the Gates Foundation’s Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Strategy, and the International Development Enterprises (iDE), American Standard engineers will work to develop a prefabricated toilet system that is more hygienic, easier to install, easier to maintain and clean, and can be economically mass-produced.
To learn more about this news, view the complete press release for the partnership between American Standard Brands and the Gates Foundation or email us.
- Apr
- 13
Posted on April 13, 2012 by Nora DePalma
A product trend report on “Heated Sanctuaries” in the April issue of Kitchen & Bath Design News highlighted the new Steam@Home steam shower generator from Mr. Steam and the Lutezia Freestanding Bath by Porcher.
Sized to fit smaller baths and smaller budgets, Steam@Home is 20 percent more compact than regular Mr. Steam generators, making this generator ideal for starter homes or guest bathrooms. Special features include a 20-minute timer, a polished chrome in-shower control, and even a cool-to-the-touch AromaSteam steamhead that can hold essential oils to infuse aromatherapy into the steamroom.
The Lutezia tub offers a vintage European look, demonstrating that classic settings do not have to be staid or stodgy. Available in a number of luxury bathing options including a premium airbath system, Lutezia tubs bring a touch of elegance and indulgence to any traditionally-styled bathroom.
- Apr
- 11
Posted on April 11, 2012 by Nora DePalma
Cheers to our client, American Standard on being awarded a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. American Standard Brands will develop and test a low-cost and potentially life-saving toilet system.
It’s easy for those of us in developed nations to forget how plumbing systems and plumbers “protect the health of the nation,” as heralded in the famous 1930s advertisement from American Standard.
Lack of adequate sanitation facilities affects around 40 percent of the world’s population. 40 percent! The World Health Organization estimate that 1.6 million people, mostly children under the age of five, die each year from water and sanitation related disease.
American Standard is putting its top toilet scientist on the case, Jim McHale, a Ph.D, assisted by industrial designer Daigo Ishiyama. McHale and Ishiyama just returned from a fact-finding trip to Bangladesh with International Development Enterprises (iDE). Above, Ishiyama opens the door to a typical latrine.
Inside a typical Bangladesh latrine. The pit is directly under the latrine, allowing flies to easily enter and exit the pit, spreading disease:
The villager is holding a “bodna.” Everyone goes to the river to fill the bonda before using the latrine, pouring the one liter of water down the latrine after use.
Improving the situation is quite challenge. There is simply not enough money in developing countries to construct and maintain sewer systems to safely remove waste from homes and villages. Nor can villagers pay much more than the roughly $10 they currently pay for latrines.
Eight universities are also taking on the challenge with Gates Foundation grants.
- Apr
- 3
Posted on April 3, 2012 by Joel Williams
A new continuous finishing system from Ames Taping Tools was a featured article in the online version of The Trowel
, Western Canada’s Wall & Ceiling Industry Magazine. The article profiled how a professional finishing contractor automated a successful, 25-year practice of traditional hand-finishing, and in the process, boosted worker productivity by 300 percent.
In addition to boosting worker efficiency, the continuous flow system produced a uniform finish quality that could not be duplicated by hand. “Every finisher has a slightly different technique, but today’s automatic taping systems serve as a quality control system – so that every joint, every inside corner is identical to the next – even in direct sunlight that shows every defect,” emphasizes Tony Cruzado, co-owner of Bridgeport, Connecticut-based CGM Acoustics, Inc.
Cruzado’s tool of choice was the Ames Bazooka Continuous Flow System, which allows high-volume production drywall contractors to finish continuously without reloading.
The automated finishing system delivers up to 1½ gallons per minute, or roughly twice as much as standard pumps that are not specifically engineered for thicker compounds. Moreover, it eliminates the need to constantly stop and reload, thereby reducing worker fatigue so contractors can spend more time finishing.
