Building Industry News
- Jun
- 28
Posted on June 28, 2011 by John OReilly
Grundfos Pumps Corporation today announced that it will voluntarily cut in half the amount of potable water used to irrigate its 27-acre Fresno campus during 2011, with plans to eliminate the practice entirely by the end of 2012.
As a result, the global pumps and pumping systems manufacturer will save roughly 3 million gallons of potable water during 2011 - enough to fill four Olympic-sized swimming pools. In 2013, the facility plans for all campus irrigation to be supplied by reclaimed water.
To achieve a reduction of this scale, the company will redesign its entire campus master plan to utilize “water-wise” plant material; a new “smart” irrigation system; and water harvesting systems and techniques to replace existing potable water.
The aggressive plan bolsters existing sustainability programs already in place at the 180,000 square-foot manufacturing facility, including the addition of a seven-acre solar array, use of energy-efficient lighting, air compressors, pumps, fans and low-flow plumbing fixtures.
Click here for more information on this announcement, including a press release and downloadable hi-res photographs, visit:
- Jun
- 20
Posted on June 20, 2011 by John OReilly
On Monday, June 20, the entire Grundfos Pumps organization worldwide will participate in a daylong, “What Unites Us” event that will begin the process of working with a new set of six newly revitalized corporate values: Sustainable; Open and Trustworthy; Focused on People; Independent; Partnership; and Relentlessly Ambitious.
On this day, all 17,000 employees at Grundfos operations worldwide, including Grundfos North America in Olathe, Kansas, will attend 1,200 workshops to discuss what the values mean and how they are used. During the workshops, all employees will have the opportunity to tell their own versions of the six revitalized core values via text messages, photos and video uploads on a global value website.
In North America, approximately 1,500 Grundfos employees will participate in “What Unites Us” values day activities in Fresno, Calif.; Brookshire, Texas; Indianapolis, Ind.; and Allentown, Pa.; as well as in Canada, Mexico and in Olathe.
Click here to view the full press announcement regarding Grundfos’ values day activities and to download hi-res images.
- Jun
- 10
Posted on June 10, 2011 by John OReilly
The new 342,000-square-foot LIVESTRONG Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kan., seats more than 18,000 fans for soccer games and over 25,000 for concerts. When all those folks — or at least a large fraction of them — head for the restrooms during halftime and at intermission, the plumbing system in this new facility can get quite a workout. To ensure that sufficient water pressure is available to operate all the fixtures in the stadium properly, the mechanical engineer on the project chose to install a Grundfos BoosterpaQ Hydro MPC System, consisting of three vertical multi-stage CR pumps, to handle the “worst-case” flow capacity of 1,200 gallons per minute.
Click here to learn more about the project and the decision by the mechanical engineering firm, U.S. Engineering Company, to install the Grundfos pump system.
- Jun
- 6
Posted on June 6, 2011 by John OReilly
Uponor has named Bill Gray as vice president of Sales for Uponor North America, effective June 6, 2011. For the past three years as general manager for Uponor Ltd. in Canada, Gray was responsible for the leadership of all Uponor Canadian operations, including sales, marketing, demand management and technical and customer service. In his expanded role, he will lead all Uponor North American sales efforts in the United States and Canada, as well as continue to oversee Canadian operations.
Click here to read more and download a hi-res image.
- May
- 17
Posted on May 17, 2011 by John OReilly
On June 28-29, 2011, Uponor — provider of residential multipurpose plumbing and fire sprinkler systems as well as radiant heating and cooling systems — will host the National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA) as it presents an overview of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 13 Standard to commercial fire sprinkler installers. The two-day seminar held at the Uponor Academy in Apple Valley, Minn., will cover critical elements of the NFPA 13 Standard, the most recognized building industry standard for the installation of commercial fire sprinkler systems.
Click here to read more and download the press release and hi-res images.
- May
- 11
Posted on May 11, 2011 by John OReilly
SFA Saniflo Inc. recently unveiled a newly renovated North American website, designed to make selecting the right macerating or gray water system for a particular residential or commercial application easier than ever. The new site will help a home or building owner find the correct products for their applications, while offering a variety of locations to purchase the product and even a list of qualified installers. A recap of this information is also available for printing out on a single eight-by-ten sheet of paper.
