May 3rd, 2013 by TRT Blog

For over 35 years, The Refinishing Touch has been dedicated to providing universities nationwide with our environmentally-friendly, cost-effective furniture asset management services to improve campus-wide sustainability and decrease carbon footprints. As a company who has immersed itself within the higher education industry, we are always happy to see institutions implement initiatives that succeed and serve as inspiration for other universities looking to do the same.

One such university is Drexel University, located in Philadelphia, PA, which has achieved top-tier success in the arena of green building. The ‘Drexel Smart House’ initiative has received significant, ongoing praise for its innovative lightweight green roof, grey water reclamation project and intelligent agricultural structure working together to optimize on-campus sustainability.

David Orr, a highly regarded sustainable development leader, caught wind of the project which made such an impression, he promptly booked a plane ticket to tour the Smart House. On April 18^th, Orr headed to Philadelphia to visit the Drexel campus, explore the development and engage with students, faculty and community members on the importance of going green.

Similarly, when a college campus is looking to replace existing furniture assets, such as those in dormitories and community spaces, campus administrators and decision-makers need to consider more cost-efficient, sustainable solutions that purchasing new. The eco-friendly process of on-site refinishing, remanufacturing and re-upholstering can reduce landfill waste and carbon emissions, saves trees, and protect our air and water resources. By implementing furniture asset management, universities can also save up to 80 percent in budget, when compared to buying new furniture, which allows remaining budgets to be allocated to more important endeavors.

To learn more about The Refinishing Touch’s services and what they can do for your university, hotel or government building, visit our website and request a free quote today.

Drexel University, furniture asset management, higher education, Philadelphia, Smart House, Sustainability, The Refinishing Touch

March 26th, 2013 by TRT Blog

Spring marks a busy season for prospective college students, as acceptance and rejection letters are received, open houses are attended and final decisions come to a close.

But while students are weighing their collegiate options, higher education institutions are under pressure of a different kind – the need to demonstrate environmental leadership. With the recent uptake in sustainable course curriculum, rise in eco-friendly activism, and the emergence of ‘greener’ campuses nationwide, colleges and universities must implement sustainable practices to meet the expectations of students, staff, parents and shareholders alike.

Higher education establishments are making major operational changes to meet these demands and remain consistent with the trends. For example, now more than ever, campuses are implementing tray-less dining options in an effort to reduce water consumption and food waste. Dormitory managers are investing in more efficient lighting, and repurposing existing assets when renovating student rooms.

With so many pressures driving these green changes, we took to our weekly blog poll to ask our readers, ‘What do you think will be the most influential driver for change in the higher education industry during 2013?’ Here’s what we found:

• One-third of respondents agreed public perception is the main motivation this year.

According to an article in The Chronicle of Higher Education, the public’s view of colleges and universities is on a negative decline, with most agreeing administrators are not doing enough to innovate and keep costs low for students. The need to meet these expectations and increase overall positivity in the sector has become a top priority for collegiate officials.

• An additional one-third suggested competition with other schools would be a top driver in 2013.

With the rise in rankings systems, such as the annual US News’ Best Colleges list, higher education facilities are looking to improve on sustainability efforts and more, including overall aesthetic appearance, student coursework options and ease of accessibility throughout the campus.

• The remainder of the respondents were split between a university’s determination to improve its environmental commitment, student and staff satisfaction, or increase in student enrollment.

Here at The Refinishing Touch, we’ve worked with hundreds of colleges and universities, delivering fast, on-site furniture asset management services like refinishing and re-upholstery to meet expectations and help campuses stay ahead of competitors. Some of our past clientele include California State University, Duke University, Cornell University, Eastern Michigan University and many more.

By investing in furniture refinishing, re-upholstery and remanufacturing during renovations, campus leaders can create a modern, aesthetically-pleasing property, without breaking the bank. From our studies, furniture asset management saves approximately 90 percent in budget costs when compared to buying new. Our services also contribute to a campus’ overall sustainability plan, by reducing the amount of projected greenhouse gases and preventing deforestation – dangers that are difficult to avoid when purchasing new furniture.

For more on The Refinishing Touch and how our services can benefit your campus, please visit our site or email us for a free quote today.

2013, blog poll, California State University, Chronicle of Higher Education, Cornell University, Duke University, Eastern Michigan University, furniture asset management, higher education, refinishing, reupholstery, Sustainability, The Refinishing Touch, US News

February 12th, 2013 by TRT Blog

The ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ mantra has gained significant momentum over the last decade or so, not only amongst individuals but organizations as well. However, as we begin to adopt that mantra as the norm, we must also begin exploring how we can repower ‘reduce, reuse, recycle.’

