The First Facility Management Blog

The Dallas/Fort Worth Chapter Of IFMA Dresses Up To Donate

In party dresses and tuxedos, nearly 250 facility managers recently gave back to the community in style. Benefiting Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, and the IFMA Foundation Scholarship Fund, the annual Black and White Ball of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex Chapter of the International Facility Management Association was a beautiful black tie affair featuring activities including a raffle, silent auction, and toy drive.

Decorative rugs, spa gift certificates, crystal, and Dallas Mavericks’ tickets were just some of the prizes up for grabs at the silent auction. The auction raised US$2,500 — all of which was donated to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the world’s largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists. The check was presented to Chris Packard, executive director of Susan G. Komen for the Cure’s Dallas County affiliate, at the chapter’s January meeting.

“Our promise is to save lives and end breast cancer forever by empowering people, ensuring quality care for all and energizing science to find the cures,” Packard said. “This promise can only be achieved through investments into science, education and treatment. Those funds for these investments come from donations like this. We are so thankful that the Dallas chapter thought of Susan G. Komen.”

Attendees also donated toys in conjunction with the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation. Collecting more than 300 toys, bicycles, dolls and more, Marines distributed the toys as gifts to needy children throughout the Dallas/Fort Worth community.

The raffle was also a huge success. With prizes ranging from gift certificates to an orchid-a-month and an all-expense paid vacation, the US$2,500 in proceeds benefited the IFMA Foundation Scholarship Fund, which annually awards scholarships to graduate and undergraduate students pursuing degrees in facility management or related fields. In addition to the scholarship, sponsors provide recipients with the means to attend IFMA’s annual World Workplace conference, where they can take advantage of the opportunity to network with others in the facility management community.

Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc. (MMPI) is proud to announce The Merchandise Mart Chicago, the world’s largest commercial building encompassing 4.2 million square feet, has been awarded the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED-EB) Silver certification for existing buildings.

LEED certification provides independent, third-party verification that a building meets the highest performance standards and is an environmentally responsible and healthy place to live and work. The LEED Green Building Rating System is a voluntary, consensus-based national standard for sustainable buildings that was designed by leading experts in the construction industry.

To earn LEED certification, a building must meet certain prerequisites and performance criterion within five key areas of environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality. Projects are awarded Certified, Silver, Gold, or Platinum certification depending on the number of credits achieved.

“Our investors want long-term results,” said Christopher Kennedy, president, MMPI. “Our city demands corporate responsibility and the community wants environmental stewardship. The LEED program helped us find common ground and proved that growth and sustainability are great partners.”

LEED was developed to define and clarify the term “green building” by establishing a common standard of measurement, as well as recognize environmental leadership in the industry while raising consumer awareness of the benefits of green building. LEED-certified buildings conserve energy and water, reduce waste sent to landfills, have lower operating costs are healthy and comfortable for occupants and demonstrate the owners’ commitment to environmental stewardship and social responsibility.

“The Merchandise Mart is to be congratulated for achieving LEED-EB silver certification,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO, founding chair, USGBC. “This certification sends a message that The Merchandise Mart cares about the health of the building’s users and employees.”

The Delta Institute assisted MMPI in its path toward certification. The Delta Institute is a nonprofit organization formed in 1998 that works for a cleaner environment, healthier communities and a greener economy.

The Mart’s certification was accomplished with support from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

Partnership Establishes Global Platform for Cradle to CradleSM Materials and Design

Material ConneXion, Inc., McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry, LLC (MBDC) and the Environmental Protection Encouragement Agency (EPEA) announced a groundbreaking strategic collaboration to create a global platform for developing innovative sustainable materials and products. Together, they will provide services that will help companies expand their ability to innovate and create higher-quality, more sustainable products and processes, while increasing their profitability.

“Material ConneXion’s unparalleled material expertise, commitment to sustainability, and global reach make them the perfect partner for this collaboration,” said MBDC co-founder William McDonough.

