In conjunction with JohnsonDiversey Inc., the University of Alberta has implemented a full-scale green cleaning program called “Cleaning for a Healthy U,” with the goal of reducing the amount of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) used in cleaning while also eliminating many airborne particulates indoors, which are known to create mild to severe respiratory issues and other health problems.

“By switching to chemicals, processes and equipment proven to have a reduced impact on the environment, we are making a commitment to the environment, as well as the health of the students, faculty and staff at the University of Alberta,” said George Thomlison, manager of Human Resources and Procurement, Building and Grounds. “JohnsonDiversey has been very helpful in sharing its expertise around green cleaning best practices to help us launch this initiative.”

A new Green Seal approved chemical line was implemented last year at the University, reducing the amount of VOCs emitted by the chemicals used on campus.

Updated matting systems, an integrated pest management program, regulated chemical dispensing equipment, and new touch-free hand towel dispensers installed around campus have also been implemented.

The final phase of “Cleaning for a Healthy U” was rolled out this April when the University of Alberta installed HEPA-filtered equipment that helps trap and remove airborne particulates negatively affecting the indoor air quality of buildings around campus. “We have been trying to clean in a way that makes sense for the past 30 years,” Thomlison said. “This program is just another initiative in finding practices that limit our negative impact on the environment, while taking every opportunity to enhance it, not only today, but into the future.”

“Cleaning for a Healthy U” is an initiative that will contribute points toward the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. The LEED Rating System is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings. As the University continues to grow, new and existing buildings on campus will become certified.

“Cleaning for a Healthy U” joins an extensive set of sustainable programs already in place at the University. Recycling initiatives along with energy and water conservation have long been a part of the facilities services’ operations. Ray Dumouchel, Associate Director of Buildings and Grounds Services, acknowledges that this is just another step of many in making their operations more efficient.

“If we can continue to do the same things we have been doing in a better way that enhances the health of the building occupants as well as the environment, we are winning,” Dumouchel said.

Though its third quarter profit dropped, facility services provider ABM Industries Inc., reports that its sales rose four percent, partly due to increases in its janitorial and parking divisions.

The company reports net income for the third quarter of $12 million, or 23 cents per share, on sales of $717.5 million, compared to $17.3 million, or 35 cents, on sales of $689.3 million in last year’s third quarter.

The decrease in net income is primarily attributable to $12.8 million ($7.7 million after-tax) of self insurance reserve adjustments, the difference between an increase of $4.9 million in the Company’s self insurance reserves in the third quarter of 2007 and the reduction of $7.9 million in the third quarter of 2006.

The janitorial division posted revenues of $408.9 million, a 3.3 percent increase over last year’s $395.8 million.

“Our top-line growth was driven by new business and expansion of services across four of our five operating segments, most significantly in our janitorial division and in our parking division following the second quarter acquisition of the operations of HeathCare Parking Systems of America,” said Henrik Slipsager, ABM’s president and CEO. “We ended the quarter with $107 million in cash and cash equivalents, approximately $357 million in working capital and no debt.”

The company reported net income for the nine months ended July 31, 2007 of $37.4 million ($0.74 per diluted share) on sales of $2.1 billion, compared to $31.6 million ($0.64 per diluted share) on sales of $2 billion in the same period last year.

The company has assets of $1.04 billion, and liabilities of $450 million.

ABM also announced that its Janitorial Services division has been awarded a multi-year, multi-million dollar contract for the Dysart Unified School District in Arizona.

The contract covers comprehensive janitorial and maintenance service for the district’s 18 elementary schools, one alternative program campus and three high schools. Spanning 140 square miles in Arizona, the DysartUnified School District serves parts of El Mirage, Glendale, Surprise, Youngtown and Maricopa County in the Northwest Valley.

“We are pleased to provide innovative facility cleaning and maintenance solutions for the Dysart Unified School District, which is the fastest growing school district in Arizona,” said Jim McClure, president for ABM Janitorial Services.

“Our professional team is committed to providing an environment where the students, teachers and administrators have a clean and desirable place to learn,” he added.

