The First Facility Management Blog

Wins for Best in Sales and Marketing, Service and Support, and Dealer Training

Allsteel Inc. has been recognized by the Office Furniture Dealers Alliance (OFDA) for receiving three Dealers’ Choice Circle of Excellence Awards, all recently presented at this year’s NeoCon World Trade Fair. The awards are based on the OFDA Dealer Satisfaction Index survey, created six years ago, designed to recognize best of class performance as well as identify topics of dealer concerns.

Allsteel won in the Sales and Marketing, Service and Support, and Dealer Training categories. These awards were presented to Allsteel for achieving “outstanding dealer satisfaction” in all the above noted areas.

“Dealers are integral to Allsteel’s success. They are on the front line, working side by side with customers every day,” says Malisa Bryant, Allsteel Vice President, Sales. “We strive to provide them with the products and support they need deliver relevant, cost-effective workplace solutions to their customers. We’re honored to be recognized by our dealers.”

The survey asked dealers to evaluate up to four of their manufacturer business partners in six key categories: training, product lines, service and support, sales and marketing, management and technology. OFDA received more than 480 verified dealer responses with 50 different office furniture manufacturers receiving evaluations.

In San Diego, Johnson & Jennings General Contracting recently completed tenant improvement construction for the expansion of Maric College. The expansion added 14,000 square feet of space to the campus.

The scope of work for Johnson & Jennings entailed complete demolition of the existing space and its subsequent conversion into several classroom and faculty areas. The project features new electrical and mechanical systems, as well as upgrades to the common areas. Restrooms also were upgraded to include new tile flooring, partitions and accessories.

LBA Realty is the building owner and property manager. Hurkes Harris Design Associates, Inc. provided space planning and design for the $1 million project.

Ken Worthen served as project manager for Johnson & Jennings, with Justin Urata as on-site superintendent. Subcontractors were Towne Construction, Challenge Electric, B&B Acoustics, Zephyr Painting, Cass Plumbing & Heating, Bingham Heating & Air, Western Fire, Back Quality Construction, and Tri-Signal Integration.

Intertek announced it has launched a certification program for blast resistant products. Under the program, blast resistant door and window assemblies will be tested and certified according to the requirements of ASTM F 2247-03 Standard Test Method for Metal Doors Used in Blast Resistant Applications and ASTM F 1642-04 Standard Test Method for Glazing and Glazing Systems Subject to Airblast Loadings.

As evidence of compliance to ASTM F 2247-03 and ASTM F 1642-04, products will bear Intertek’s proprietary WH Mark. Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJs) such as fire marshals, inspectors, and code officials throughout North America can be confident that these products perform to the required minimum damage performance criteria under specified blast conditions.

Since 9/11, government organizations such as the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of State (DoS) have issued blast requirements for assemblies installed in government buildings, thereby driving the need for a third-party product testing and certification program. Governing bodies and code officials continue to look for assurance that assemblies were designed and constructed to protect people and property from explosion-induced forces.

“Prior to market entry manufacturers of conventional building products are challenged with the task of validating that their products withstand dynamic blast loads,” said Jeff Turcotte, vice president, Intertek. “This program provides manufacturers with the means to determine if products are fit for use where explosions might occur.”

As part of the program, Baker Engineering and Risk Consultants, Inc. (BakerRisk), a San Antonio based company with a wealth of expertise in blast effects engineering and testing, will conduct the testing necessary for the development of product performance ratings. Once completed, Intertek will certify the product and perform ongoing follow-up inspections to ensure the certified product maintains the properties of its original design.

Finding solutions to energy and power distribution challenges can be a difficult proposition, but Square D Services from Schneider Electric is making that task easier with its annual Energy, Power Distribution and Control Conference, to be held Sept. 11 through 13, 2007, at the Sheraton Raleigh Hotel in Raleigh, N.C. The conference is geared toward anyone involved with facility maintenance or power distribution, and will cover a host of new technologies and service solutions that can help cut facility costs, reduce equipment downtime and keep employees safer. Continuing Education Units (CEUs) will be available upon request.

