By TFM Editors
Published in the February 2012 issue of Today's Facility Manager
Numerous companies offer products and services to members of the facility management (FM) profession. And each year, Today’s Facility Manager (TFM) asks its readers to vote for their preferred vendors in a variety of categories. For this year’s Readers’ Choice Awards, the survey included 47 categories, and FM professionals were asked to indicate what company they rated highest based on product aesthetics, product reliability, value, and customer service. The winners are presented here with information about each company. For more information on any of these products, contact Cathy Aste.
Access Control
IR/Ingersoll Rand (photo at right)
The aptiQ smart card from Schlage, using MIFARE DESFire™ EV1 technology, provides higher security, more convenience, and far greater functionality than proximity cards for a comparable price. They also have the ability to manage access, payments, and many other functions.
ADA & Ergonomic Productivity Tools
Wooster Products, Inc. (photo at left)
Safety stair and walkway experts, Wooster Products Inc. has been furnishing state-of-the-art anti-slip safety treads and safety surfaces continuously since 1921.
Building Automation Systems
Johnson Controls, Inc. (photo at right)
The Metasys® building management system employs an innovative IT based infrastructure, software, and wireless capabilities to coordinate, organize, and deliver information where and when it is needed. Metasys technology offers packaged equipment control plus integrated central plant optimization for improved energy efficiency.
Building Materials
Georgia-Pacific Gypsum (photo at left)
Georgia-Pacific Gypsum is recognized for versatile and durable DensDeck® Roof Boards. They’re mold resistant, field tested for more than 25 years, and provide a superior combination of fire resistance, strength, and dimensional stability.
Cabling & Cable Management
Legrand®/Wiremold (photo at right)
As the industry leader in seamlessly integrating power, communications, and audio/video through specialized wire and cable pathways, Legrand/Wiremold offers products like the Evolution™ Series work surface portal that help facility managers keep pace with changing technology and evolving workspaces.
Carpet
Mannington Commercial (photo at left)
Designed by Athena Abrol, winner of Mannington’s 2010 Tx:style Design Challenge, Blue Matrix uses gradations of color and texture along with random pops of color through an innovation in variable space dye technology exclusive to Mannington.
Carpet Fibers/Treatments
ANTRON® (photo at right)
Armstrong’s approach to developing a new ceiling product begins with defining customer needs, which is often the result of collaboration between the building owner, architect, and ceiling manufacturer. The company ensures the right mix of portfolio products to meet the demanding needs of today’s building owners and managers—from performance based to aesthetic ceiling solutions.
Ceilings/Ceiling Tiles
Armstrong® World Industries (photo at left)
Armstrong offers a wide variety of ceiling clouds and canopies to help improve acoustics and productivity in open plenum spaces and other acoustically challenged spaces without sacrificing aesthetics. Especially well suited for retrofits, they are available in standard as well as custom sizes and shapes.
Cleaning/Maintenance Products
Rubbermaid® Commercial Products (photo at right)
Rubbermaid Commercial Products is a manufacturer of innovative, solution based products for commercial and institutional markets worldwide. The Rubbermaid HYGEN™ Clean Water System’s integrated water filter was specifically designed with the bottom line and the end user in mind to improve productivity and reduce water and chemical usage to create healthier, safer environments.
Closed Circuit Television (CCTV)
SONY® (photo at left)
The SSC-FM560 mini dome camera reflects Sony’s commitment to advancing CCTV video surveillance technology. The CS-mount camera features DynaViewSX dynamic range enhancement technology and excellent horizontal resolution of 700 lines to deliver superb image detail over a wide range of lighting conditions.
Conference Room Furniture And Equipment
Herman Miller, Inc. (photo at right)
Herman Miller products address the full spectrum of collaborative spaces with a wide range of conferencing solutions. These include the versatile Everywhere table collection, available in configurations for two to 20, and classic contemporary seating like the Eames Aluminum Group.