The Dysart Unified School District currently enrolls more than 20,000 students and has enrolled 6,000 new students in the last two years. Located in the Northwest Valley of Arizona, the school district builds at a minimum one new school each year to accommodate 2,000 additional students.

Ecolab Inc. has agreed to purchase Microtek Medical Holdings Inc., an Alpharetta, Georgia-based manufacturer and marketer of infection control products for healthcare and acute care facilities.

Microtek’s specialized product lines include infection barrier equipment drapes, patient drapes, fluid control products and operating room cleanup systems. Microtek’s 2006 sales were $142 million.

Ecolab has agreed to pay $6.30 per share in cash for Microtek’s shares; Microtek had 43.5 million shares outstanding at June 30, 2007.

“This represents another strong step to significantly expand Ecolab’s growing presence in healthcare cleaning and infection prevention,” said Douglas M. Baker, Jr., Ecolab’s chairman, president and CEO. “We are continuing to build on our capabilities, particularly in the healthcare market, as we focus on improving cleaning and sanitizing solutions for patients and staff, and simultaneously reduce healthcare associated infections (HAIs).”

The agreement has been approved by the boards of directors of both companies, and is subject to the approval of Microtek’s shareholders and other customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.

“Microtek will combine with our existing hand hygiene, medical instrument, and surface and environmental cleaning and disinfection offerings to comprise a critical part of our strategy to offer broad and complete product solutions for the healthcare market, and especially HAIs,” Baker continued. “Further, Microtek’s strong team and excellent customer relationships will provide us new avenues to pursue future growth with our existing products.”

Baker concluded by saying, “We see exciting potential for the combined operations of our companies and for the improved solutions we will bring to our customers and patients, as well as additional opportunities for both companies’ employees. We look forward to completing the transaction and joining our two great companies together in developing new and complete solutions for critical healthcare needs.”

EcoLogo, a Green-certification organization, has announced that several products made by a variety of jan-san manufacturers have recently been Green certified and may now place the well known EcoLogo mark on their packaging and marketing materials.

In addition to meeting EcoLogo’s stringent requirements, Green certification means, among other things, that the products and their ingredients have been analyzed and verified by independent, accredited laboratories and have been shown to have a reduced impact on the environment.

Additionally, these products are made with ingredients that are rapidly biodegradable and nontoxic, meet specific ISO (International Organization for Standardization) standards, and are not known to be hazardous to human health.

The companies and the product categories recently certified are:

• JohnsonDiversy for multi-surface cleaners;

• GeoKleen and Zep-Acuity Special Products Groups for alternative drain/grease trap additives;

• INO Solution and West Penetone for biologically based cleaning and degreasing compounds;

• JohnsonDiversy for a liquid odor counteractant;

• Qwatro Corporation for a toilet bowel cleaner and liquid drain cleaner;

• Wood Wyant for a washroom cleaner and deodorizer;

• GeoKleen and INO Solution for odor control additives;

• Studley Products for compostable paper bags;

• Bio-Systems International and GeoKleen for urinal blocks, restroom supplies.

“We have seen tremendous growth in the number of Green-certified products [manufactured] for the professional cleaning industry,” says Scot Case, vice-president of TerraChoice, EcoLogo’s science-based marketing firm. “The industry must be commended for moving so quickly to produce Green-certifiable products that help protect the users of cleaning products, building occupants, and the environment.”

Case believes a key reason for this growth is market forces, with consumers increasingly requesting the use of environmentally preferable cleaning products.

Additionally, he said that many end customers now ask their suppliers, “Do you EcoLogo?” referring to the growing awareness of the EcoLogo marking.

“This is what our 2007 ‘EcoMarkets’ study indicated as well,” he adds. “According to the study, fully 76 percent of the nearly 700 procurement professionals surveyed said they will be actively purchasing Green-certified cleaning products in the next two years.”

To find out about EcoLogo or these products, visit www.environmentalchoice.com.

SCA Tissue’s progressive approach to labor practices and workplace policies has earned the papermaker a prestigious spot on the annual Labor Day List published by a leading workers’ rights organization.

