Turn your building "green" with the latest products and equipment

Managers call us up every day and ask, "How can we turn our buildings 'green'?" With today's newly developing technologies, there are more ways than ever for buildings to increase fuel efficiency and reduce the use of toxic chemicals. There is a lot of pressure on property management companies to find ways to save money, as well as a lot of emphasis on "saving the Earth." Manufacturers of building supplies and equipment are introducing a wide range of effective and affordable new products that can help reduce fuel consumption and protect our environment. My family has been in the business of supplying hardware, cleaning products and building maintenance equipment for three generations, and our company is still a family-run business. We believe that it's our duty to provide consulting services to our customers to help them learn about and utilize the safest, most effective, and most environmentally-friendly products available. At National Maintenance Supplies we are committed to helping property managers learn about the latest in "green" products as well as equipment that can cut back on the consumption of water, oil, gas and electricity. On Wednesday, May 21 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., we are sponsoring our first annual Customer Appreciation Day and "Green Expo" at the Marriott LaGuardia Airport Hotel. This free event will feature seminars and hands-on equipment demonstrations, and we invite all those involved in property management to attend. Among the products we'll feature is the new "ech2o" technology from Tennant/Nobles: floor scrubber equipment for cleaning hard floors such as concrete, vinyl and resilient tile, that uses 70% less water than conventional scrubbers, and cleans with ionized water instead of chemicals. Similar equipment will soon be available for carpet cleaning as well. New toilet tank designs feature automatic shut-off valves for leaky toilets, preventing costly leaks. With the cost of water expected to rise by 36% in the next few years, low-flow toilets, faucets and showerheads, as well as leak prevention, can offer huge savings. Rubbermaid is also introducing a range of "green" products, such as their new mopping system, which has re-usable mop heads rather than disposables. Lighting is one of the cheapest, easiest and fastest areas where property managers can save money. Spiral bulbs and compact fluorescents reduce electric usage so much that they pay for themselves in just 90 days. And now there are new long-lasting fluorescents for outdoor use that can replace costly sodium bulbs. We handle such a wide variety of merchandise that it's hard to present it all at an industry event such as an existing trade show. That's why we've developed our own "Green Expo" where we can offer hands-on demonstrations and expert seminars where property owners, managers and supers can learn more about these important new technologies. We expect about 40 of our top vendors to offer information and demonstrations on everything from green cleaning products by Daley International and Spartan Chemical; to energy-saving lighting from Osram/Sylvania; Dial Pure & Natural hypoallergenic foaming soap; Autoflush and Autofaucet Systems by Technical Concepts; Bay West Green Seal Certified paper products; and much, much more. From our 57,000 s/f facility in Westbury, New York, National Maintenance is a leading supplier of building maintenance products and equipment to real estate owners, operators and managers in the tri-state region. We work with every type of property, from residential to commercial, from co-ops and condos to schools and institutions. We invite all past, present and future customers to join us on May 21 for this exciting free event. Building managers, management executives, supers, owners, developers and facilities managers are encouraged to attend. The event is free of charge, and breakfast and lunch will be served. All purchases will receive special pricing and discounts on the day of the event, and free gifts will be given to all attendees. Raffles will be held throughout the day offering fantastic door prizes, from a weekend getaway to electronic equipment. Our Customer Appreciation Day and "Green Expo" is a great opportunity to meet National Maintenance's team of industry professionals and talk to the experts regarding all facets of facility maintenance and repair operations. The day will highlight many of the vendors that we represent, in the areas of plumbing, janitorial, hardware, electrical and lighting, paint, building materials, tools, equipment and more. For more information about this event, and to pre-register, visit the company website at www.nationalmaintenance.com. We look forward to seeing you on May 21. Richard Cuccia is the president of National Maintenance Supplies, Inc., Westbury, N.Y.