“The Energy, Power Distribution and Control Conference is a unique, non-competitive learning environment where power distributors and end users can come together to discuss the latest energy, power distribution and control issues and solutions,” said Mike Rice, director of Square D Services. “Presenters are specialists in fields as diverse as electrical distribution, equipment modification, engineering solutions, energy management, automation and control products, and arc flash safety.”

Up-to-date information is crucial to help businesses increase safety, lower lifecycle cost and maximize power system reliability. That’s why the Energy, Power Distribution and Control Conference is broken up into several educational tracks geared to provide the latest tips and techniques, tapping the knowledge and experience of specialists from user and supplier organizations through formal and informal sessions. There also will be an element of fun, as an outdoor barbeque with a special Western theme and bluegrass music will be held the evening of Wednesday, Sept. 12.

“Conference attendees benefit in several ways: professional development and advancement; increased recognition of their function’s importance; and exposure to new ideas, contacts and resources,” Rice said. “First-time attendees often discover that many companies face similar, if not identical, technical and organizational problems in their quest for better power systems. They learn there are many common problems, with solutions clustering around universal ideas and attitudes.”

On July 7, 2007, the Live Earth concert series aims to spread awareness about climate change and environmentally responsible practices on an unprecedented scale through musical performances which will be viewed live, online, and on television by billions of people around the world. Live Earth will have over 100 headlining artists performing over a 24-hour period in nine venues around the world.

The Live Earth concerts present a unique opportunity to catapult awareness about how large-scale events can minimize their environmental footprint in a way that enrolls the performers, venue, and audience. The legacy of that campaign will be the creation and implementation of the Green Event Standards.

With support from the U.S. Green Building Council, creators of the LEED Green Building Rating System, Live Earth will implement new Green Event Guidelines. These green guidelines address the major areas of impact of live events, including recycling and composting, food and beverages, packaging, transportation, energy, water usage, and the event site itself. From power generation at the concerts to garbage generated by concert goers, Live Earth will seek to “design out” waste and become the model for live entertainment events in the future.

John Picard, the award-winning sustainability expert and former member of President Clinton’s Green White House task force, is leading the Live Earth team of sustainability experts. By embedding a team of world-class sustainability experts within the production staff, waste streams will be designed out prior to its negative environmental impact. From power generation at the concerts to garbage generated by concert goers, Live Earth will bestow an eco-friendly legacy on the live entertainment industry.

Among the steps being taken are:
• All electricity that powers the shows will be from renewable sources, either through utility supplied renewable energy, biodiesel generators, or renewable energy credits.
• Concessionaires will be encouraged to use and directed to suppliers of agricultural/biodegradable plastics (i.e. made from corn). Also, concessionaire waste will be minimized through a comprehensive recycling and reuse system organized at the venue.
• Venue offices, walkways, etc will be optimized to use as little electricity as possible. The entire production design will follow sustainable light design principles. Production lighting will include the use of LED light bulbs, signage will be produced from recycled or agricultural materials, and some tickets will be integrated with public transportation access and green messaging.

Live Earth staff and artist air travel will be offset through carbon credits. Ground travel will be hybrid or high-efficiency vehicles, where possible. “The green event guidelines are a starting point,” commented John Rego, Live Earth’s Environmental Advisor. “They give us roadmap to focus our efforts, goals by which to grade ourselves, and a way to track improvements over time.”

Rego continued: “The guidelines are breaking new ground for the live event industry, so it’s going to be a learning process us all. Beyond improving our actual environmental footprint, I expect our greatest contribution will be educating the thousands of people who are involved in an event of this scale on how to do better - knowledge that we’re confident they’ll take to their next event.”

