2012 TFM Readers’ Choice Awards

Readers' Choice 2012 Logo

By TFM Editors
Published in the February 2012 issue of Today’s Facility Manager

Numerous companies offer products and services to members of the facility management (FM) profession. And each year, Today’s Facility Manager (TFM) asks its readers to vote for their preferred vendors in a variety of categories. For this year’s Readers’ Choice Awards, the survey included 47 categories, and FM professionals were asked to indicate what company they rated highest based on product aesthetics, product reliability, value, and customer service. The winners are presented here with information about each company.

Access Control Winner, IR/Ingersoll Rand

Access Control

IR/Ingersoll Rand (photo at right)
The aptiQ smart card from Schlage, using MIFARE DESFire™ EV1 technology, provides higher security, more convenience, and far greater functionality than proximity cards for a comparable price. They also have the ability to manage access, payments, and many other functions.

ADA Ergonomic Winner Wooster

ADA & Ergonomic Productivity Tools

Wooster Products, Inc. (photo at left)
Safety stair and walkway experts, Wooster Products Inc. has been furnishing state-of-the-art anti-slip safety treads and safety surfaces continuously since 1921.

 

 

Building Automation Winner Johnson Controls

Building Automation Systems

Johnson Controls, Inc. (photo at right)
The Metasys® building management system employs an innovative IT based infrastructure, software, and wireless capabilities to coordinate, organize, and deliver information where and when it is needed. Metasys technology offers packaged equipment control plus integrated central plant optimization for improved energy efficiency.

Building Materials Georgia-Pacific Gypsum

Building Materials

Georgia-Pacific Gypsum (photo at left)
Georgia-Pacific Gypsum is recognized for versatile and durable DensDeck® Roof Boards. They’re mold resistant, field tested for more than 25 years, and provide a superior combination of fire resistance, strength, and dimensional stability.

Cabling Cable Management Winner Legrand Wiremold

Cabling & Cable Management

Legrand®/Wiremold (photo at right)
As the industry leader in seamlessly integrating power, communications, and audio/video through specialized wire and cable pathways, Legrand/Wiremold offers products like the Evolution™ Series work surface portal that help facility managers keep pace with changing technology and evolving workspaces.

Carpet Winner Mannington Commercial

Carpet

Mannington Commercial (photo at left)
Designed by Athena Abrol, winner of Mannington’s 2010 Tx:style Design Challenge, Blue Matrix uses gradations of color and texture along with random pops of color through an innovation in variable space dye technology exclusive to Mannington.

 

 

Carpet Fibers/TreatmentsCarpet Fibers Treatment Winner Antron

ANTRON® (photo at right)
Antron® carpet fiber is the most recognized brand of commercial carpet fiber. In addition to its advanced soil resistance, stain resistance, and exclusive fiber technology, select Antron® carpet fibers are third-party certified as Environmentally Preferable Products.

 

Ceilings Winner Armstrong

Ceilings/Ceiling Tiles

Armstrong® World Industries (photo at left)
Armstrong offers a wide variety of ceiling clouds and canopies to help improve acoustics and productivity in open plenum spaces and other acoustically challenged spaces without sacrificing aesthetics. Especially well suited for retrofits, they are available in standard as well as custom sizes and shapes.

Cleaning Maintenance Winner Rubbermaid

Cleaning/Maintenance Products

Rubbermaid® Commercial Products (photo at right)
Rubbermaid Commercial Products is a manufacturer of innovative, solution based products for commercial and institutional markets worldwide. The Rubbermaid HYGEN™ Clean Water System’s integrated water filter was specifically designed with the bottom line and the end user in mind to improve productivity and reduce water and chemical usage to create healthier, safer environments.

 

CCTV Winner Sony

Closed Circuit Television (CCTV)

SONY® (photo at left)
The SSC-FM560 mini dome camera reflects Sony’s commitment to advancing CCTV video surveillance technology. The CS-mount camera features DynaViewSX dynamic range enhancement technology and excellent horizontal resolution of 700 lines to deliver superb image detail over a wide range of lighting conditions.

 

 

Conference Room Winner Steelcase

Conference Room Furniture And Equipment

Herman Miller, Inc. (photo at right)
Herman Miller products address the full spectrum of collaborative spaces with a wide range of conferencing solutions. These include the versatile Everywhere table collection, available in configurations for two to 20, and classic contemporary seating like the Eames Aluminum Group.

