March 9th, 2012 by TRT Blog

Most of us are aware of the importance of being sustainable in our everyday lives and how our actions affect the environment. Everything we do has an impact – the food we buy, the car we drive (and how long/often), the homes we live in, where we travel to and stay on vacation. And there are a number of studies that show if businesses listen to the wants of their consumers, they are likely to increase their reputation and their bottom line.

In one such study which was recently published, conducted by market research firm American LIVES, researchers spent 18 years (yes, that’s right – years) tracking the values that baby boomer generation consumers place on sustainability. Here are some highlights from the findings:

- 97% were interested in high energy efficient heating and cooling for their own homes
- The majority of respondents said they would pay more for a sustainable home
- 87% said they thought favorably of a hotel company that had a green design / sustainable practices
- And 50% said they would be willing to pay up to 5% more to stay at such hotels

Here at The Refinishing Touch, we’re glad to see consumers embracing these types of changes. But hotels, along with other businesses and organizations, need to act, and to take these findings into consideration when reviewing their furniture assets and planning upgrades to rooms, offices and accommodations. It’s not just about meeting customer expectations – it’s also about being cost-efficient: remember, refinishing furniture is upwards of 80 percent less than buying new.

So by committing to sustainable options, businesses have the opportunity to take care of the environment and make more money—and we think it’s difficult to find a downside in that outcome.

American LIVES, consumers, environment, market research, study, sustainable

March 6th, 2012 by TRT Blog

Over the past year, there has been a large push by environmentalists, companies and individuals for people to telework for at least one day a week to save money, gas, and our environment. Yesterday, Monday March 5, marked the kick off to the second annual Telework Week, hosted by the Telework Exchange, a partnership focused on eliminating commuting gridlock and environmental impact; a week when participants telework for five full days.

This year, over 60,000 people have pledged to participate in Telework Week. And those 60,000 people, a low percentage of our country’s entire working population, are saving big time. In one week, over 5 million dollars will be saved in commuting costs and over 6 million pounds of pollutants will be saved from entering the environment. The Telework Exchange estimates that if the same amount of pledges teleworked for an entire year, over a quarter of a billion dollars would be saved in commuting costs.

While we understand that many people don’t have the option to telework, there are many that do, and the Telework Exchange is doing a great job of publicizing the benefits. Studies have shown that teleworking increases overall sustainability, business continuity, individual productivity and retention, and improved employee work and life balance—all on top of increasing savings and reducing traffic, harmful emissions and depletion of infrastructure and public transportation.

And it’s not too late to sign up. Go to http://www.teleworkexchange.com/teleworkweek/ to pledge to telework for the remainder of the week. It’s also not too late to start the teleworking discussion in your office. We can’t imagine anything better than saving money and the environment at the same time.

carbon emissions, commuting costs, pollutants, Sustainability, telecommuting, Telework Exchange, Telework Week

March 2nd, 2012 by TRT Blog

The University of California at Berkeley has always been known for its leadership in the sciences as well as its dedication to the environment, and now the university is bringing the two together in an impressive new renovation plan for its College of Chemistry.

This week it was announced that The Dow Chemical Company Foundation is gifting the College with $3.5 million to rebuild the undergraduate teach labs to help reduce its impact on the environment. The money will also go to an overhaul of the College’s curriculum to incorporate the principals of sustainable, green chemistry by taking advantage of modern instrumentation.

The College currently instructs over 2,300 undergraduates every year taking courses in everything from chemistry to engineering. Of the project, College of Chemistry Dean Richard A. Mathies said, “The impact of our new sustainability curriculum will be amplified as our students take jobs in academia and begin to teach their own courses.”

We are very excited to hear about this project and can only imagine the benefits of teaching sustainable sciences in an eco-friendly environment. Dow Chairman and CEO, Andrew Liveris shared our sentiments by saying, “We are excited to partner with the College of Chemistry to bring enhancements to both the curriculum and the learning environment that will encourage students to adopt the principles of sustainable chemistry from their first day in the lab and the classroom.”

Ground was recently broken and we can’t wait to see the final results! Keep an eye on this space as we bring updates on the project along the way.