Co-authored by Meeting Strategies Worldwide, the Green Event Standards was written specifically for the Live Earth concert series. The ultimate goal, however, is that this document will help guide organizers to push the boundaries and expectations of environmental practices as they relate to large concerts in the future.

“The environmental guidelines used by Live Earth are the most remarkable and advanced standards for events in the world. Not only will Live Earth bring together a billion people around the issue of climate change, I believe it will forever change how all events are done far into the future.” says Paul Hawken, renowned environmentalist, of the new guidelines.

Earlier this year, U.S. Rep. Peter Hoekstra, (R-MI) reintroduced legislation that would provide an incentive for building owners to replace inefficient cooling equipment with modern technology. The Cool and Efficient Buildings Act (H.R. 1888) would amend the U.S. tax code to reduce the depreciation period for commercial cooling systems—large-tonnage liquid chillers to commercial air conditioners and heat pumps—from the current 39-year period to a more realistic 20 years. A wide range of commercial buildings from shopping malls to hospitals would qualify for the new depreciation rate.

“Our industry has made great strides in improving the efficiency of cooling and refrigeration systems to help the nation, and the world, reduce energy consumption, and lessen the environmental impact of this equipment,” said ARI President Stephen Yurek. “Unfortunately, the replacement of older, inefficient cooling systems that use ozone-depleting refrigerants has been slower than expected, partly due to the tax code.”

The legislation would spur the replacement of more than 35,000 chillers using ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbon refrigerants, which still operate in North America, with equipment that is 40% more efficient and uses refrigerants that are less detrimental to the earth’s ozone layer.

“We are confident that the combination of a new depreciation schedule and escalating energy costs will prompt business owners to purchase newer, more efficient cooling systems,” said Yurek.

According to a recent analysis, replacing inefficient commercial cooling equipment will save 137 trillion BTUs a year by 2015. The savings is equivalent to the amount of energy consumed by approximately 1.4 million average U.S. households.

“Considering commercial cooling equipment is one of the largest users of electricity in commercial buildings, replacing these systems with newer technology is probably one of the easiest energy efficiency measures to undertake,” said Yurek. “For too long, facilities have operated under a restrictive tax code that does not reflect the actual lifespan of this equipment. Passage of the Cool and Efficient Buildings Act is a common sense solution that will benefit building owners and the environment.”

America’s aviation security markets are forecasted to grow rapidly over the 2007-2011 period. According to Homeland Security Research Corp.’s (HSRC) research, 2007-2011 U.S. Homeland Security (Government & Private) Market Outlook , released in January 2007, this growth stems from the strong support by the 110th Congress for several major programs, including the establishment of an effective air cargo screening infrastructure on scheduled passenger flights, the construction of perimeter protection around high profile airports, the outsourcing of security screening services to the private sector and the continued development of the “trusted passenger” programs.

The majority of the expenditures in this market will be financed by security surcharges. Some of the major programs in this market include:
Airports IT & Telecommunications Restructuring Program
Air Cargo Screening Program
Airport Perimeters Security Program
Airport Employee and Service Personal Identification Program
Passengers and Baggage Screening Program
Checked Baggage Screening Programs
TSA – Electronic Surveillance Program
ICE – Air to Ground Communications Program
Airport Screener Outsourcing Program

Top 10 Leading HLS Industry Sectors - Ten HLS industry sectors are forecasted to total over $8.5 billion cumulative five year revenues.

Top 10 Fast Growth HLS Industry Sectors - Revenues of 10 HLS industry sectors are forecasted to grow by 60% to 400% during 2007-2011.

U.S. Government Markets - The cumulative $123 billion U.S. government HLS five year forecasted procurement schedule is segmented by the 20 HLS leading agencies.

To order a copy of this report, click here.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the Internet “provides unparalleled opportunities for socially beneficial endeavors - such as education, research, commerce, entertainment, and discourse on public affairs.” However, any business that uses the Internet is vulnerable to computer hackers and thieves.