SCA Tissue, which employs 2,400 people and is headquartered in Philadelphia, is one of seven companies and the only paper manufacturer to be named to the 2007 Labor Day List: Partnerships that Work, published by American Rights at Work, a nonprofit, organization that advocates for the rights of U.S. workers to organize and bargain collectively.

ARW cited SCA Tissue’s positive record of working cooperatively with its employees on union, safety and other workplace issues.

“We appreciate this recognition of our efforts creates the kind of socially responsible workplace environment that earns loyalty and commitment from our employees,” said Joe Raccuia, SCA Tissue president and CEO. “The company, and ultimately our customers, benefit when management and labor work together to achieve common goals.”

In announcing the list, ARW lauded SCA Tissue’s adoption of a neutrality agreement with unionized employees in the mills it acquired when it entered the U.S. labor market in 2002, and its rejection of the adversarial approach used by the mill’s previous owners.

The voluntary pact established a code of conduct that prohibits either the company or union organizers from disparaging each other or using intimidating tactics. For example, at the Barton, AL mill, SCA Tissue honored that pact and has worked cooperatively with the union the workers chose to join in 2003.

ARW also praised SCA Tissue for creating a Joint Advisory Committee of company executives and union leaders. The committee meets quarterly to cooperatively address challenges in the workplace and highlight successes. The partnership program led to successful redesign of work systems at three key manufacturing facilities by utilizing worker input to create a more efficient and worker-friendly production process.

“The company’s steadfast commitment to employee collaboration is already reaping rewards,” ARW stated in announcing its 2007 Labor Day List. “The employee turnover rate decreased by 29 percent at one of SCA’s high-turnover locations, and the company boasts one of the best safety records in the industry.”

ARW also noted that SCA “has an exemplary environmental record and invests in sustainability efforts worldwide” and added, “this paper manufacturer deserves praise as a forward-thinking, socially responsible employer.”

Mitch Murch’s Maintenance Management Co. (4M) recently acquired Hadley Janitorial Inc. for an undisclosed amount.

With the addition of Hadley Janitorial’s accounts, St. Louis-based 4M will have more than 5 million square feet of corporate headquarters and manufacturing facilities under contract throughout Kentucky, where Hadley is based. The deal will also bring 4M’s total annual sales to about $60 million.

4M is a contract cleaning company which employs more than 3,000 people and services more than 60 million square feet in 11 states. Its headquarters are located in St. Louis.

The American Indoor Air Quality Council has announced an addition to its website: a locator service listing insured companies that employ IAQ Council certified professionals.

Companies that carry professional liability insurance will be listed in the locator upon request, along with the names of IAQ Council certificants in their employment.

The American IAQ Council has always encouraged consumers to inquire about professional insurance when hiring Council-certified professionals. Now the IAQ Council has done some of the legwork for them.

“Professional insurance and IAQ Council certification are important marks of reliability and credibility in the indoor air quality industry,” said Charlie Wiles, IAQ Council executive director. “Our locator service provides companies that have these distinctions with a powerful means of getting their message to consumers.”

“At the same time, the locator allows consumers to verify the quality and reputation of the firms they are hiring,” said Wiles. “We believe the industry as a whole will benefit from this service.”

The locator database is searchable by zip code or company name and will return all qualifying companies within 100 miles of the zip code entered.

Listing in the locator is provided free of charge as a service to IAQ Council certificants and their employers. Listings include company name, certificant name and professional insurance carrier. Consumers are encouraged to inquire further about coverage for specialty risks such as mold.

The American Indoor Air Quality Council is a non-profit certifying body founded in 1993 to serve the indoor air quality industry. The IAQ Council operates independent, third-party accredited certification programs for indoor environmental consultants, microbial consultants, microbial remediators, indoor air quality administrators and residential mold inspectors. The IAQ Council certifies more than 5,000 professionals in the United States, Canada and overseas.

For more information about the IAQ Council and its programs, visit www.iaqcouncil.org.