In recent months, three supermarket chains have announced recognitions in the ever-growing GreenChill Advanced Refrigeration Partnership. In the program, participating supermarkets, refrigeration equipment manufacturers, and other stakeholders work together to help reduce refrigerant leaks and potentially damaging emissions.
In the middle of a balmy September, 14 engineers and contractors sat in the boardroom comfort of the Greenheck Learning Center - in the parking lot outside the offices of Air Control Products Inc., a manufacturer rep firm in Broadview Heights, Ohio.
As health care quality, cost containment, and infectious disease containment gain more of the spotlight, the role of mechanical systems and IAQ will likewise gain importance. These case studies point to the ways in which HVAC and IAQ play critical roles in today’s health care trends.
It seems that change is coming to the health care system in one form or another. Helping them keep their expenses down will be more crucial than ever. There also is a great deal of awareness of infection control, another area where mechanical systems play key roles.
According to the leadership of contractor group Nexstar, next year will be much better than 2009. This was good news to hear at the group’s Super Meeting in Detroit. According to a recent member poll, “There is a general optimism that 2010 will be better than 2009,” said president and CEO Greg Niemi.
When Carl Pond’s contracting company got involved in converting an 11,000-square-foot building into an office-shop-warehouse for his growing business, he sought to showcase energy efficiency and what his company could do in that regard.
The refrigerant R-744 (CO2) has gained one of its strongest footholds yet in the commercial refrigeration sector with the announcement that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has “found it acceptable for replacing HCFC-22 in supermarkets.”
In the midst of vast political and economic changes, the challenge of hiring a competent and legal workforce presents the nation with a demanding task. The federal government is now requiring any general contractor or subcontractor - working on or looking to work on federal contracts - use an employment status verification system for all new hires.
The Federal Reserve’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) released new information indicating that the economy is beginning to pick up. The federal government declared the recession over a few months ago, but cautioned that recovery, especially job recovery, may not be as quick as the recession’s end. Economists agree that recovery will be slow as unemployment rates continue to rise.
Whether you are a union contractor dealing with union leadership or a non-union company that deals directly with its employees, a true labor–management partnership will be the best way to move your business forward in the future.
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