October 28th, 2011 by TRT Blog

Televisions have come a long way in the past decade—from heavy blocks of cathode ray tubes, to sleek flatscreens that can be wall-mounted.

As this technology has changed, furniture has had to adapt. Hotels across the world once housed televisions in heavyweight armoires, but following the advent of new flatscreen plasma and LCD televisions, those armoires have become cumbersome, dated and obsolete. But they’re not cheap either—they’re costly furniture assets made of solid wood. They’re certainly not something that should head to the landfill. Instead, they should be preserved and modified.

At The Refinishing Touch we specialize in re-manufacturing TV armoires, transforming them to new furniture forms that are functional, stylish and relevant to today’s hotel rooms. Our on-site armoire modification program takes one of these redundant pieces of furniture and turns it into a functional dresser and TV stand fit for the newest of televisions. We can even preserve the style and aesthetic of the original armoire if requested to do so.

Our unique on-site approach is completely non-disruptive to hotels and their guests. It also saves money and is better for the environment than buying new furniture. But why not see for yourselves?

In this visual blog post, we’re giving you an inside look at some of the armoire modifications we’ve recently completed, demonstrating how easy it is to breathe new life into the furniture you’ve already invested in. To find out more about our armoire conversion services visit our website or email us at sales@therefinishingtouch.com

Marriott Walnut Creek:

Omni Mandalay Dallas – Room 1

Omni Mandalay Dallas – Room 2:

Fairmont Miramar:

Fairmont Boston Copley:

Crowne Plaza San Jose:

Armoires, hospitality, modifications, visual blog post

October 26th, 2011 by TRT Blog

As most of us know, the recovery from the recession hasn’t been easy. Individuals and consumer industries alike are still struggling. Our customers, particularly in the hospitality industry, are debating whether it’s the right time to make necessary improvements or if they should wait until the economy improves.

This notion sparked our curiosity. Based on a recent hotel interactive survey, focused on the increase of renovations being done in hotels after the recession, we pushed out our own survey to find whether or not this is true. We wanted to see if there was a consensus among hotel owners and managers whether renovations in the current economy are beneficial to the bottom line.

Our goal is to gather current information on hotels’ upcoming renovations, or Product Improvement Plans (PIP), as well as uncover any corporate, economic or customer pressures that may have influenced these plans.

Although our research is ongoing, the results we’ve already begun to gather are both interesting and telling. For example, we asked, “Are renovations being pushed back up the agenda now that a ‘recovery’ is underway?”

This is what we’ve found so far: 57.7 percent of participants said no, while 42.3 percent said yes.

In a continuing blog campaign, we will be revealing all of the survey questions and findings over the next few weeks. Check back for updates.

If you would like to be part of our survey, go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/piphotelsurvey. In order to avoid any conflict of interest, the surveys are completely anonymous. Participation requires no personal or professional information.

We look forward to hearing your opinion!

Hotel Interactive, Product Improvement Plans, renovations, sruvey, The Refinishing Touch

October 25th, 2011 by TRT Blog

R&D is never a bad thing, especially when it has the potential to create new jobs for Americans. Recently, a federal-funded program distributed $156 million to 60 different projects focused on developing new green technology and energy efficient solutions.

The US Department of Energy branch, established in 2009, called the Advanced Research Project Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), is providing the funding. Sound familiar? The agency was modeled after the Department of Defense program that funds new technology research, most of which eventually becomes widely used by the public.

In the announcement released Thursday September 29, ARPA-E director, Arun Majumdar, equated the green tech race to the Sputnik space race of the 50s, explaining that to compete in the global marketplace, America must create new jobs and sellable products instead of outsourcing from abroad.

The funding will primarily be going to educational institutions and national research labs, although some will be going to private companies such as General Electric.

The funding will benefit projects involving research into plant engineering and oil alternatives, rare-earth independence, advanced thermal storage, green electricity and solar electrical power. For example, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) is working on re-engineering plants so that they use energy more efficiently. University of Houston is developing high-performance, low-cost superconductors for wind generators. And the Massachusetts Institution of Technology (MIT) is creating high-energy density thermal fuel.