With that notion in mind, a group now looking to minimize its contribution to landfills is the business community of the Las Vegas Valley, which is making determined efforts toward zero-landfill waste — or reducing the trash they contribute to landfills to as close to zero percent as possible.

Sound impossible? Businesses elsewhere in the country are doing it too, or coming close to 90 percent less waste, according to a recent Las Vegas Business Press article.

DuPont, for example, maker of Corian countertops, has had zero waste since last year, saving 81 million pounds of waste per year from ending up in landfills – the company grinds shipping pallets into animal bedding; it sells scrap Corian materials, which are then used to build roads; and cafeteria waste gets used as compost for landscaping at its facility.

Similarly, General Motors has made half of its factories waste free so far. Leftover sound insulation, for instance, doesn’t get pitched but is sold to garment makers for winter coats, and employees are asked to take home coffee grounds for yard compost.

Toyota is also working toward a goal of keeping all its waste out of landfills. Up to this point, nine of its 14 U.S. factories don’t contribute to the waste stream.

As you can see, it’s a combination of big and small methods that get this goal accomplished. Here at The Refinishing Touch, we applaud businesses that jump on board to save our planet with innovative ideas that also make good, sound business sense. We are a partner in this overall effort to keep landfills from getting overburdened — and have been since 1977 — helping government, universities and hospitality industries refinish, re-upholster, and remanufacture furniture assets as opposed to buying new.

And in the process of completing our environmentally-friendly furniture asset management services, we save our clients up to 80 percent in costs and 90 percent in carbon emissions. And like the efforts of our friends in Las Vegas — we are working to save the environment, one percent of waste at a time.

Corian, DuPont, furniture asset management, General Motors, landfill waste, Las Vegas, Las Vegas Business Press, refinishing, remanufacturing, reupholstery, The Refinishing Touch

February 8th, 2013 by TRT Blog

Each year, Corporate Knights, a global media and research company, publishes a list of the world’s most sustainable businesses. Known as the Global 100 list, the research highlights 100 of the greenest corporate leaders, with rankings based on multiple factors including energy and water consumption, carbon emissions and waste production.

With clients based in the US, Canada and around the world, and as providers of environmentally-safe furniture asset management solutions, The Refinishing Touch team was eager to scan the list and gain insight into the companies that were mentioned. While it was great to see organizations all around the world committing to sustainability, we were especially pleased that the US and Canada were tied with the most representation on the Global 100 – with 10 companies from each country making their mark on the list.

Canada noticed a significant increase in the number of businesses on the list, with four more companies appearing this year than in 2012. This, along with other factors frequently discussed in the news and on our blog, proves a recent surge in sustainability stemming from the country.

Any organization looking to mirror the efforts of companies featured on the Global 100 can start by investing in smart and sustainable initiatives like cost-efficient furniture asset management. By deciding to refinish, re-upholster and remanufacture existing furniture during renovations, companies avoid the financial and environmental burden of sending assets to landfills and having to buy brand new.

This tactic has been implemented by The Refinishing Touch in countless hospitality, higher education and government agencies throughout the US and Canada. Through our work, our studies indicate that we’ve prevented approximately 2,250,000 pounds of wood from making its way into landfills since our inception in 1977 – a great way to save on waste, carbon emissions and one’s bottom line.

To read the complete list of the most sustainable companies on the Global 100, please go here. For more information on our furniture asset management solutions or to implement them in your US-based or Canadian business, request a free quote today.

Business, Canada, Corporate Knights, furniture asset management, Global 100, Sustainability, The Refinishing Touch, US

January 29th, 2013 by TRT Blog

The Refinishing Touch’s award-winning re-upholstery services not only provide a quick, cost-efficient and environmentally-safe method of repurposing existing furniture, but our top-of-the-line fabrics, sourced through our Touch Textiles division, also provide a sense of style and durability.

The Touch Textiles entity provides elegant and practical upholstery solutions for the hospitality, government and higher education industries. By selecting from our Touch Textiles fabric line and implementing our on-site re-upholstery services, clients can significantly reduce down time while avoiding expensive shipping costs, attic stock and excess fabric orders – allowing project managers to recover more of their original furniture investment.

Today, we are proud to introduce a new addition to the Touch Textiles division – the state-of-the-art, eco-friendly recycled leather material, Embrace™. Embrace recycled leather gives our clients the same benefits and aesthetics of traditional leather, at a fraction of the cost. The material is available in high-quality colors and hand-rubbed layered tones. Not only does Embrace meet ISO and ASTM standards, it is also stain- and scratch-resistance making cleaning simple and time-efficient – a highly sought-after feature among the sectors we work with.

Candlewood Suites in Killeen, Texas, is the site of our first re-upholstery project utilizing the recycled leather material. With the renovations currently underway, The Refinishing Touch production crew is re-upholstering various lounge, dining and desk chairs with sustainable and cost-efficient Embrace leather.