For CGM, the ability to finish uninterrupted was an irresistible competitive advantage. “The automatic taper doubled our output,” explains Cruzado. “But multiplying the efficiencies of the automatic taper with an endless supply of mud – that’s just a home run all around.”
- Mar
- 15
Posted on March 15, 2012 by Joel Williams
Wet & Forget, an environmentally gentle, scrub-free exterior stain remover, was recently highlighted in the monthly newsletter of Cleaning Management Institute. The multi-purpose outdoor cleaner was featured because of the product’s role in reinvigorating Bok Tower Gardens, a National Historic Landmark located just outside Tampa,
No one likes cleaning, but can you imagine the labor and cost necessary to clean 11 years of accumulated mold and debris from a 50,000 square-foot roof at the Landmark’s Visitors center? Facility Manager Christopher Lutton anticipated having to invest in an expensive cleaning solution, as the Center’s delicate concrete S-style Spanish roof tiles would be damaged by traditional power washing.
This amazing transformation demonstrates the results from one application of Wet & Forget outdoor cleaner. No scrubbing or power washing was needed: Wet & Forget did all the work over three months.
After conducting additional research, however, Lutton discovered Wet & Forget, a cleaner which had been used in Australia and New Zealand for the last 30 years and requires no scrubbing, rinsing or pressure washing. Lutton first conducted a test, applying Wet & Forget to a 15-foot square roof patch using a one gallon pump sprayer. He did not return to the test patch until four months later and was surprised to find the area significantly cleaner. Lutton then applied the outdoor cleaner to the entire roof, vertical walls throughout the grounds, and the river stone sidewalk as well.
Lutton particularly likes the fact that he can easily clean the roof during operating hours without disturbing visitors with the loud noise commonly associated with power washing apparatus. “Plus, the roof stays clean longer, which allows us to focus on other maintenance issues,” he explained.
To learn more about this easy way to tackle outdoor spring cleaning, view the complete press release for Wet & Forget, or visit the Wet & Forget website.
- Mar
- 14
Posted on March 14, 2012 by Joel Williams
Readers of Plumbing & Mechanical magazine named the Noritz America NR83-DVC tankless water heater as one of the top five best new “Products of the Year,” based the number of requests for product information.
The concentric-vented NR83-DVC saves energy (Energy Factor: 0.82) and protects the environment by heating water strictly on demand, while offering a longer product life cycle than storage tank-type models. In addition, it promises lower emissions, reduced electrical consumption, smaller amounts of potentially hazardous construction materials, and easier recyclability of those materials and components once the product is removed from service.
Like its other whole-home residential tankless water heaters, the NR83 allows professional plumbing installers to make an even stronger environmental statement to cost-conscious homeowners looking to shrink their monthly fuel bills as well as their carbon footprints.
To view the magazine, click here.
- Mar
- 14
Posted on March 14, 2012 by John OReilly
Eric Skare
Eric Skare, product manager of Fire Safety at Uponor, was recently accepted to the Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. (UL) Standards Technical Panel (STP) for 1821, the standard for safety on Thermoplastic Sprinkler Pipe and Fittings for Fire Protection Service. The STP serves as the consensus body to review and vote on proposals to UL standards prior to publication.
A Certified Fire Protection Specialist (CFPS) and volunteer firefighter for more than 10 years, Skare has extensive fire protection industry experience, which also includes managing the AquaSAFE™ multipurpose residential fire sprinkler system business for Uponor.
“Eric’s acceptance onto this important panel further establishes Uponor’s support of, and contribution to, the fire protection industry,” says Jayson Drake, senior product manager of Plumbing and Fire Safety at Uponor.
Skare is a professional member of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) and the National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA). He serves on the NFPA Technical Committee for Residential Sprinkler Systems as well as the Residential Committee for NFSA and is the chair of the Fire Sprinkler Product Line Committee for the Plastic Pipe and Fittings Association (PPFA). He holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Minnesota, and a master’s certificate in Project Management from the University of Wisconsin at Madison.