To learn more about the projects and the institutions that are developing them, please visit http://arpa-e.energy.gov and click on its ‘news’ section. Without high-risk investments in cutting-edge research, there can be no high reward.

ARPA-e, energy, funding, Government

October 21st, 2011 by TRT Blog

It’s no secret that we take great pride in the work that we do. Through our visual blog post we were able to show the before and after images of the work we’ve done, which we hope gives a much better representation the dramatic changes that take place when we’re able to preserve a piece of furniture. It’s with the same dedication that we’re pleased to announce our newest initiative to better share the work we’re doing around the country, The Refinishing Touch’s Green Connect customer communication program.

Our new program aims to connect our clients across education, government and hospitality with peers across all industries and cross-industries. We’ll be utilizing aspects of social media such as onsite photos and videos of the projects, along with more traditional methods to highlight our clients’ experiences while working with The Refinishing Touch, such as case studies.

While the traditional press release serves a particular purpose, we knew there are more powerful ways to relay a message and display the cost savings and asset management of our services. It’ll be exciting to take advantage of this blog, our Twitter and other mediums to let our clients speak for themselves.

One of the more exciting aspects of this program will be our visual case study. Much like our visual blog post, our reformatted case studies will take a decidedly visual look at the work we do, since pictures more adequately express the renovations we do then words.. You could read about an armoire conversion, but would it be the same as actually seeing it? We don’t think so, which is why we’re thrilled to start this program.

Be sure to keep following our blog and checking our website for more information on the program. If you’d like to view the full press release announcing the program, click here.

clients, customer communications program, customers, green connect

October 18th, 2011 by TRT Blog

via eoearth.org

If you’ve ever stayed in a hotel, then you’re probably familiar with this placard: “Hotels around the world use millions of gallons of water and detergent a day. We are happy to replace any towels that have been left on the floor and will leave those that are hung for reuse.”

Some of the world’s largest hotel chains have decided to take that notion one step further. Hilton Worldwide, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, InterContinental Hotel Group, Marriott International, MGM Resorts International, and Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, among others have come together to form a new Carbon Measurement Working Group.

The Group plans to implement agreed standards on how to calculate and report carbon emissions publically, which will allow customers to compare hotels’ environmental impact before deciding to book a stay. The International Tourism Partnership (ITP) and the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) have signed on to provide their help and support the process.

In a statement, WTTC president and chief executive David Scowsill said, “Through this initiative the industry is furthering its commitments to corporate and individual consumers by helping them understand their environmental footprints.”

The Group hopes to complete the first stage of the project, essentially agreeing on standards, by next year.

This is a great move by these companies. Now, customers have to opportunity to think about their hotel stays in terms of environmental impact, proving to any non-believers that luxury can be green.

carbon footprint, Carbon Measurement Working Group, environmental impact, Hilton, hotel chains, Hyatt, InterContinental, MGM

October 14th, 2011 by TRT Blog

We love the work that we do, but there is something about interacting in-person with peers and potential customers that makes our job complete. That’s why going to industry events is so important to us. Discussing business, new trends and future plans helps us to improve our every day services and deliver the best overall experience we can to our clients.

We are excited that over the next couple of weeks The Refinishing Touch will be attending two hotel industry events. The first is BITAC Purchasing & Design West 2011, from October 16 to October 18 in La Quinta, California. Focused on bring hotel buyers and designers together with top industry suppliers, its goal is to increase productivity while fostering long-term relationships. We’ll be meeting directly with buyers, at private meeting tables, to discuss the cost saving, environmentally sustainable benefits to refinishing.

Less than a week after BITAC West, we’ll travel north east to Las Vegas, Nevada for the IHG Americas Investors & Leadership Conference, from October 23 to October 27. Held at The Venetian / Palazzo InterContinental, the conference encourages interaction between hotel owners, managers, corporate personnel, buyers and industry vendors, creating one of the largest tradeshows in hospitality.

Don’t forget to check back at the beginning of November for a complete update of everything that happened at the two events. We can’t wait to share it all with you!