Andrew Liveris, Berkeley, chemistry, College of Chemistry, Dean Richard A. Mathies, Dow, engineering, The Dow Chemical Company Foundation, UC Berkeley, University of California Berkeley

February 29th, 2012 by TRT Blog

Here at
The Refinishing Touch, we pride ourselves on making sure that each job we finish meets or exceeds our customers’ expectations. While our projects end up producing hundreds of pieces of refinished furniture, during which we complete 10 to 15 rooms a day and are put back into service the same evening, we are also dedicated to making sure our attention to detail is of the highest standards. And in recent projects, we have seen all of our clients really embracing the details as well. As hotel guests, university students and government decision makers can be some of the harshest critics, our clients want to make sure that no detail is missed, down to the furniture hardware on their nightstands, dressers, or armoires. In this edition of our visual blog post before & after, we show you how
refinishing, color changes and new hardware can make outdated furniture look new and modern again without compromising your budget or our country’s landfills. To learn more about our services or to get a quote, please visit us at
www.therefinishingtouch.com.

Before & After:

armoire conversion, furniture hardware, furniture refinishing, refinishing details

February 24th, 2012 by TRT Blog

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has begun a unique partnership with Benedict College in Columbia, South Carolina to increase students’ education on environmental issues. The college and the EPA plan to work together to form a mutually beneficial relationship, with the goal to help students become more knowledgeable about the environment as well as secure internships with the EPA’s local regional office.

The partnership is set up so the EPA can work with faculty and students to become more environmentally-informed and in turn, can help the federal agency complete important research and projects. Benedict College hopes that the partnership will help them to promote a better environment and increase relationships with local communities by helping to explain public issues and policy.

This partnership is an important part of the growing sustainability movement. Colleges across the nation have begun offering environmental courses and majors, but these steps have little impact if there’s not student interest. This program is setting a new precedent because it nurtures students’ interests in the environment and provides them with an outlet in which they can put their knowledge to use in the real world.

We hope to see more colleges and universities implementing similar programs to really engage students in environmental issues. And as David Swinton, president of Benedict College said, “The college has been trying to move forward to effectively influence and help promote a better environment.” To learn more about this partnership, read the entire article here.

Benedict College, Columbia, community, environment, environmental issues, EPA, public policy, South Carolina, The Environmental Protection Agency

February 21st, 2012 by TRT Blog

For our crew members and site managers, being able to travel to some of the most historical and beautiful cities in the country is a major job perk, and our most recent refinishing project is no exception. Located in New Orleans, the Windsor Court Hotel and The Refinishing Touch have just completed a second project to refinish its unique interior as part of its plans to renovate the entire hotel. This is the first full renovation the hotel has seen in 13 years.

While our crew members dedicate long days to making sure their work is above par and finished on (if not before) schedule, in their downtime they got the chance to experience all that the New Orleans culture had to offer, from the food to the architecture to the night life, made easy by the Windsor Court’s convenient location to the city’s historic French Quarter.

But it’s not just the city’s offerings that The Refinishing Touch crew got to take advantage of. The Windsor Court Hotel has quite the history itself. Built in 1984 by a New Orleans businessman, the Windsor Court is the tallest building in New Orleans and is currently the 10^th tallest hotel in the US. It also boasts an impressive art collection, including pieces by Anthony Van Dyck, Thomas Gainsborough and Joris-Karl Huysman. The hotel recently returned to local ownership after 18 years and demonstrates the decadent style of New Orleans as the only four star/four diamond hotel in the city.

new Windsor Court Hotel chairs

After previously working with the hotel in 2005, The Refinishing Touch and our crew returned in 2011 to refinish and reupholster the furniture in all 316 rooms of The Windsor Court Hotel, including dining tables, sofas and chairs, among many others. We’re proud to be able to maintain such a great relationships with one of the most awarded hotels in the country.

And if you ever find yourself heading to New Orleans, either for leisure or business, be sure to check in at the luxurious Windsor Court Hotel and see for yourself what this great hotel has to offer. For more information about the hotel or to make a reservation, visit www.windsorcourthotel.com.

French Quarter, New Orleans, refinishing, refurbishing, The Refinishing Touch, Windsor Court Hotel

February 17th, 2012 by TRT Blog

Over the past year, we’ve seen the importance that America places on environmentally-friendly procedures and regulations increase. Notable, there has been growth in green building all across the country, as recognized by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) that recently compiling its list of Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED)-rated buildings per capita.