 

Data Center Management Winner Schneider ElectricData Center Management

Schneider Electric (photo at left)
StruxureWare™ for Data Centers is a management software suite designed to address all aspects of the data center physical infrastructure. Combining Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) and Data Center Facility Management (DCFM), the suite offers software tools to provide data gathering, monitoring, automation, planning, and implementation functionalities enabling an integrated and multifaceted view of all the mission critical physical systems of the data center.

Doors/Door Hardware

Schlage Lock (photo at right)2012 Readers' Choice Award Winner Schlage Lock
Schlage Open Architecture, Modular AD-Series Electronic Locks protect investments. AD-Series locks let users customize door openings with options such as credential reader, networking, finish, and levers. As business needs change, so can the solution to new credential technologies, a variety of network protocols, increased security levels, and system expansions.

2012 Readers' Choice Award Winner ThyssenKrupp ElevatorElevators/Controls

ThyssenKrupp Elevator (photo at left)
ThyssenKrupp Elevator Americas is the largest producer of elevators in the Americas, providing a full range of elevators, lifts, and escalators for all types of applications. With expertise in manufacturing, new installations, maintenance, and modernization, ThyssenKrupp Elevator is constantly seeking ways to help building owners, facility managers, engineers, and architects cut costs and reduce environmental impact.

 

 

Emergency/Strobe LightsEmergency Strobe Lights Winner Philips

Philips Emergency Lighting (photo at right)
Philips Emergency Lighting provides solution driven products for a broad range of lighting applications. Our focus on industry advancements, customer needs, and code compliance leads to great products like the ELI-S-20 Emergency Lighting Micro Inverter. The ELI-S-20 is ideal for screw base LED and fluorescent lamps.

 

Employee ID badge printers winner HID CorporationEmployee ID/Badge Printers

HID® Corporation (photo at left)
With the industry’s first fully modular and scalable High Definition Printing™ (HDP®) and Direct-to-Card (DTC) printer portfolio, HID Global provides the most comprehensive array of card personalization solutions to meet the needs of small businesses, enterprises, and government agencies worldwide.

 

 

Energy Management & Energy ConsultantsEnergy Management Winner Johnson Controls

Johnson Controls, Inc. (photo at right)
The Panoptix™ building efficiency solution addresses the growing need to improve the performance of building systems to save energy, reduce costs, and enhance comfort. The most significant innovation in the building industry in 30 years, Panoptix combines cloud-based computing, data management, and analytics with Johnson Controls’ 125 years of expertise.

Exterior Sealants Coatings Winner 3MExterior Sealants & Coatings

3M™ Industrial Materials (photo at left)
3M’s newest products in its portfolio of stain resistant additives and sealers for concrete, stone, and other porous materials are 3M™ Stain Resistant Additives and Sealers SRA-250, SRA-270, and SRA-450. The products are driven by customer demand for a range of stain resistant solutions.

 

Fire/Life Safety ProductsFire Life Safety Winner SimplexGrinnell

SimplexGrinnell (photo at right)
The Simplex® 4100ES (eServices) Fire Alarm System is an Internet ready life safety platform that can improve serviceability and operational efficiency while reducing costs. It offers groundbreaking serviceability features such as remote service diagnostics.

 

Flooring Winner ArmstrongFlooring

Armstrong® World Industries (photo at left)
Armstrong offers the industry’s most comprehensive lineup of commercial flooring, with over 900 colors and more than 45 product lines across nine categories. New and exciting, REJUVENATIONS™ from Armstrong Commercial Flooring brings elegance and finesse to functional resilient flooring. The collection answers customer demand for high design that also meets maintenance, cost, and durability requirements. Armstrong is a trusted source in the U.S. market, successfully supplying top quality products for over 150 years.

 

 

FM ServicesFacility Management Services Winner Staples

Staples (photo at right)
Staples Advantage, the business-to-business division of Staples, Inc., has developed its own brand of environmentally preferable cleaning products, Sustainable Earth by Staples™. Containing naturally derived ingredients, Sustainable Earth by Staples™ products are environmentally preferable alternatives that don’t sacrifice performance. For example, the Neutral Multi-Use Cleaner (SEB64) is a highly efficient cleaner for floors, walls, woodwork, and other washable surfaces.

 

Facility management Software Winner AutodeskFM Software

AUTODESK® (photo at left)
AutoCAD WS is a free app allowing facility managers to work on AutoCAD drawings wherever they are using iOS and Android mobile devices, Mac computers, or web browsers. Users can view, edit, and share DWG files and work on or offline.

