Green News
by Robert E. Allen, PhD

ENVIRONMENTALLY PREFERABLE
FLOOR MACHINES

When determining whether a machine, a chemical product or a procedure is environmentally preferable, it is sensible and reasonable to consider the “big picture.”   Environmental preferability is a relative term not defined in black-and-white absolutes; therefore, knowledge of all factors involved coupled with a common sense evaluation will usually result in an optimum selection.

For example, most of us look at ethanol as an environmentally preferable alternative to gasoline.  However, if we look at the “big picture” use of ethanol as an automotive fuel, we would further prefer to use ethanol produced from sugar beets rather than from corn since the petroleum required to produce a gallon of ethanol is significantly less with sugar beets.  Sugar beets would, therefore, be considered to be a “greener”, more environmentally preferable source of ethanol.  If we only look at ethanol versus gasoline at the fueling station, we would miss this point entirely.
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Amano Pioneer Eclipse Stripping System Saves Time, Cuts Costs for Carlson Building Maintenance, Inc.

It’s often said that time is everyone’s most precious commodity, but there may be no business for which this statement rings truer than for the professional floorcare firm. “Labor is our single biggest cost, by far,” says Rob Hamme, CEO of St. Paul, Minnesota’s Carlson Building Maintenance, Inc. “The ability to get the job done quickly while maintaining our high standards of quality is the key to running a profitable and growing business.”

About 90 percent of Carlson’s clients are in the retail sector, with the rest representing a variety of institutional applications. “Working in retail poses two challenges,” Hamme continues. “First, the floors have to look fantastic. Our clients’ businesses depend, in large part, on the appearance of their stores. In the hard-surface flooring applications, ‘looks great’ usually translates into ‘high gloss,’ and getting that gloss requires applying about six to eight coats of wax. The entire process, from stripping off and vacuuming up the old coating, to applying the new one, usually requires a full night and part of the next to complete. Again, with labor as our most significant cost, reducing
the time it takes to complete a task sends dollars straight to our bottom line. Click here to read more...