In 2011, Washington, DC took the top prize for the most LEED-rated buildings per capita, rounding out at 18,954,022 square feet worth of commercial and industrial space, equating to 31.5 sq. feet per person. DC not only topped the list, but its competition has yet to gain signification ground. DC’s closest competition is Colorado, which only boasts only 2.74 square feet of green space per capita. Other states that made the top ten on the list are Illinois, Virginia and Washington state.

LEED is an important rating systems designed to evaluate green buildings, homes and neighborhoods. LEED is essentially a manual for green building and design; it provides a standard for which builders and architects can follow. With an increasing stress on green building, LEED was developed by the USGBC in 1998. Today the system has grown to include nine different rating systems encompassing various aspects and sectors of green building.

We are glad to see such a high percentage in DC, but more importantly, to see percentages in other states continue to rise. The importance of green building has never been higher and the trend towards LEED rated buildings is a great step towards overall sustainability. Read more here

DC, green building, LEED, Sustainability, USGBC

February 15th, 2012 by TRT Blog

Here at The Refinishing Touch, our goal is to provide services that not only help our clients manage their furniture assets, but help them manage budgets and reduce environmental impact as well. Now, after months of hard work and preparation, we’re happy to announce that The Refinishing Touch has been named as a Best Western preferred vendor. Everyone on our team is very excited about this new partnership and is eager to being working together with this great hotel organization.

The Best Western brand and its franchised associates are dedicated to providing stylish, up-to-date accommodations for quests while embracing a cost effective alternative to buying new furniture, and by naming The Refinishing Touch as a preferred vendor, have seen our mission to do the same. By working together, The Refinishing Touch and Best Western have begun a project to convert all of its armoires to accommodate flat screen televisions by December 2012—providing an enjoyable hotel experience for travelers around the country.

We are honored to be part of Best Western’s preferred vendor program and look forward to completing many more projects for the brand and its hotels. For more information on The Refinishing Touch’s services, visit www.therefinishingtouch.com.

Best Western, furniture assets, preferred vendor

February 14th, 2012 by TRT Blog

It’s the season of expensive gifts, dinners and heart-shaped cards, but this year, why not shower your loved one with beautiful gifts that are also environmentally-friendly? We’ve done our research and have come up with some great ideas to please your sweetheart and Mother Nature:

Chocolates. When you’re picking out the best looking box of chocolates this February 14^th, these will be free of pesticides, will help support sustainable agriculture and will support the workers who produced the. Plus, who doesn’t like a tasty box of chocolates?

Flowers. Flowers are a staple for Valentine’s Day, and although the florist right around the corner is convenient, try thinking ahead this year. Organic and fair-trade flowers cost about the same as regular flowers, but are grown with the environment and the workers in mind.

Unique Gifts.  Try thinking out of the (chocolate) box this year. Choose something for your loved one that will stand out and last all year long. Pick up a unique fair-trade gift, such this hand-painted jewelry box to make an extra special, thoughtful gift.

Regardless of the gifts you give on Valentine’s Day this year, do your best to choose those that don’t harm the environment. While it may not be the most conventional route, there are plenty of products out there that are made with recycled materials that are not only romantic but will reduce your environmental impact as well.

eco-friendly, fair-trade, sustainable

February 10th, 2012 by TRT Blog

As sustainability steadily moves from a trend to a necessity, we’ve begun to see all of our target industries—education, government, and hospitality—re-consider how things are done, not only to save money, but to attract customers as well. Previously underrated and essentially nonexistent, green MBA programs are finally gaining the respect and attention they deserve.

For most of these emerging green MBA programs, the courses combine traditional business with focus on sustainability and eco-friendly practices, including how finances come into play. Overall, green MBA programs teach students to combine real world business practices with a sustainable mindset. As the environment continues to be a critical, widely-discussed issue, it’s clear that the business world will need to adapt, and graduates with this new type of MBA will be at the forefront.

Babson College is a great example of how schools are integrating sustainability into its curriculum. Instead of simply offering courses related to sustainability, Babson students can choose an eco-friendly concentration. In other words, Babson treats sustainability as a focus, not an afterthought.

With the right education and determination, graduates can help shape the business world into a more eco-friendly and socially responsible place, which to us, sounds like something worth studying.

Babson College, eco-friendly, Green MBA, Sustainability