November 30th, 2010 by TRT Blog

No longer is the Obama administration just blowing in the wind! Interior Chief Ken Salazar recently announced the federal government’s plan to speed up the development of wind farms along the East Coast. The plan calls for identifying the best locations for potential wind farms outside of shipping lanes and fast tracking the permit process over the next 18 months.

The federal government has long targeted the Atlantic Coast as a hot spot for development of America’s clean energy projects, and hopes to learn from the mistakes of the Cape Wind project. Following an eight year federal review and intense opposition, developers finally signed a lease last month launching the 130-turbine Cape Wind project off the coast of Massachusetts.

Salazar says the plan is to implement a “smart permitting process” that could result in leases issued within two years, instead of seven years or more. Federal officials will begin working with governors in 11 Atlantic Coast states to identify promising areas for wind development, and if no serious problems arise, leases could be issued late next year or in early 2012. States would receive 27 percent of total revenues collected by the federal government for projects in federal waters, at least three miles offshore. The push to promote offshore wind power may provide a boost to a proposed $5 billion offshore transmission project backed by Google Inc. and its partners.

The Obama administration aims to pursue offshore wind power along the East Coast in the same way officials are pushing solar power in the Southwest. The new initiative is expected to create jobs, boost the economy and help make the United States a leader in the global clean energy marketplace – these are all things we can proudly get behind, and we’re eager to see these plans set in motion.

Cape Wind, clean energy, Obama administration, offshore wind

November 24th, 2010 by TRT Blog

For over 30 years, The Refinishing Touch has been providing our unique service, and at this time every year, we stop and give thanks to the many positives we’ve been blessed with. We’ve attended exciting and educational events, swapped ideas with some of the biggest names in the industry, and our president Mario Insenga has spread his knowledge at various speaking events around the country.

We’re thankful for the positive impact our work has had on the environment and the economy. This year we’ve worked on projects

that have helped save over 15,000 trees that normally would be used for new furniture fabrication. Saving and beautifying existing furniture not only keeps treasured pieces of furniture within a family, but also saves our customers money in the end.

We’re grateful that our work has been able to educate those in the industry. Our television recycling program and survey helped inform over 100 U.S. hotels that televisions not only contain over eight pounds of lead and are more toxic than a carton of cigarettes, but that state and some federal laws exist surrounding the recycling of e-waste. There’s still plenty of work to be done, but we’re proud to say we’re helping get the word out.

It all wouldn’t be possible however without the help of the extraordinary people that make up the TRT team.  We’re eternally grateful for their hard work and dedication and wish them, their families and our readers a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday.

thanksgiving, The Refinishing Touch

November 23rd, 2010 by TRT Blog

Here at The Refinishing Touch, we have the opportunity to work on a wide range of exciting and unusual projects across the country.  There’s always something interesting going on, and we’d like to share some of our experiences with you.  Once a month, we’ll spotlight a notable property and give you an insider’s view of the details of the project, the property and the location.   For our inaugural spotlight, we’re going to take you to one of the most spectacular locations in the country – the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.

One of the perks of working at The Refinishing Touch is that our crews never know where the next job will lead them.  Today we have crews operating nationwide, but one particular group is fortunate to experience one of Mother Nature’s most beautiful locations — Estes Park,Colorado.  About 90 minutes from Denver and 7,522 feet above sea level, the town of Estes Park stands at the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park.  Blessed with 300 days of sunshine a year, Estes Park has a charming downtown area to explore and an abundance of wildlife in the surrounding mountains, rivers and valleys.

Recently, we teamed with the WorldMark Resort, located along the scenic Big Thompson River at 701 Riverside Drive in Estes Park.  Accommodations at the resort range from studio units with a kitchenette to three bedroom cabins complete with a full kitchen and a gas fireplace.  Our crew is currently working at the resort to refurbish their existing furniture assets, refinishing case goods and re-upholstering furniture to provide the most comfortable stay possible for the guests.  The crew completes 10-15 rooms a day: finishes are clean, non-toxic and non-flammable, and emit no harmful fumes.   With acute attention to detail and careful planning, guests at the resort never know the crew is working on site, allowing them to experience all the benefits of the resort without interruption.

If you have the chance to visit the WorldMark Resort, there are plenty of attractions to keep you and the family busy.  Visit the Estes Park museum, experience the scenery with the Colorado Bicycling Adventure or spend a peaceful day touring the Rocky Mountain National Park.  And don’t forget to keep your eyes open for wandering wildlife: Elk are commonly seen around the grounds of the WorldMark Resort, and you wouldn’t want to miss the chance to observe these fascinating creatures.