Data Center Management
Schneider Electric (photo at left)
Ingersoll Rand’s
Security Technologies is a leading global provider of products and
services—electronic and biometric access control systems; mechanical
locks; door closers; exit devices; architectural hardware; and steel
doors and frames—that make environments safe, secure, and productive.
Doors/Door Hardware
Johnson Controls, Inc. (photo at right)
Ingersoll Rand’s Security Technologies is a leading global provider of products and services—electronic and biometric access control systems; mechanical locks; door closers; exit devices; architectural hardware; and steel doors and frames—that make environments safe, secure, and productive.
Elevators/Controls
Otis Elevator Company (no additional information or photo available)
Emergency/Strobe Lights
Philips Emergency Lighting (photo at right)
Philips Emergency Lighting delivers solution driven products for a broad range of lighting applications. Our focus on industry advancements, customer needs, and code compliance leads to great products like the ELI-S-20 Emergency Lighting Micro Inverter. The ELI-S-20 is ideal for screw base LED and fluorescent lamps.
Employee ID/Badge Printers
IR/Ingersoll Rand (photo at left)
The aptiQ smart card from Schlage, using MIFARE DESFire™ EV1 technology, offers a higher level of security, more convenience, and greater functionality than proximity cards for a comparable price. They also manage access, payments, and many other functions.
Energy Management & Energy Consultants
Schneider Electric (photo at right)
Schneider Electric provides energy sustainability consultation services and turnkey solutions for energy efficiency, renewable energy, and building management. Our team consists of Professional Engineers, Certified Energy Managers, LEED® Accredited Professionals, and experienced system integration engineers. Together, we help ensure the success of an organization’s energy strategy and improve bottom line performance.
Exterior Sealants & Coatings
3M™ Industrial Materials (photo at left)
Manufactures Scotchkote™ Premier Polyurethane and Advanced Acrylic Liquid Roofing Membranes are used in new construction, repair, and maintenance. Applied using fiberglass reinforcement, the coating systems are ideal for complex shapes, compatible with a variety of substrates, and come in ready to use single pack containers.
Fire/Life Safety Products
SimplexGrinnell (photo at right)
SimplexGrinnell is introducing TrueInsight® Remote Service—an Internet-based technology that provides the capability to diagnose advanced Simplex® fire alarm systems remotely. The diagnostics enable us to identify and isolate system issues remotely, which can lead to faster resolution time.
Flooring
Armstrong® World Industries (photo at left)
Armstrong Flooring Products is the trusted brand that delivers a broad selection of flooring with an winning combination of sustainability attributes, design, and value. As a single-source partner, Armstrong flooring offers an extensive, integrated portfolio of commercial flooring solutions in a variety of visuals, colors, and textures to meet specific design, performance, maintenance, installation, and budget requirements. Armstrong’s comprehensive commercial portfolio includes a wide selection of floors from VCT to hardwood.
Armstrong LVT captures the essence of earth’s woods, stones, metals, and original graphic designs in a flexible to install commercial resilient flooring. The UV cured coating eliminates the need for polishes and spray buffing. These fashionable floors combine the best of design and technology in one product.
FM Services
W.W. Grainger, Inc. (photo at right)
Grainger is a valued partner to the people who keep facilities safe, efficient, and functioning. As a leading distributor of maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO) supplies, Grainger gives easy access to the products and services customers need to keep their facilities up and running at a lower total cost. Through an integrated network including branches, distribution centers, and its website, Grainger’s team members help businesses and institutions improve the productivity of their operations.
FM Software
AUTODESK® (photo at left)
AutoCAD® software is giving facility managers the tools to design and shape the world. As one of the world’s leading 2D and 3D design applications, AutoCAD software presents users with powerful, flexible features to move design projects from concept through completion.
Furniture
Herman Miller (photo at right)
The latest from the original inventor of systems furniture, Herman Miller’s Canvas Office Landscape creates holistic work environments that bring choice, harmony, and connection. Canvas elements create surround, structure, surface, storage, and support for the complete range of workspaces.