The relationship will help to promote and disseminate Cradle to Cradle design principles by providing greater global access to Cradle to Cradle material information, certification and product development. As of January 2008, Material ConneXion’s libraries in New York, Milan, Cologne and Bangkok will feature Cradle to Cradle Assessed and Certified materials, and, in collaboration with MBDC and EPEA, Material ConneXion will offer Cradle to Cradle Certification, and Cradle to Cradle product development.

“We are thrilled to partner with such visionaries as William McDonough and Michael Braungart,” said Material ConneXion Founder and President George Beylerian, ”This truly will be an industry-changing collaboration and signals an important step forward for Cradle to Cradle design.”

Given today’s demands for more socially and environmentally conscious products and materials, it is important for companies to positively define their global impact and be leaders in environmental performance. Material ConneXion, MBDC and EPEA, each leading experts in their respective fields, offer specific knowledge in sustainable material solutions and practices, objective design recommendations, and a breadth of worldwide experience across multiple industries that can be instrumental in helping companies achieve their product goals.

“Cradle to Cradle’s promise of ‘total beauty’ begins with the right material solutions and there is no better place to find them than Material ConneXion,” said EPEA and MBDC co-founder Michael Braungart.

By pushing for better product design, smart production processes, and a greater use, re-use, and recycling of defined, ecologically intelligent materials, companies can incorporate environmentally conscious planning into their own frameworks.

To facilitate this, Material ConneXion, MBDC and EPEA will jointly offer the following services:

Workshops: Workshops will provide an understanding of Material Intelligence, Sustainability and Cradle to Cradle design principles. Workshops can be tailored to assist design teams—from large corporations to smaller forward thinking companies—in defining these concepts as they pertain to their own industry and work.

Materials Assessment, Process Evaluation and Certification:

Material assessment will provide material manufacturers within the Material ConneXion library with material assessments and the tools to achieve Cradle to Cradle Certification. Certification benchmarks the size of the environmental footprint of a product against an internationally recognized standard that will provide companies with a new marketing and selling tool as well as help them chart and realize continuous improvement over time. .

Material/Product Development Project:

This service assists companies in developing ecologically intelligent, sustainable products or materials. By leveraging the combined expertise in the field of sustainable materials and Cradle to Cradle process of the three partners, innovative sustainable products can be developed that could be a source of new and increased revenue for clients.

About Material ConneXion

Material ConneXion is the leading global platform for material innovation and solutions. The company was founded in 1997 by George M. Beylerian on the belief that Every Idea Has A Material Solution. Since then, Material ConneXion has become the trusted material advisor to Fortune 500 corporations, smaller forward-thinking companies and government agencies seeking a competitive edge through strategic material selections. With offices in New York, Milan, Cologne and Bangkok, Material ConneXion’s international network of material specialists provide a global, cross-industry perspective on materials and their potential uses.

Material ConneXion offers four indispensable assets to architects, designers, and manufacturers. The Advanced Materials Solution Team advises in the development of materials and products by providing crucial material intelligence gained through extensive research. Subscription-based Material Libraries on three continents maintain over 4,000 materials reviewed by an independent jury on a monthly basis. Material ConneXion LABS—temporary library exhibition installations—and Innovation Alerts—keep companies, universities and non-profits on the cutting-edge. New materials create innovative design solutions, provide more sustainable options, and accelerate the design development process. Dynamic material dialogue is essential to this process, and so Material ConneXion is committed to its creation through active Public Programming, including exhibitions, an annual conference on materials and design, and MATTER magazine, published quaterly. This December, Material ConneXIon will publish its second book, Ultra Materials: How Materials Innovation is Changing the World.

About MBDC (McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry, LLC.)

MBDC was founded in 1995 by internationally recognized architect/designer William McDonough together with Prof. Michael Braungart, as a strategic environmental consulting and design firm, dedicated to revolutionizing the design of products and services worldwide using Cradle to Cradle design. The pair teamed up to promote and shape what they refer to as “The Next Industrial Revolution” through the introduction of a new design paradigm called Cradle to Cradle design and the implementation of eco-effective design principles. McDonough and Braungart are co-authors of the book Cradle to Cradle – Remaking the Way We Make Things, published in 2002 by NorthPoint Press.