Consumers and commercial end users can also request a brochure, view lists of distributors and installers, or use a link to Saniflo’s Facebook and Twitter pages. Trade professionals can download product catalogs, installation manuals, certification information, FAQs (frequently asked questions) and even press releases. Contractors can also apply to become Saniflo Preferred Installers.
Click here for more information, including a full press release and hi-res screen grabs suitable for publication.
- May
- 4
Posted on May 4, 2011 by John OReilly
To further meet the needs of the hydronic radiant heating market, Uponor launches Radiant Ready 30E™, a complete radiant mechanical room package, and Fast Trak™ knobbed mats for radiant tubing installation. Ideal for remodels, retrofits and new construction, the Radiant Ready 30E is a complete radiant mechanical room designed in a compact, preassembled, easy-to-install panel. To accompany the panel, Fast Trak knobbed mats provide a faster, easier method for installing crosslinked polyethylene (PEX) tubing in overpour applications for basements, recreation rooms, bathrooms or any area of a home.
“We wanted to make radiant floor heating a simple, accessible, cost-effective option for today’s homeowner and remodeler,” says Mark Hudoba, senior product manager, Residential Radiant Heating at Uponor. “These two products will make it faster and easier to install the ideal comfort and energy efficiency of radiant floor heat.”
Click here to read more and download the press release and hi-res images.
- Apr
- 25
Posted on April 25, 2011 by Nora DePalma
On Saturday’s front page, above the fold, the New York Times finds a northwestern Illinois home builder who is giving away a free car with home purchase. The Times uses this example to illustrate the current state of the residential home building industry. Which the Times goes on to vividly describe:
The recession hurt a lot of industries, but it knocked the residential construction market to the mat and has kept it there, even as the broader economy has started to fitfully recover.
Also vividly described, the human toll: the Times cites more than 1.4 million residential construction jobs lost in the last five years.
The article posits that housing might come back differently this time. It cites changing consumer tastes: smaller, cheaper, closer. Read more at Bad Times Linger in Home Building as Economy Rises - NYTimes.com.
Meanwhile, we’re picking ourselves up off the mat to go get some business done this week at KBIS 2011. Our industry is changing, but business is getting done, one relationship at a time.
- Apr
- 20
Posted on April 20, 2011 by John OReilly
Mr. Steam has launched its fifth annual “Passport to Rewards” Sales Incentive program that supports eligible showroom personnel who market and sell the company’s premier lines of residential and commercial steam showers and towel warmers.
The 2011 Passport to Fantasy Island Rewards Program, which runs from May 1 through December 31, is a multi-faceted sales incentive and marketing program that corresponds with Mr. Steam’s ongoing marketing focus – Steam is in our DNA.
This year’s program will reward selected associates with monthly prizes and will culminate in a four-night, round-trip for two to Tahiti, including a Polynesian Spa ritual for two as the grand prize.
Bath and kitchen showroom consultants and sales associates can register for this valuable program by contacting their local Mr. Steam representative.
Click here for more information on this announcement.
- Apr
- 13
Posted on April 13, 2011 by John OReilly
To create a more robust infrastructure and to improve user experience when accessing the Climate Control™ Network System online, Uponor recently launched a new customer access site that has several expanded features and functionalities that benefit everyone — from the contractor to the field technician to the rep to the homeowner.
The Climate Control™ Network System is Uponor’s integrated hardware and software package that connects all of a structure’s heating, ventilation, humidification, air conditioning, domestic hot water and radiant components to a single system for better energy-efficiency, monitoring and control.
“We took customer feedback to redesign the current user interface to provide more of a ‘snapshot’ view of their home comfort system without losing any functionality consumers already had,” says Jeff Wiedemann, product manager, Application Controls at Uponor. “This new design offers homeowners a more attractive, user-friendly experience when accessing their systems.”
Click here to read more and download the press release and hi-res images.