Colorado, Estes Park, furniture assets, refinishing, reupholstery, WorldMark Resort

November 19th, 2010 by TRT Blog

With the recent vote in California to defeat Proposition 23, we would like think that climate change education and awareness was at an all time high — both amongst Californians and the nation as a whole. According to a recent survey conducted by Yale University’s Project on Climate Change Communication, however, more than half (57%) of Americans received an “F” with regard to their knowledge and education on climate change.

The study demonstrates that it is not the American public’s inability to understand the principles regarding climate change. This is more a case of the media and scientific communities coming up short in appropriately educating the public about climate work progress. Only 11% of those polled consider themselves “well-informed” – a number in dire need of increasing if we’re ever to make a significant difference.

It’s obvious that there is a huge need for climate education to begin in schools and awareness of this is growing. 75% of the survey’s respondents want to see this happen, and (perhaps) even more importantly 68% believe the government should set aside funding to make this happen. With so large a majority in favor of this, we can’t help but be a little shocked at the lack of any large scale push for climate education – especially considering the recent elections.

In order to really drive the points on climate change home and inspire change, a large initiative from the public will almost certainly be needed. With so many (82%) getting their information from TV first, and very little climate change coverage making it to TV, the pressure falls to the internet to lead the charge in informing the public – where 64% currently get their news on climate change.

Fortunately, 61% of respondents said they would use the internet as their first stop for news to learn more about climate change. We’re glad to have our small space on the web to provide information that we really believe is relevant to the preservation of our environment, and we feel it’s important to make sure the information we give can be taken and used to make a difference. Here are some other sites that do their part to keep the public aware and educated about climate change — check them out!

Grist.org

Greenbiz.com

Triplepundits.com

Treehugger.com

Is there something you would like to learn more about? Leave us a comment and let us know what you think.

climate change, climate education, Sustainability, Yale University’s Project on Climate Change Communication

November 16th, 2010 by TRT Blog

The former prime minister of Great Britain, Tony Blair, has been garnering quite a bit of attention in the tourism and hospitality industries lately – two sectors that some might be surprised to see his name come up in.

As Special Envoy to the Quartet on the Middle East – a foursome of nations mediating the peace process in the Israeli- Palestinian conflict – the former UK leader has been making his case for securing and bolstering travel to the Middle East by working to both promote tourism and increase the security and economy in Palestine, Israel and the West Bank in particular.

With his efforts, new hotels have begun popping up and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) has been engaged to help bring together business people to discuss key issues and initiatives like ways to improve the visitor experience for tourists in the region and the role that tourism plays in that equation.

As firm believers in the power of hospitality and tourism, it’s great for us to hear that others have realized the true potential that this industry has in playing a major role in economic development and prosperity – and on a global level to boot! We have our eyes and ears peeled for updates on Tony Blair and the Quartet’s progress, and can’t wait to see how their efforts and ideas are embraced.

hospitality, Middle East, Tony Blair, tourism, USAID

November 12th, 2010 by TRT Blog

Last week, the voters of California took to the polls and were asked about whether they would (or would not) support keeping the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 intact.

Otherwise known as AB 32, the piece of legislation from 2006 requires greenhouse emission levels in the California be cut by 2020 with gradual progress slated to begin in 2012. With an end goal of 1990’s greenhouse totals and the approval of a statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit, the plan would involve making at least a 15 percent cut from where the state is at today in 2010.

According to the staff of the Air Resources board of the California Environmental Protection Agency, the total greenhouse gas emissions level in California in 1990 was approximately 427 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, and was recommended as the emissions limit for 2020.

This November, voters were introduced to Proposition 23 – a California ballot proposition that, if passed, would have suspended AB 32 until state unemployment rates dropped below 5.5 percent for a full year. It proposed the suspension of comprehensive greenhouse-gas-reduction programs designed to increase renewable energy and cleaner fuel requirements, and mandatory emissions reporting and fee requirements for major emissions sources such as power plants and oil refineries.

The proposition – misleadingly branded as the “California Jobs Initiative” – was backed by several large oil and chemical companies including Valero and Koch Industries and Tesoro – the Texas-based, 24th-largest corporate producer of air pollution in the United States.

Proposition 23 went on to be defeated by a 21 percent margin in the recent elections, and supporters of AB 32 have gone on to form groups to promote a clean energy economy for California – something we can all be happy about.

California, energy, Prop 23, voters

November 9th, 2010 by TRT Blog

Despite the claim made by a Think Progress poll stating that 50% of incoming Republican congressmen deny that manmade climate change exists, many are aware that we’ve been responsible for the unfortunate state that our planet finds itself in – and many are doing what they can to reduce the damage that has already been done. Those doing their part range from individuals to some of the largest brand names in the world.