MBDC developed and offers the Cradle to Cradle Product Certification System that verifies manufactures’ achievements using a series of environmental and social criteria. These criteria are based on the principles of Cradle to Cradle design, developed by McDonough and Braungart. Cradle to Cradle is a service mark of MBDC.

About EPEA (Environmental Protection Encouragement Agency)

EPEA was founded in 1987 by world renowned chemist Prof. Michael Braungart as an independent scientific research institute based in Hamburg that develops Cradle to Cradle product solutions. EPEA’s interdisciplinary team aligns products to Cradle to Cradle design goals with tools that have been developed for this purpose. Cradle to Cradle design makes products possible that are economically successful, healthy for users and supportive for the environment and future generations. Their innovative design not only addresses appearance and functionality, but it also addresses the definition of their composition and enables a new dimension of quality and security of these products along with their material flow cycle. By integrating economic, social and environmental aspects, they are superior to currently produced and available products.

EPEA’s driving goal is to not only reach positive effects for end users by aiding in the development of healthy products, but also for the environment in general by way of safe products for consumption and products of service, where technical nutrients are recovered and processed, based on EPEA’s Intelligent Product System (IPS). This also applies to a next generation because the resources that are mobilized for Cradle to Cradle products are maintained as such and effectively used. EPEA is a licensee of the Cradle to Cradle Product Certification System developed by MBDC.

Event Continues 20-year Tradition of Promoting Industry Innovation with 2007 Conference Line-Up

Healthcare Facilities Symposium & Expo will hosts its 20th annual conference October 2-4, 2007, at the Navy Pier in Chicago. As the longest-running conference and exhibition focused on how the physical space impacts the delivery of healthcare, the Symposium provides an
interactive, educational forum that centers on the practical applications and solutions for the healthcare environment.

This year, the Symposium will welcome well-known healthcare professional and educator on therapeutic humor, Kathleen Passanisi, and Jim Cohick, the administrator of Shriners Hospital for Children – Chicago as keynote speakers. In addition, more than 150 industry professionals will be on hand to discuss topics such as: structural design, construction, efficiency and safety during the conference’s multiple sessions and forums.

Highlights of the 2007 Healthcare Facilities Symposium & Expo include:

· The 2007 Symposium speaker roster comprises the upper echelon of thought leaders, trend setters and industry authorities – more than half of the sessions include a speaker from a hospital or healthcare center

· Sessions will target nine focus areas: master planning, design & construction, evidence-based design, sustainability, technology, guest services, professional services, building systems and operations

· Attendees can choose from more than 60 sessions over the three-day event

· Extensive networking opportunities for attendees to meet and exchange knowledge and ideas pertinent to the industry

DeWalt is doing its part to clean up Washington – or at least the Lincoln Memorial.

In July, a group of volunteers from across the U.S. converged with DeWalt Pressure Washers in hand to remove years of dirt and grime from the monument commemorating one of the nation’s greatest presidents.

The cleaning effort is part of Clean Across America, a volunteer effort organized by the Power Washers of North America (PWNA), the leading U.S. professional organization for professional power-washer contractors. Its members annually tackle projects around the country aimed at cleaning up public spaces.

The PWNA’s Clean Across America campaign began years ago when members donated their services to local communities, parks, public aid programs, and other charity-based organizations. This volunteer program has tripled the value of donated services in the past two years.

“CAA consists of a huge variety of projects. It isn’t just about large high profile projects,” states Mr. Bockman. “It’s about one person making a difference in the world around them.” CAA continues to gain momentum through highly visible projects to draw attention to the proper pressure washing techniques and standards set by the PWNA.

“Together with the PWNA, we’re pleased to be a part of this worthwhile and much-needed effort,” said John Weetenkamp, Group Product Manager for Pressure Washers. “It’s gratifying to know that DeWalt pressure washers are contributing to the enjoyment of those people who visit the Lincoln Memorial by restoring it to the more pristine state that a monument of this national importance deserves.”