CM IT Solutions is recognizing the importance of Internet safety by observing National Internet Safety Month this June and reminding local businesses of how they can protect their sensitive material and prevent fraud and theft.

“The fact that Congress recognized Internet safety as a topic that needs to be continually addressed, as well as business people needing to be vigilant in creating opportunities for the secure use of the Internet speaks volumes about how critical this has become,” said Jeff Connally, president and CEO of CM IT Solutions.

Recent regulations, such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, as well as headline-generating security breaches at well-known companies have put pressure on small businesses to invest in their IT infrastructure and respond to the demand for a secure transaction environment, Connally said.

“Forward thinking small businesses can stay ahead of this curve if they limit their exposure,” Connally said. Connally suggests the following tips:
· Start by limiting the number of vendors and solution providers that need to be managed.
· Build a stronger relationship with larger customers by certifying the accuracy and security of the information that is being shared.
· Move away from the use of desktop software for spreadsheets and other planning documents. Over 70% of businesses rely on spreadsheets, but they are very vulnerable to viruses. Connally said to invest in server-based analytical tools, which not only shore up any security gaps but can improve performance.

The venue has been closed for two years, undergoing a $220 million refurbishment. Since 1951, Royal Festival Hall (RFH) has attracted one of the most diverse audiences of any UK venue. For over 50 years it has hosted a wide-ranging program of classical and world music, rock, pop, jazz, and dance. Designed and built in three years, following World War II, the Royal Festival Hall is part of the South Bank Centre, not far from the Tate Modern and Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre.

One element of the refurbishment is an overhaul of the Royal Festival Hall’s lighting system. With specifications from theater consultants Carr and Angier to increase flexibility and efficiency while maintaining low ambient noise, specialist installation contractor Northern Light has installed a dimming, networking, and lighting control systems from Electronic Theatre Controls, Inc.(ETC).

Colin Cuthbert, managing director of Northern Light, said: “ETC dimmers and control were selected for the Royal Festival Hall refurb for a variety of reasons. The Queen Elizabeth Hall, one of the South Bank Centre’s other venues, has ETC Sensor installed, so the customer was familiar with the technology. In addition, it was felt that ETC’s Unison control integrated best with the GrandMA lighting desk. Finally, the acoustic properties of ETC’s SineWave dimmers were specifically requested by the consultants.”

The hall was designed to eliminate outside noise, including that from nearby Tube and train lines that run both beside and directly underneath. Sine wave dimming further eliminates noise from tungsten filaments allowing silent operation of lighting. In terms of the remaining circuits, the Hall chose ETC Sensor dimming because it is cost effective, yet still promises to deliver maximum reliability with a minimum failure rate.

More than 250,000 people turned out for the Festival Hall’s reopening “The Overture,” a 48-hour marathon of free music, dance, spoken word, film and visual arts presented by 18,000 performers including four orchestras, 27 gamelan ensembles, 3,000 dancers, 12,000 singers and 2,500 schoolchildren.

When I was a kid, I loved origami–the ancient art of paper folding. (I had no life.) Now, as an adult, I acknowledge Post-It® notes as an essential part of the modern workplace. So what happens when you combine the two? Sticky Note Origami, of course!

Here’s the description, courtesy of Amazon.com:

It’s clever, it’s creative, and most of all, it’s fun: super origami made with those stick-it desk notes found on every desk. These projects make work just a little more entertaining.

Everyone has them in the office and even at home: ordinary pads of sticky notes in a range of colors and sizes. With the help of innovative origami expert David Mitchell, they can quickly become attractive paper sculptures. All it takes is a few minutes to finish off something beautiful during an interminable phone call or while waiting for a meeting to begin. Each of the 20 projects-including 3-D animals, posies to put on a message, and geometric designs-feature detailed diagrams and a color photo of the completed piece. And every item was especially created to take advantage of the paper’s sticky end. It’s the sure-fire antidote to those boring moments on the job.

A perfect gift for the man or woman (or Blogger) who has everything!