Companies have the (misguided) built in excuse of not getting a return on investment for turning down initiatives designed to change the operating status quo- especially when it comes to the environment. However as the public becomes aware of the steps needed to right the wrongs of generations past and present, those that don’t invest in change are finding out that their brand power isn’t what it once was.

Fortunately, many well known brands have learned that adjusting their practices can be beneficial to both their bottom lines, and the environment. On the heels of major announcements coming from Burger King and Nestle, General Mills has vowed to use 100% sustainable canola oil for their products which include Cheerios. H&M and Wal-Mart have vowed to better the processes used to produce textiles in its Chinese factories beginning with reducing the amount of hazardous dyes that have been known to be disposed of in rivers – (a staggering 200 tons of water are polluted with every ton of fabric produced). Meanwhile, companies like Kohl’s and Janssen (owned by Johnson & Johnson) are turning to solar power in an effort to get to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions.

Many of these companies cite the need to improve the environment as the sole reason for these steps, and while we don’t doubt it is a large factor in their decision making process, there’s no question that consumer preference has played a major role in the end result. Especially with the volume of concerns heard from green shoppers across the world.

Regardless of reasoning and whether consumers are leading or merely influencing big business to change, we’re thrilled to see steps large and small being taken in the right direction for a cause that effects us all as citizens of this beautiful planet of ours.

climate change, Earth, environment, green, Sustainability, textiles

November 5th, 2010 by TRT Blog

We love our work and helping hotels, government institutions and public bodies change the impact they have on the environment.  By providing high quality renovation work on a variety of furniture items, the consumption of raw goods is reduced. We pride ourselves on the effort and dedication our team puts in, and get just as much satisfaction when we see others in the field doing work that is just as gratifying.

We were interested to read about a company called Meyer Wells in a recent article that ran in the New York Times. Founded and based in Seattle, the Northwestern company creates custom furniture from damaged or doomed trees and promotes a culture of sustainability and authenticity with the work it completes. Our customer base and methods may be different from theirs; we prevent the destruction of trees through effective renovation, but our end goal is very much the same – this dedication to the preservation of the environment resonates closely with our own motivations. We’re especially excited to read that Meyer Wells goes as far as possible with the green aspect of their business model by using water-based wood finishes.

Making the most of materials given and keeping the ‘story’ of the tree in mind is their passion. And it’s this passion that allows their customers to put trust and faith into a project that can take longer than planned and may change over the life of the work, yet still produce stunning pieces.

We’re pleased to share the same industry with people who care as deeply about the work they do as much as we do, and hope to see continued growth in this field. The best work comes from those who love what they do and it’s clear Meyer Wells does just that.

environment, furniture, Meyer Wells, Sustainability, trees

November 2nd, 2010 by TRT Blog

Here at The Refinishing Touch we’ve had a busy tradeshow season that gave us the opportunity to meet peers, prospects and customers across the USA.  It’s been great, as it meant we got to engage in some very important discussions about the future of our industry at a range of conference, seminars and exhibitions.

TRT's Lindsay Smith at IHG conference with its mascot

So in this spirit of contributing and engaging, last week we attended the Intercontinental Hotels Group Americas Investors & Leadership Conference in Las Vegas, and once again we were wowed by the overall scene and learning experience.

A warming welcoming party to kick-off the networking and a surprise performance by Natasha Bedingfield was the opener for a very worthwhile and business-focused event.  After all, there’s a great deal for us to discuss and resolve.  While many of our own conversations were about the financial, environmental and landfill prevention that are the cornerstones of refinishing, refurbishment and armoire conversions, we found that much like many of this season’s events, decision makers were concerned again and again with two key issues: how to keep costs low while being able to keep their property up-to-date for visitors.

The fact that the hospitality industry is still under pressure is no surprise: even Jim Abrahamson, the president of IHG America, made sure to keep expectations in line by stating in his keynote that the industry hasn’t recovered completely yet, despite positive numbers at IHG’s seven hotels chains – particularly over 130 million stays across 650,000 rooms in over 100 countries. IHG made sure the conference was not just presentations about numbers, but instructional as well. With workshops taking place throughout an entire day, attendees had plenty of opportunity to learn and network with others. And as t

his was the Americas event, it was great to see all elements of the North and South America attend and contribute, including Mexico and Canada.

With the wonderful amount of networking and learning opportunities presented to us at the IHG conference, and all the other shows we’ve attended, we’re gracious for the great opportunity to learn and connect with some our trusted clients.

hospitality, IHG, The Refinishing Touch