For more information on the Clean Across America project, contact PWNA Contact Henry Bockman at 301.216.9675.

College Fire Science Program Receives State-of-the-Art Fire-Lite Equipment

Fire-Lite Alarms, part of Honeywell’s Life Safety group, is a proud supporter of the Moraine Valley Community College Fire Science Technology Program, Palos Hills, IL. A new Fire-Lite MS-9050UD addressable FACP (fire alarm control panel) contributed by Fire-Lite, together with smoke detectors, strobes, and water flow and tamper alarms donated by System Sensor, will provide future first responders and fire inspectors modern equipment for vital hands-on training.

Moraine Valley’s Fire Science Program received further support from local Fire-Lite installer, Jim Simmons of Simmons Contracting. Wanting to ensure the new equipment operated properly, Simmons felt it was his duty to help, “This is an elite fire science lab that trains fire personnel from throughout the mid-west U.S. I’ve been in this business for 27 years and I believe Fire-Lite’s equipment is the best out there. It’s well-known and great for end users to work with. That’s why Fire-Lite is what these students should be trained on,” says Simmons.

Founded more than 50 years ago, Fire-Lite has become one of the most common brands of fire systems installed throughout the U.S. Due to its non-proprietary nature, Fire-Lite products can be purchased, installed and serviced by virtually any qualified fire systems installer.

Setup to operate the same as a building’s true fire alarm system, students will learn to comprehend information provided by the FACP and respond accordingly. Nearly 400 students attend more than 40 fire science classes annually at Moraine Valley. Therefore, offering the most up-to-date equipment for hands-on training is considered essential to each attendee’s education. “Having updated equipment is very beneficial to providing our students a realistic understanding of what they will encounter today and in the years to come,” added Andrew Hufnagl, Coordinator of Moraine Valley’s Fire Science Program.

Sony Picture Imageworks used BodyPaint 3D and CINEMA 4D as exclusive 3D texturing and digital matte environment software

MAXON’s software played an important role in the making of Spider-Man™ 3 according to visual effects powerhouse Sony Pictures Imageworks, Inc. For this record-smashing blockbuster, Sony Pictures Imageworks utilized CINEMA 4D and BodyPaint 3D as part of their production pipeline to bring the third part of the Spider-Man franchise to the big screen. MAXON’s BodyPaint 3D and CINEMA 4D were among the 3D texturing and digital matte environment software used by Imageworks on Spider-Man 3.

The talented texture artists at Sony Pictures Imageworks used MAXON’s products to create detailed textures on objects as minute as a grain of sand and as extensive as multifaceted cityscapes. Concurrently, the equally talented artists in the matte department were busy using CINEMA 4D to create realistic digital environments and repaint sky elements in numerous scenes as diverse as the storm in the bell-tower sequence to the richly colored sunrise sky featured at the culmination of the climactic battle sequence.

MAXON’s software is designed to integrate into any pipeline, and facilitate a flexible work environment that accommodates an artist’s workflow and creativity. So it easily plugged into the Sony Pictures Imageworks’ production pipeline alongside its proprietary tools and other graphics applications.

“BodyPaint 3D integrates extremely well. This gave us the complete toolset we needed for all our texture mapping needs on Spider-Man 3,” remarks Elbert Yen, Texture Paint Lead at Sony Pictures Imageworks. “I especially like BodyPaint 3D’s feature of keeping discrete layers for each texture map and allowing the texture artist to paint on and map individual layers separately. By keeping the texture maps in multi-layered Photoshop files, BodyPaint 3D is more flexible and robust than other 3D texturing programs I’ve tried.”

About MAXON Computer
MAXON Computer is part of the Nemetschek Group and a developer of professional 3D modeling, painting, animation and rendering solutions. Its award-winning products have been used extensively in the film, television, science, architecture, engineering and other industries. MAXON products have been used for and in Ghost Rider, Spider-Man 3, Surf’s Up, Open Season, Monster House, Eragon, Superman Returns, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Serenity, War of the Worlds, Polar Express, Pirates of the Carribean, etc. MAXON has offices in Friedrichsdorf (Germany), Newbury Park (CA, USA), Bedford (UK) and Tokyo (JP).