BITAC West, hospitality, hotels industry, IHG Conference, La Quinta California, Las Vegas Nevada

October 14th, 2011 by TRT Blog

In early August, John M. McHugh, Secretary of the Army, announced the creation of the Energy Initiatives Office (EIO) Task Force, formed to help the Army with renewable energy and energy efficient projects. In a statement that accompanied the announcement he said, “Addressing our energy security needs is operationally necessary, fiscally prudent and vital to mission accomplishment.”

Seeing as the Department of Defense accounts for more than 90 percent of the total Federal Government energy consumption and is the single largest energy consumer in the U.S., we’d say Secretary McHugh is right.

Via EarthTechling

In light of rising fuel costs, the Army has agreed to meet a quarter of its energy needs with renewable energy sources by 2025, and achieve net-zero energy use by 2030.  To accomplish this, the Army will need to generate 2.1 megawatts of renewable energy a year, and is expecting to spend $7.1 billion over the next decade.

Assuming all goes as planned, the Army money being pumped into renewable energy has the potential to really kick-start the renewable energy / sustainability industry. The investment should encourage innovation, and create more jobs—which is good for both the country and the environment.

October 11th, 2011 by TRT Blog

As we all know, legislation moves at a snail’s pace. So it’s unsurprising that legislation regarding energy efficiency and green building, two topics that Republicans and Democrats don’t exactly see eye to eye on, moves even slower. Regardless (and luckily), the United States has continued to make bounds of progress to advance and implement green policy.

The U.S. Green Building Council recently announced its “30 wins”, a mid-year review of hundreds of state bills trying to make their way into law this year. Although the wins include some legislation that did not pass, USGBC knows that any type of approved legislation can help get green going.

Wide-spread support for green measures has been the driving force behind the passing of landmark state legislation recently. Connecticut, for example, just passed a bill that created the country’s first green bank, which will provide loans for green projects. But Connecticut isn’t the only state in the race. Florida, Montana, Texas, Oregon and New Mexico have also begun to pass legislation to create state energy codes and standards, as well as tax credits for green projects.

Although few of us have seats in Congress, we all have the ability to influence the political agenda. Visit your local or state government website to view the current legislation, and participate in anything from green energy political meetings to a local neighborhood clean-up initiative. Trust us, you and the environment will be happy you did.

buildings, LEED, politics, USGBC

October 7th, 2011 by TRT Blog

We’re always honored to be invited to speak at events. It shows that the work we do resonates with more than our clients. Having the opportunity to interact with people at events we normally wouldn’t in our day-to-day is a very rewarding experience. Recently we had another opportunity to display our knowledge in the industry and thrilled it turned out as well as it did.

Earlier this week our president and founder, Mario Insenga, took the stage at The Association of College and University Housing Officers – International (ACUHO-I) and APPA 2011 Housing Facilities Conference in Orlando, Florida, to discuss the importance for universities across the country to maintain and increase sustainability efforts in housing and student facilities. By making simple choices, including refinishing and refurbishing furniture instead of buying new, universities can not only extend the life of their furniture, but can decrease carbon emissions and save money as well. Based on our current economy, there is no substitution for environmental and financial responsibility.

The ACUHO-I/APPA Housing Facilities Conference brings industry experts together to discuss the newest, most innovative approach to college and university renovations. Topics ranged from construction to development to maintenance. Our conversations naturally leaned towards conservation and preserving existing assets, but it was refreshing to hear many other opinions on what universities need to effectively house students.

We’re pleased that this is the second ACUHO event Mario has been able to participate in this year. We’re dedicated to helping our customers—in government, hotels and university—understand and appreciate the benefits of utilizing asset management instead of refinishing. We’re looking forward to being a staple within the ACUHO community for years to come.

ACUHO-I, APPA, Events, Mario Insenga, university housing

October 6th, 2011 by TRT Blog

The second installment of our quarterly newsletter was released last week and we’re excited to continue to bring you updates straight from The Refinishing Touch about current projects, events, and industry news. The newsletter included stories on our work at Eastern Mennonite University, Mario’s thoughts on the financial crisis, our charity efforts at the Salvation Army, and more. To get all of these stories and more, sign up for our quarterly newsletter by filling out a subscription form at the bottom of our home page.

intouch, newsletter