Category: Industry News

Contracting Business magazine has recognized Alpine Mechanical Services, LLC as a Commercial HVAC Contractor of Excellence. This distinction was featured in their August 2018 issue. Alpine’s fusion of advanced equipment knowledge, high level of communication and well-respected service in the HVAC industry has proven to be a successful combination since its founding in 2003.

The feature spotlights Alpine’s forward-thinking owner and President, Mark Barraclough, his secret to Alpine’s success and the future plans for expansion.

Alpine Mechanical Services is a leading, self-performing HVAC service and maintenance provider serving commercial and retail properties across the East Coast. From the management team with over 150 years combined experience to highly trained field and administrative staff, the Alpine team is committed to providing clients with a quality of service unsurpassed in the HVAC industry.

Learn more at www.alpinems.com.

Inc. magazine today revealed that Branded Group is No. 311 on its 37th annual Inc. 5000, the most prestigious ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies. The list represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the American economy’s most dynamic segment—its independent small businesses. Microsoft, Dell, Domino’s Pizza, Pandora, Timberland, LinkedIn, Yelp, Zillow, and many other well-known names gained their first national exposure as honorees on the Inc. 5000.

“It is an honor to be included in the 2018 Inc. 5000 list of America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies,” Michael Kurland, Branded Group CEO, said. “Our exponential year-over-year growth is attributed to the dedication of our #BeBetter team and the loyalty of our customers. We celebrate this achievement together, and know that we are in good company. I extend a sincere congratulations to this year’s 5000 fastest growing companies.” 

Not only have the companies on the 2018 Inc. 5000 (which are listed online at Inc.com, with the top 500 companies featured in the September issue of Inc., available on newsstands August 15) been very competitive within their markets, but the list as a whole shows staggering growth compared with prior lists. The 2018 Inc. 5000 achieved an astounding three-year average growth of 538.2 percent, and a median rate of 171.8 percent. The Inc. 5000’s aggregate revenue was $206.1 billion in 2017, accounting for 664,095 jobs over the past three years.

Complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, region, and other criteria, can be found at http://www.inc.com/inc5000.

 “If your company is on the Inc. 5000, it’s unparalleled recognition of your years of hard work and sacrifice,” says Inc. editor in chief James Ledbetter. “The lines of business may come and go, or come and stay. What doesn’t change is the way entrepreneurs create and accelerate the forces that shape our lives.”

The annual Inc. 5000 event honoring the companies on the list will be held October 17 to 19, 2018 at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort, in San Antonio, Texas. As always, speakers include some of the greatest innovators and business leaders of our generation.

For more information about Branded Group, contact Michael Kurland at mkurland@branded-group.com.  

Exclusive collaboration brings Petco’s brand, products and expertise to pet parents in Canada

Petco announced today an expansion into the Canadian market through an exclusive partnership with Canada-based retailer Canadian Tire. The collaboration enables Canadian Tire to make Petco’s assortment of food, treats, supplies and accessories available to pet parents in Canada, both online and in stores.

“As a leader in providing pet parents with everything they need to live healthy, happy lives with their pets, we’re thrilled to partner with another retail leader to bring the history and quality of the Petco brand to pet parents in Canada,” said Rebecca Frechette, EVP and chief merchandising officer at Petco. “We believe our deep expertise in pet specialty, combined with Canadian Tire’s retail reach in a thriving pet market is a powerful combination that will drive future growth for both brands. We’re thrilled about the upcoming launch and looking forward to growing and building on our partnership well into the future.”

Beginning in August, Canadian Tire shoppers will have access to Petco’s own WholeHearted brand – a premium pet food line that makes superior nutrition affordable and accessible to more pet parents. Additional Petco products will be added to Canadian Tire’s pet department in September.

“We know how important pets are to Canadian families so we’re thrilled to bring Petco’s offerings to Canadian Tire, where 65 percent of our customers are pet parents,” said Greg Hicks, President, Canadian Tire Retail. “Petco’s legacy as a global leader in pet products heightens the credibility of our suite of pet offerings, allowing us to strengthen an important category and expand our marketplace.”