 

 

FurnitureFurniture Winner Herman Miller

Herman Miller (photo at right)
The latest from the original inventor of systems furniture, Herman Miller’s Canvas Office Landscape creates holistic work environments that bring choice, harmony, and connection. Canvas elements create surround, structure, surface, storage, and support for the complete range of workspaces.

 

FurRefurbished Furniture Winner Daviesniture: Refurbished

Davies Office Refurbishing, Inc. (photo at left)
Our goal is to provide the highest quality, lowest cost furniture solutions consistently by enhancing and remanufacturing quality furnishings while focusing on maintaining the maximum inherent value of our clients’ existing furniture assets in an environmentally responsible way.

 

Furniture: SeatingSeating Winner Herman Miller

Steelcase (photo at right)
Think is the chair with a brain and a conscience. It’s intelligent enough to understand how you sit and adjust itself intuitively and thoughtful enough to measure and minimize its lifelong impact on the environment.

 

Furniture Storage Winner HONFurniture: Storage

The HON Company (photo at left)
The HON Company is dedicated to designing and manufacturing practical workplace solutions, and Flagship is one collection reflective of this abiding philosophy. It’s a series that answers a range of storage needs, with a selection of lateral files, cabinets, and towers.

HVAC/Indoor Air QualityHVAC IAQ Winner Johnson Controls

Johnson Controls, Inc. (photo at right)
The York® air-cooled, variable speed screw chiller (YVAA) features the industry’s highest EER at both full-load and off-design. Energy performance exceeds older models by up to 50% and competitors’ new models by up to 25%. The chiller also provides superior sound performance.

 

Lamps Bulbs Winner GE LightingLamps And Bulbs

GE Lighting (photo at left)
GE Lighting invests millions annually to deliver value and reliability. We’ve pioneered LED technology to provide high quality lighting solutions with outstanding efficiency. Shown is the dimmable 12 Watt LED BR30 lamp, saving $145 in energy costs versus a standard 65 watt incandescent BR30 at $.11/kWh.

 

 

Lighting ControlsAward Winner Lighting Controls Leviton

Leviton (photo at right)
Leviton’s GreenMAX® is a completely modular design offering a wide variety of relay options. GreenMAX includes integrated dimming, a 25,000A Short Circuit Current Rating (SCCR), and daylight harvesting. Designed for the contractor, specifier, and end user, GreenMAX offers the best performance, reliability, flexibility, and energy savings of any relay control available.

 

Award Winner Office Technology PanasonicOffice Technology/Equipment

Panasonic (photo at left)
Offering state-of-the-art telephony systems, full suites of digital and analog phones, IP conference speaker phones, in-building DECT wireless handsets, and IP network cameras, Panasonic provides flexible, reliable, and cost-effective communications solutions to fit business needs. The newest communication solution from Panasonic, the SIP KX-UT670 Smart Desk Phone, features a large 7″ touch screen and open source based operating system to allow businesses to use customized, programmable apps to manage operations effectively through their desk phone.

 

Paint (Exterior And Interior)Award Winner Paint Exterior Interior Sherwin-Williams

Sherwin-Williams® (photo at right)
Facility managers know that durability and lasting aesthetics are crucial in high traffic areas. Formulated especially for the demanding conditions of busy environments, Sherwin-Williams Pro Industrial products are the most comprehensive line of high performance coatings for healthcare, hospitality, education, commercial, and institutional applications.

 

Award Winner Restroom Paper Products Georgia-PacificPaper Products (Cafeteria, Restroom)

Georgia-Pacific (photo at left)
Georgia-Pacific Professional is proud to be recognized for the third consecutive year as a Readers’ Choice Award recipient. Our innovative SofPull® automated touchless towel dispenser exemplifies our commitment to providing efficient and effective paper solutions for any facility.

Pest/Bird Control/DeterrentsAward Winner Bird Pest Control Bird-X

Bird-X (photo at right)
The BroadBand PRO from Bird-X helps reduce cleanup costs and health risks. Eliminate pest bird infestation using this sonic/ultrasonic bird repeller. It also includes three visual scare products for a multi-sensory attack that is humane, eco-friendly, and effective.