For more information on Embrace recycled leather, please browse the company’s whitepaper or read our press release here. To inquire on how to implement Touch Textiles and The Refinishing Touch’s re-upholstery services at your own establishment, please email sales@therefinishingtouch.com for a free quote. The entire selection of coverings offered by The Refinishing Touch can be found in our nationwide company fabric division, Touch Textiles.

Embrace is a registered trademark of Culp, Inc.

ASTM, Candlewood Suites, cost efficiency, Embrace recycled leather, fabrics, furniture asset management, ISO, Killeen, re-upholstery, Sustainability, Texas, The Refinishing Touch, Touch Textiles

January 22nd, 2013 by TRT Blog

Here at The Refinishing Touch, not only do we pride ourselves on our award-winning furniture asset management services implemented by hotels, college campuses and government agencies around the country, but we also place great importance on keeping our clients, suppliers, employees and supporters informed of our latest happenings.

One of the best ways to stay up-to-date on all of The Refinishing Touch’s corporate news is by subscribing to the InTouch quarterly newsletter or by reading our past issues, updated on our website here.

For all of our subscribers, the latest edition of InTouch for Q4 2012, lands in email inboxes today! As outlined in the latest newsletter, The Refinishing Touch looks forward to 2013 and reviews our company’s successes of 2012. Here’s just some of what you can expect to find in this issue:

- Government: In a recent blog poll, we asked our readers to choose the most effective cost-saving initiative implemented by the government. Find out what the survey revealed – the answer may surprise you!

- Higher education: Read up on how college management teams are alleviating pressures from tight budgets while simultaneously going green

- Hospitality: Our production team takes a closer look at the recent Hampton Inn Batesville project, and breaks down the estimated 92.5 percent in budget savings

- Company updates: See what 2013 has to offer for The Refinishing Touch, including an expansion to our Touch Textiles re-upholstery line

To sign up for your copy of InTouch, please subscribe here. And if you missed the newest edition of InTouch, visit our website archives in the coming days, when we will post the issue for all of our supporters to read. Finally, to learn more about The Refinishing Touch and our services, visit our website or send us an email at info@therefinishingtouch.com.

As always, we look forward to staying InTouch!

company updates, cost efficiency, Government, higher education, hospitality, intouch, newsletter, re-upholstery, refinishing, remanufacturing, renovations, The Refinishing Touch

January 18th, 2013 by TRT Blog

As a company that has worked with universities and colleges across the nation on furniture asset management solutions such as refinishing, remanufacturing and re-upholstering to improve cost-efficiency and sustainability, it’s great to see a leader in the higher education industry also take a lead when it comes to the green movement.

Harvard University, one of the most recognized institutions for higher education, has released its first campus-wide Sustainability Impact Report. The Report includes an interactive website that contains data on a slew of different efforts that can make the entire university more environmentally-friendly.

As Harvard Magazine reports, the data includes information on energy and emissions, transportation, health and wellness, water use, recycling, and more. Heather Henriksen, director of the Office of Sustainability, is quoted as saying, “[Harvard is] trying to be very transparent and use an online platform to encourage our community to have an honest and open conversation about the challenges we face in implementing Harvard’s sustainability goals, so we can develop solutions that will help us move forward.”

Here at The Refinishing Touch, we couldn’t agree more. While sustainability is an important aspect to maintaining the overall health of any college or university campus, it must be at the efforts of the entire community – from faculty to students, from parents to shareholders. While solutions such as solar panels and water-efficient appliances serve an important role in decreasing environmental impact, they are not always so easy on a university’s wallet – campus decision makers must also incorporate more cost-effective solutions, like energy-efficient lighting, campus biking systems, and furniture refinishing projects.

By implementing a wide-range of sustainable solutions, not only do we secure the future of our environment, but we also combat the budget problems that plague most of our nations universities. 

To learn more about Harvard’s Sustainability Impact Report, go here. And for more information on The Refinishing Touch and our services, visit our homepage or request a free quote today.

cost efficiency, energy efficiency, furniture asset management, Harvard Magazine, Harvard Sustainability Impact Report, Harvard University, higher education, Sustainability, The Refinishing Touch

January 8th, 2013 by TRT Blog

As many people say, “Our world’s future lies with its youth”, and as The Refinishing Touch team sees more and more colleges and universities investing in sustainable operations and environmentally-focused courses, we believe just that.

As a recent blog post by Diverse: Issues in High Education reveals, approximately 1,000 higher education institutions have made distinct commitments to campus-wide sustainable initiatives, including providing more environmentally-based curriculum for students looking to start careers in the sustainability field. However, as Paul Rowland, executive director for the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) points out, we should not stop there. More than 3,000 additional schools around the country could start or increase their sustainable efforts.