For more information on Petco, visit petco.com. For more information on Canadian Tire, visit canadiantire.ca.

About Petco and the Petco Foundation

Petco is a leading pet specialty retailer with more than 50 years of service to pet parents. Everything we do is guided by our vision for Healthier Pets. Happier People. Better World. We operate more than 1,500 Petco and Unleashed by Petco locations across the U.S., Mexico and Puerto Rico; prescription services and pet supplies from the leading veterinary-operated pet product supplier, Drs. Foster & Smith; complete pet care services and veterinary advice through PetCoach; and petco.com. The Petco Foundation, an independent nonprofit organization, has invested more than $200 million since it was created in 1999 to help promote and improve the welfare of companion animals. In conjunction with the Foundation, we work with and support thousands of local animal welfare groups across the country and, through in-store adoption events, help find homes for more than 400,000 animals every year.  

About Canadian Tire Corporation

Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited, (TSX:CTC.A) (TSX:CTC) or “CTC,” is a family of businesses that includes a Retail segment, a Financial Services division and CT REIT. Our retail business is led by Canadian Tire, which was founded in 1922 and provides Canadians with products for life in Canada across its Living, Playing, Fixing, Automotive and Seasonal & Gardening divisions. PartSource and Gas+ are key parts of the Canadian Tire network. The Retail segment also includes Mark’s, a leading source for casual and industrial wear, and FGL Sports (Sport Chek, Hockey Experts, Sports Experts, Sports Rousseau, L’Entrepôt du Hockey, National Sports, Intersport, Pro Hockey Life and Atmosphere), which offers the best active wear brands. The approximately 1,700 retail and gasoline outlets are supported and strengthened by our Financial Services division and the tens of thousands of people employed across the country by the Company and its local dealers, franchisees and petroleum retailers. For more information, visit Corp.CanadianTire.ca.

SAN MARCOS, Calif., August 3, 2018 – Encycle Corporation, a technology company focused on helping commercial and industrial customers dramatically improve the efficiency of their HVAC systems using IoT-enabled services, is pleased to introduce Swarm Service™ as part of its Energy-as-a-Service by Encycle™ (EASE™) program. Swarm Service is a cloud-based, enterprise-level solution that delivers the benefits of Encycle’s Swarm Logic® technology across hundreds of facilities without the need for additional hardware. 

Swarm Logic’s multi-patented, cloud-based software integrates with existing building automation systems (BAS), programmable thermostats, or IoT-enabled equipment to dynamically synchronize power-hungry HVAC rooftop units (RTUs). Swarm Logic enables RTUs to operate most efficiently in response to changing conditions such as outdoor temperature, building occupancy levels, and RTU performance. Instead of operating in isolation, the RTUs become part of an IoT-based closed-loop system that coordinates RTU activity, thereby apportioning energy consumption more logically among the individual RTUs. This approach maximizes efficiency while maintaining desired building comfort levels. 

The combination of Swarm Service and the EASE business model has proven to reduce HVAC electricity costs and consumption for typical Encycle customers by 10% to 20%. Swarm Service is almost instantaneously cash-flow positive for commercial and industrial customers since little or no capital expenditure is required. All that is required is the establishment of connectivity between the building’s BAS, thermostats, or IoT system and Swarm Logic’s software, which is developed via a cloud-based application program interface (API). Swarm Service can be quickly deployed, is simple to operate, and is virtually invisible regarding building comfort. Encycle’s patented algorithms and advanced methodologies mean customers enrolled in Swarm Service always have next-generation control and reporting capabilities that include predictive maintenance recommendations to preserve their RTU equipment investments. 

“Encycle’s Swarm Logic technology is transforming the HVAC industry, providing building owners with solutions to help them meet their energy-based sustainability goals,” said Robert Chiste, Encycle Chairman, President and CEO. Many companies have already substantially reduced their energy costs by embracing the emergence of LED lighting technology over the past 5 to 10 years. These companies are now looking for the “next big thing” in energy efficiency, with HVAC being a natural target given that it makes up as much as 40% of a building’s overall energy consumption and spend. 