Award Winner Plumbing Fixtures Sloan ValvePlumbing/Faucets/Fixtures

Sloan® Valve Company (photo at left)
Sloan now sells vitreous china urinal and toilet fixtures to accompany its award winning, water efficient flush valves. Choose from wash-down urinals using as little as 1/8 gpf, Waterfree Urinals, Gravity Series tank toilets, and wall hung and floor mount toilet fixtures flushing at 1.28 gpf or 1.6/1.1 gpf for dual-flush.

 

Recycling ProductsAward Winner Recycling Air Cycle

Air Cycle Corporation (photo at right)
At Air Cycle Corporation, we strive to create products that make recycling simple and efficient for our customers. The Bulb Eater® lamp crusher can help facility managers save up to 20 hours of labor per 1000 lamps recycled and reduce lamp storage requirements by up to 80%.

 

Award Winner Restroom Accessories Kimberly-ClarkRestroom Accessories

Kimberly-Clark Professional (photo at left)
Kimberly-Clark Professional offers a comprehensive array of hand hygiene and contamination control solutions to break the germ transmission chain and help create healthier, safer, and more productive workplaces. Trusted global brands, such as Kleenex® and SCOTT®, provide innovative and efficient solutions for workplace restroom hygiene.

Roofing Winner Firestone

Roofing

Firestone Building Products, LLC (photo at right)
Firestone Building Products’ comprehensive line of roofing systems, polyiso insulation, and accessories represent high quality and a deep commitment to the environment. For facility managers seeking the proven performance of EPDM roofing systems in a cool roofing solution, Firestone offers 90 mil RubberGard™ EcoWhite™ Platinum™ EPDM, a highly reflective, energy efficient white membrane that meets LEED certification requirements, exceeds ASTM D-4637 standards, and is UL and FM approved.

Security Systems Consultants Winner Honeywell

Security Alarm Systems & Consultants

Honeywell Security (photo at left)
Honeywell’s WIN-PAK® SE 3.0 provides full security integration by bringing together access control, digital video, and intrusion into a single easy to use interface. Full system integration provides increased security and improved operations by offering all controls for facility managers in a single software application.

 

Shredders Winner Cummins-Allison

Shredders

Cummins-Allison Corp. (photo at right)
Cummins-Allison Cross Cut paper shredders have a flexible footprint, delivering convenient and secure document shredding exactly where it’s needed. Like all Cummins-Allison shredders, they feature top quality design components and craftsmanship to ensure ease of use and unsurpassed reliability—backed by local factory direct installation and service.

 

Signage Winner APCOSignage

APCO Signs (photo at left)
User-Lettered Sign Solutions from APCO—changes happen often in today’s world so your sign system should be able to keep pace. APCO’s free SignWord Pro software and system of perforated, color-coated paper inserts make sign updates fast, cost-effective, and eco-friendly without any sacrifice in design.

 

Sound Masking SystemsSoundmasking Winner Dynasound

Dynasound, Inc. (photo at right)
DynaNet, Dynasound’s new Networked Addressable Masking, Paging, and Music System has resulted in the industry’s first system to use non-proprietary networks to reduce cost and incorporate PoE (Power over Ethernet) to eliminate costly in plenum, 120 volt power drops. Now all speakers have individual signal input control at justified first costs. Networked systems no longer must have ganged clusters or linked primary/secondary speakers to be cost justifiable.

 

Toilets Urinals Winner Sloan ValveToilets/Urinals

Sloan® Valve Company (photo at left)
The 1.6/1.1 gpf Sloan ECOS® dual-flush flushometer comes separately or paired with Sloan’s dual-flush vitreous china toilet, engineered for optimal dual-flush performance. Sloan flush valves and fixtures demonstrate Sloan’s commitment to providing water and energy efficient plumbing for the complete restroom.

 

Wall Coverings/Panel Fabrics/TextilesWall Coverings Panel Fabrics Textiles Winner Designtex

Designtex (photo at right)
Designtex is a design, marketing, sales, and distribution business focused on providing insight led environment enhancement through the application of premium surfaces. Its products are designed to enhance seating, walls, workstations, floors, and ceilings. Design fueled by innovation, performance, and sustainability is embedded in its culture.

 

Water Fountains Winner CulliganWater Fountains

Haws Corporation (photo at left)
Haws prides itself on providing customers with high quality, differentiated products and services through innovation, superior design, marketing, customer support, and value. The Brita® Hydration Station™, a touch free alternative to bottled water, is an ideal example of this philosophy.

 

 

Water Treatment/Purification