About Nemetschek
The Nemetschek Group is a leading international IT company in the AEC sector (Architecture, Engineering, Construction). The software company develops integrated solutions for the complete life cycle of buildings and real estate – from building design and construction through to facility management. The company’s products are currently used by more than 270,000 companies in 142 countries and in 16 languages to optimize the complete building creation and management process in terms of quality, cost and time. Nemetschek was founded in 1963 by Prof. Nemetschek and has more than 1,000 employees worldwide (2007). In fiscal 2006 the group achieved sales of 107.5 million euros.

A recent milestone for Siemens Building Technologies, Inc, the sale of another million OpenAir Damper Actuators in North America, has yielded a surprising result.

Started in 1997, The OpenAir damper actuator was the first globally developed project for Siemens Building Technologies jointly planned and executed with teams representing both Swiss and U.S. employees.

Siemens GAP teams first celebrated the achievement at the company’s global headquarters in Zug, Switzerland. Bringing the celebration to this side of the Atlantic, Eckstein recently visited Siemens Building Technologies U.S. headquarters in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, where he presented the North American team with a traditional Swiss cow bell to commemorate the special event.

Siemens OpenAir electronic damper actuators include features like direct-coupled connections, a self-centering shaft coupling and pre-cabled plenum options to help technicians install the actuators quickly and accurately. System engineers can count on reliable, failsafe operation, stall protection functions and accurate control of speed, torque and braking in a durable compact package. Siemens OpenAir electronic damper actuators are ideal for a broad variety of applications including, terminal units, multi-zone mixing boxes, outside air dampers, zone isolation dampers, vortex dampers, economizer units and return air dampers.

The inaugural Homeland Security Investor Conference in early December proved a success by attracting more than 300 attendees that included many well-known names in the Security and Defense industry and the investment community.

CompuDyne, CoreStreet, RAE Systems, L1 identity and Allied Defense were among more than 20 companies that presented their business products and services to Large Global Security Companies, Investors and Private Equity Groups, and Prime Government Security & Defense Contractors. The one-day, invitation only event was held Dec. 5, 2006 at the Ritz-Carlton in Washington, D.C.

“The audience was the who’s who of the investment community that we serve,” said Geoffrey Feidelberg, Chief Financial Officer of CompuDyne. “Everyone was there that we wanted to be there – the investment side, the potential partner side, the government side.”

Presenting companies were aligned within six sectors in the homeland security market. Those markets include: Port Security & Border Control, Intelligence & Data Management, Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction, Disaster Preparedness & Response, Critical Infrastructure Protection and Identity Solutions

Penrose “Parney” Albright, Managing Director of Civitas Group and former Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for Science and Technology, was the keynote for the event. In his speech, Albright told attendees that opportunities abound for companies within the Department of Homeland Security, especially as government officials at the state and local levels look to DHS to lead the way. However, solution providers need to develop products for the DHS market that are reliable, with few false alarms, and require little maintenance.

CapitalSource, Civitas Group and USBX Advisory Services – each a leader in their respective finance, strategic consulting, and investment banking markets – established this conference to provide investors a first look at new investment opportunities from companies developing in-demand products and services in the Security and Defense industry. The conference also provided government agencies insight into new technology and business solutions.

Think NOT showing up for work can hurt your career? Forcing yourself to come to the office when you are not feeling well could be a bigger problem.

Sick workers have become such a problem that there is now a word for it: presenteeism.

A sick worker is more of a liability than an asset. He or she is likely to be less productive than usual. There is also the possibility of an infection spreading to other workers.

Bacterial infections that can be treated with antibiotics are less likely to cause serious problems. Viruses, however, are highly infectious and cannot be treated with anything other than rest and proper care.

Some companies are taking proactive measures, holding meetings to urge employees to stay home when they are sick. This is particularly important for organizations that cater to children or the elderly.

Learn more about presenteeism.