“Traditional approaches to HVAC energy efficiency have had limited success as they required significant capital expenditures, increased complexity in operating and maintaining HVAC systems, and inadequate returns on investment. Our EASE model is truly unlike any other service on the market today, delivering up to 20% reductions in HVAC-related kW, kWh, and CO2,” explained Chiste. 

With the increasing use of cloud deployment, Encycle allows building managers to coordinate their automation strategies with integrated IoT solutions that are swift and scalable. “Because every building is unique, we work closely with our customers to reduce peak demand and consumption while ensuring their critical requirements are met,” stated Chris Hensley, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Encycle. “Our solutions allow our customer to achieve significant energy efficiency gains while still creating the desired environment for customers and employees.” Encycle conducts a thorough preliminary assessment to understand each client’s specific operating requirements and to calculate expected savings, according to Hensley. 

Encycle serves a broad range of industries including retail stores, grocery stores, shopping centers, restaurants, entertainment venues, offices, schools, distribution centers, and light/medium manufacturing. Customer buildings ranging from 7,500 square feet to 2 million square feet or more realize the greatest benefit from Encycle’s Swarm Service. 

For more information regarding Encycle’s cloud-based Swarm Service offering, please visit www.encycle.com or call 1-855-875-4031 in the U.S. or 1-877-634-0081 in Canada. 

About Encycle: Encycle is a technology-driven company that is transforming energy management for multi-site commercial and industrial companies. The company leverages its patented cloud-based technology to lower its clients’ electric costs, maximize energy efficiency, and reduce environmental impact. Companies using Swarm Logic® routinely reduce HVAC electric costs and consumption by 10%-20% with little or no capital investment. For more information about Encycle, visit www.encycle.com.

East Moriches, NY (July 30, 2018) During the fourth annual Oyster Fling put on by the Moriches Bay Project (MBP) late last month, Solutions Management, Inc. (SMI) made a big splash to raise money for waterway restoration through the planting of oyster beds.

This year’s Oyster Fling event was attended by over 300 guests who came out to support the event which aims to bring awareness to the community about water quality and the shared environmental responsibility by all who live, work and play by the bay.

As part of the effort, SMI sponsored the building of an oyster bed with a $5,000 donation which will help plant 50,000 oysters in Moriches Bay. Each adult oyster filters up to 50 gallons of water a day, and thanks to SMI nearly 2.5 million gallons of water will be filtered every day.

“It’s just a drop in the bucket,” says Laura Fabrizio, co-founder of the Moriches Bay Project. “But if everyone gave a drop in the bucket we can eventually get to the point where we could filter every gallon of Moriches Bay every 3-4 days.”

Fabrizio co-founded the Moriches Bay Project with Aram Terchunian. Together they collect donations and reach out to the community through science workshops and events to improve water quality and restore waterways. Last year alone, over 600,000 oysters were planted by the MBP in Moriches Bay, which stretches from the town of Brookhaven to Southampton.

“We are very proud of our community and thankful for organizations like SMI who are critical to our existence,” says Fabrizio.

For SMI, environmental initiatives are at the heart of the company. Earlier this year, SMI teamed up with Relic, a clothing design company that helps plant oysters in estuaries around the nation with the proceeds from their sales. MBP is one of the groups who receive support from the partnership.

SMI’s CFO Robyn Butler said, “We love working locally with MBP.  We get to experience the process, see the successes and enjoy the results of a cleaner bay and a happier community”.

About the Moriches Bay Project
The Moriches Bay Project is a small grass roots not for profit 501(c)(3) project established to improve the quality of the water in Moriches Bay and turn it back to its natural state of health. This is done through oyster farming and eel grass planting. The organization is dedicated to bringing awareness to the local community and educate children. To learn more about the Moriches Bay Project, please visit morichesbayproject.org.

About SMI
SMI has created a unique trade niche within the retail and restaurant industry. As a leading Managed Maintenance Company, SMI provides quality, reliable maintenance services 24/7 on a national scale, as well as around the clock Disaster Recovery Services™ (DRS). The professional Service Partner & Associates Network SPANs across the nation and into Canada, encompassing a wide range of core maintenance trade capabilities. Learn more at SMI247.com.