Fur
niture: Refurbished
Davies Office Refurbishing, Inc. (photo at left)
Our goal is to provide the highest quality, lowest cost furniture solutions consistently by enhancing and remanufacturing quality furnishings while focusing on maintaining the maximum inherent value of our clients’ existing furniture assets in an environmentally responsible way.
Furniture: Seating
Herman Miller (photo at right)
Herman Miller’s Aeron chair has been the international reference point and market leader in ergonomic, high performance work chairs since its introduction. While the company continues to advance seating innovation through applied research and design, Aeron remains an industry icon.
Furniture: Storage
The HON Company (photo at left)
The HON Company is dedicated to designing and manufacturing practical workplace solutions, and Flagship® is one collection reflective of this abiding philosophy. It is a series that answers a range of storage needs with a selection of lateral files, cabinets, and towers.
HVAC/Indoor Air Quality
Johnson Controls (photo at right)
The YORK® Magnetic Centrifugal Chiller (YMC2) offers superior efficiency and sound performance. It uses magnetic bearing technology to eliminate mechanical contact losses in the driveline to increase uptime and reduce maintenance costs. The YMC2 is 10% more efficient than conventional, variable speed chillers and quieter than any water-cooled centrifugal or screw chiller in the marketplace.
Lamps And Bulbs
SYLVANIA (photo at left)
OSRAM SYLVANIA is a leader in lighting solutions and specialty products that feature innovative design and energy saving technology. Matching the right light to an environment can yield maximum energy savings with technology choices, making the application a critical development factor. The company sells products for homes, businesses, and vehicles primarily under the SYLVANIA brand name and also under the OSRAM brand.
Lighting Controls
GE Lighting Systems (no additional information or photo available)
Office Technology/Equipment
Motorola (photo at right)
Motorola’s diverse array of portable and mobile two-way radios offers solutions that better enable facility managers to coordinate and communicate efficiently with an on the go workforce.
Paint (Exterior And Interior)
Sherwin-Williams® (photo at left)
Sherwin-Williams is committed to providing facility managers with products and services that get the job done right. Turn to ProMar® 200 Interior Latex for project needs—now available in a zero VOC formula. ProMar 200 Zero VOC delivers outstanding durability and touch-up plus excellent hide in four sheens and all colors.
Paper Products (Cafeteria, Restroom)
Georgia-Pacific Professional (GPP) (photo at right)
GPP—an innovator of washroom, wiper, and food service solutions—offers a range of hygienic dispensing systems, towels, tissues, soaps, sanitizers, wipers, cups, plates, cutlery, and napkins. Each product showcases the company’s commitment to providing efficient paper solutions for any facility.
Pest/Bird Control/Deterrents
Bird-X (photo at left)
Since 1964, Bird-X has been the leader in producing humane pest and bird repellent products, which are eco-friendly (“green”), environmentally safe, non-toxic, and non harmful. Our products are used in facilities worldwide to prevent the spread of disease and create the cleanest and safest environment possible.
Plumbing/Faucets/Fixtures
American Standard (photo at right)
American Standard offers a full range of commercial plumbing products that achieve both high performance and water efficiency for corporate, institutional, and hospitality facilities. The Afwall® FloWise® Toilet with a Selectronic® flush valve optimizes water savings with 1.28 gallons per flush (gpf).
Recycling
Air Cycle Corporation (photo at left)
At Air Cycle Corporation, we strive to create products that make recycling simple and efficient for our customers. The Bulb Eater® lamp crusher can help facility managers save up to 20 hours of labor per 1,000 lamps recycled and reduce lamp storage requirements by up to 80%.
Restroom Accessories
Kimberly-Clark Professional (photo at right)
Kimberly-Clark Professional has introduced the Kleenex Touchless Counter Mount Skin Care System, a luxurious and hygienic sealed soap system that is easy to install and delivers a perfect shot of foam soap without misfires or wasteful drips. A patent-pending “Smart Shot” dispensing technology offers facilities three customized dispenser settings.