Here at The Refinishing Touch one of the reasons we hear most often when working with colleges and universities on why they oppose going green is the misconception that environmental-friendly solutions are always more costly and incur longer investment paybacks. In fact, this couldn’t be further from the truth. In addition to solutions such as energy conservation and dedicated campus gardens, which each have very short to zero life-cycle costs, schools must also consider alternative solutions when replacing common campus assets.

One asset that all universities have in mass quantity, but often overlook as a sustainable outlet, is furniture. The Refinishing Touch has been working with higher education institutions for over 35 years to refinish, remanufacture, and re-upholster existing, quality furniture assets back to like-new condition that on average saves them 80 percent in budget costs and 90 percent in released carbon emissions, when compared to buying new. By reusing furniture schools already own, which most commonly is only aesthetically worn and damaged, schools avoid sending pounds of wood to our already congested landfills.

As more colleges and universities commit to sustainable initiatives and curriculum, we hope that students, faculty, shareholders and industry influencers will continue to push for a different norm – one that embraces the notion that a green campus does not mean a red budget.

AASHE, Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, blog, colleges, Diverse, furniture, higher education, Sustainability, Universities

January 1st, 2013 by TRT Blog

This year held significant meaning for The Refinishing Touch team. We celebrated 35 years of delivering cost efficient, sustainable and aesthetically-pleasing furniture asset management solutions to the hospitality, government and collegiate industries.  We love what we do and we’re proud of our achievements to date.

We also added to those achievements in 2012 with several new milestones.

First, we expanded internationally with a new administrative office in Canada.

We also continued to recognize the environmental and economic best practices of our customers. In 2012 we distributed our quarterly Sustainability Awards to 29 companies in recognition for their environmental leadership and commitment.  We also continued to expand our Customer Communications program with participation from organizations committed to sharing their passion and perspective for sustainable business practices, including The Dover House Resort and Hampton Inn Batesville.

As we begin a new year, we want to take a moment to thank our loyal customer base  –  including government buyers, business leaders, hoteliers, university employees, and facilities managers who share our goals for cost-effective, green and sensible approaches to furniture asset management and refinishing. Thank you – without your support, our successes in 2012 would not have been made possible.

We’d also like to thank you, our blog readers and those of you who contribute your opinions to our weekly polls. Your contributions and engagement are appreciated.

The Refinishing Touch team wishes you all a happy, healthy and safe New Year. May 2013 be filled with laughter, prosperity and opportunities for you and yours.

As for us?  Well, we will continue to meet and exceed the financial and environmental needs of our clientele – here’s to a green 2013!

2012, 2013, blog, Canada, customer communications program, Government, green connect, Hampton Inn, Hampton Inn Batesville, Happy New Year, higher education, hospitality, new year, Sustainability, Sustainability Awards, The Dover House Resort

December 11th, 2012 by TRT Blog

With the last days of 2012 quickly approaching us, The Refinishing Touch took a moment to reflect on this year’s past achievements and some of the trends expected in 2013. We certainly had a busy and eventful year, but 2013 is expected to hold just as much growth, excitement and customer success stories, along with an improved sense of environmental awareness and budget preservation.

Back in May, The Refinishing Touch expanded its award-winning furniture asset management services into the neighboring country of Canada, with the opening of its first administrative office. Shortly after, we completed our first international project in Toronto, and have much more in store for 2013.

One month later, we celebrated our 35^th year in the business, delivering high-quality cost-effective, safe and sustainable furniture refinishing and re-upholstery to the hospitality, government and higher education sectors. The milestone was a remarkable achievement, demonstrating the success of an idea created by president and founder Mario Insenga when working at his family’s Ohio musical instrument repair business as a young adult.

In 2013, The Refinishing Touch predicts a noticeable increase in the implementation of sustainable, fiscally-responsible solutions. Our upcoming projects for the New Year foresee key industry trends, including:

- Government:  Local, state and national bodies will continue to invest in and implement sustainable solutions that offer significant ROI, reducing the current 40% to 80% expenditure on furniture assets

- Higher education: Collegiate campuses will become more conscious of their existing assets and work harder to find cost-effective solutions that allow operations to stay within budgets and maintain quality

- Hospitality: Hoteliers will focus more urgently on alternative solutions, including refinishing, re-upholstery and color changes, to deliver furniture upgrades and meet corporate brand requirements

For more information on The Refinishing Touch’s predictions for the New Year or past accomplishments, please read the full press release here.

2012 momentum, furniture asset management, Government, higher education, hospitality, industry trends, new year, refinishing, reupholstery, The Refinishing Touch