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INDUSTRY
NEWS
SPRINGS WINDOW FASHIONS JOINS U.S. GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL
Springs Window Fashions, Middleton, WI, is a new member of the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), it was announced. USGBC is a non-profit consensus coalition promoting the understanding, development and accelerated implementation of green buildings.
As a member of the USGBC, Springs Window Fashions will join 11,500 other member organizations that all are committed to greening the built environment through design, construction and products that enhance the sustainability of buildings. “Our window covering products—including those under the Graber®, Bali®, and Nanik® brands—are manufactured under rigorous eco-friendly standards and feature such green attributes as natural materials and recycled content,” said Tom Rodgers, Springs Window Fashions’ green team manager.
The USGBC is the developer of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) building certification process, which is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. LEED addresses all building types and emphasizes state-of-the-art strategies for sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials and resources selection as well as indoor environmental quality.
“At Springs Window Fashions, we’ve always been committed to implementing sustainable manufacturing processes and developing product that is environmentally sound,” said Rodgers. “It is our corporate mission to provide consumers with high-quality window fashions that create both stylish and healthy living spaces. Our involvement with the USGBC underscores this commitment to reducing our environmental footprint through all aspects of our business.”
ECLIPSE SHUTTERS RECEIVES GREENGUARD CERTIFICATION
Eclipse™ Shutters, Suwanee, GA, announces its shutters have been tested and qualified under the Greenguard Environmental Institute (GEI) Program. The shutters now are Greenguard Certified for indoor air quality, children and schools and listed for microbial resistance (see D&WC, November 2007, page 16).
This certification provides third-party verification that Eclipse Shutters support a healthy indoor air environment for interior buildings including schools and daycare facilities, the company states.
To become Greenguard certified Eclipse Shutters were subjected to multiple indoor air quality examinations during which various tests were performed in each certification category to determine that the product meets or exceeds all test standards. This process is ongoing and Eclipse Shutters will undergo quarterly and annual confirmation testing and re-certification of its product represented in each certification category, it states.
“Eclipse Shutters is extremely pleased to be the only manufacturer of a non-wood shutter product in the industry to become Greenguard certified in indoor air quality, children and schools, and listed for microbial resistance,” said Shannon Hodges, Eclipse Shutters business unit manager. “Today we understand all the characteristics that go into leading a healthy lifestyle, which means that it’s no longer just an added benefit to incorporate healthy products into environments where people and children spend eight to 12 hours of their day—it’s a necessity.”
HUNTER DOUGLAS FORMALLY INTRODUCES PIROUETTE WINDOW SHADINGS
Marv Hopkins, president and CEO of Hunter Douglas, Upper Saddle River, NJ, was joined by a team of Hunter Douglas executives to formally introduce Pirouette® window shadings to the media and design community at an event held at the Ailey Studios at the Joan Weill Center for Dance in New York City, NY, in November 2007.
With Pirouette window shadings, a pull of the operating cord transforms what appear to be cascading folds of fabric into contoured vanes, allowing an enhanced outside view through the sheer backing.
Before lunch, guests were treated to a performance by students from the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program. The students were dressed in costumes that coordinated with the colors of the Pirouette window shadings. In fact, their belts were made of one of the fabrics, the company states.
WINDOW FASHIONS, INC MOVES TO NEW FACILITY
Window Fashions, Inc. has moved its office to Natrona Heights, PA, outgrowing its office in Cheswick, PA, where it opened in 1981. The company’s 45,000-square-foot fabrication facility remains on 1025 Beaver Ave. on the north side of Pittsburgh, PA, it adds.
Window Fashions began as a fabricator of Bali horizontal blinds, Profile vertical blinds and Joanna pleated shades. The company moved in a new direction in 1990, when it began to fabricate Graber vertical blinds. It then expanded to become an exclusive full-line Graber fabricator and Nanik distributor. Two years ago Window Fashions Inc. started manufacturing a proprietary line of roller shades.
“Acknowledgement of change is a catalyst for any successful business,” says Rose Webb Window Fashions’ sales administrator. “To maintain success, you have to study the market and follow its trends.”
SUN GLOW GRAPHIC SHADES OFFER DIGITAL IMAGING
Sun Glow Window Covering Products of Canada Ltd., Toronto, Ontario, Canada, has introduced Graphic Shades, a new line designed to transform standard shades into a marketing medium that will expand advertising space, creative options and the perception of what a window covering can do.
The exclusive Graphic Shades line provides high-quality, digital, six-color reproductions of company logos or other business messages on a wide variety of traditional window shading materials, including sunscreen fabrics, the company states. Large photos or illustrations can be reproduced on one to several adjacent window treatments to create a collective visual impact from a state-of-the-art imaging system, it adds.
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