Roofing
Duro-Last® Roofing, Inc. (photo at left)
The Duro-Last custom fabricated roofing system is ideal for any flat or low sloped application: easily installed without disrupting building operations, durable, leakproof, energy efficient, and virtually maintenance free.
Security Systems & Consultants
HID Corporation (photo at right)
Edge™ is the next evolution in access control hardware solutions. A true IP solution that meets the demands of open architecture, IP-centric environments, Edge provides fully distributed intelligence and decision making right to the door, leveraging the IT infrastructure to the maximum extent possible.
Shredders
Security Engineered Machinery (SEM) (photo at left)
The compact Model 0300 Jackhammer™ Hard Drive Shredder from Security Engineered Machinery (SEM) is fast, safe, clean, quiet, and easy to use. It also destroys cell phones, PDAs, optical media (CDs and DVDs), etc., reducing items to random 11⁄2" shreds.
Signage
APCO Signs (photo at right)
Innovation and design have been at the core of APCO’s business since 1966, and all of the sign systems we develop have one focus in common—the customer. APCO signs provide both the benefits of modular, easy to maintain systems while also offering the design flexibility and looks of completely custom products.
Sound Masking Systems
Dynasound, Inc. (photo at left)
Dynasound provides the industry's only networked addressable sound masking system that uses standard networks (i.e., Cisco, Netgear) power over ethernet (PoE), and cost-effective addressing of all speakers individually. Dynasound also offers “hybrid” systems incorporating 70 volt zones and IP addressable systems using the same network as well as innovative eavesdropping protection systems.
Toilets/Urinals
Sloan® Valve (photo at right)
With a customer driven research approach to developing products, Sloan delivers on the features that help customers save time and money. Water efficiency is always built into our complete restroom offerings for the commercial marketplace.
Wall Coverings/Panel Fabrics/Textiles
Designtex (photo at left)
Designtex’s vision is to be the global resource for applied surface knowledge, innovation, and sustainability and to be the world’s respected leader for applied surface solutions. The company’s mission is to provide intelligent and innovative surfaces and solutions that enhance environments.
Water Fountains
Culligan (photo at right)
For over 70 years, Culligan’s network of more than 800 dealers has helped maintain the efficiency of commercial water treatment systems, including Culligan’s Bottle-Free® drinking water solutions. As a global leader in water treatment, Culligan has dedicated service technicians in all areas who are experts in local water quality.
Water Treatment/Purification
GE Water & Process Technologies (photo at left)
GE Power & Water is a leading global supplier of water treatment, wastewater treatment, water reuse, and process systems solutions along with water treatment chemicals and process chemicals. The company delivers proven technologies and solutions for water treatment and reuse and continues to invest heavily to enhance current products and to develop new, even more advanced technologies.
TrueSense gives users previously unavailable tools to optimize productivity and increase water savings in the monitoring and control of cooling water systems. GE’s TrueSense Personal Water Analytics offline water testing system is part of a suite of complementary technologies that represent world-class automation and process control for cooling water applications. Along with the TrueSense Online for Cooling monitor and TrueSense View knowledge management software, GE is redefining “optimized” for the cooling water industry.
Window Films
Solutia Performance Films (photo at right)
Solutia (formerly CPFilms) is a market leading performance materials and specialty chemicals company that focuses on solutions for a better life through a range of products. Its businesses are world leaders in each of their market segments.
Featuring a patent pending, low-e coating, EnerLogic™ window film adds up to 92% more insulating power to existing windows—improving energy efficiency in every season. EnerLogic, the latest addition to the Vista™ lineup of architectural window films, effectively transforms the insulating power of single pane windows into double-pane; and double pane windows into triple pane at a fraction of
Windows
Allied Window, Inc. (photo at left)
Allied Window’s interior or exterior storm windows are custom designed to adapt to existing field conditions; their motto is “No Limits”. Large openings, unique designs, special shapes, custom colors, and special glazing are all routine. The Operating Magnetic One Lite (MOL-OP) is designed for energy savings where ventilation is important.
