As a company thriving in a recession that has hit our industry particularly hard, Integrity Construction Maintenance, Inc. is indebted to clients who have chosen to partner with us.  By choosing a local contractor for construction projects, client’s money stays cycling through our community, and the client saves on the cost of imported management and labor.

On Sunday, if history repeats itself, over 100 million viewers will witness the greatest annual example of the benefits buying local can have on a community – the NFL Superbowl.  Super Bowl locations are chosen a half decade in advance.  Potential host cities submit applications detailing their qualifications for the job, including plans for stadium renovation.  In some cases, an entirely new stadium is required.

Ground was broken for Lucas Oil Stadium on September 20th, 2005.  Of the $720 million expense for the project, the home team Colts organization provided $100 million, with the State of Indiana and City of Indianapolis sharing the brunt of the burden.  However, prior to the NFL play-offs, Lucas Oil Stadium reports more than $1 billion in benefits to the state economy, in addition to 3,000 permanent new jobs and 3,500 construction jobs.  Indianapolis-based Hunt Construction Group is the primary contractor.  Indianapolis-based VS Engineering is the primary engineer.  Indianapolis-based Independent Concrete Pipe Co. is the primary precast manufacturer.  Each of the subcontractors these firms employed is based in Indiana.

While much of the hospitality dollars spent this weekend will go to hotel corporate headquarters outside the host city, valets, cab drivers, bellhops, waiters, and bartenders have an opportunity to collect tips from the high-end clientele an event of this magnitude attracts, and well-prepared food vendors have the opportunity to match their usual annual profits in a single weekend.  Residents of Indianapolis outside of the construction and hospitality industries, benefit from improved infrastructure as streets, bridges, sidewalks, and guests are refaced to impress 150,000 tourists.  The NFL donated $1 million towards a community center to be built in an underserved neighborhood.  A nearby high school received a new practice facility and turf field, in exchange for allowing participating teams to practice there this week.

Look what we can accomplish when we Buy Local?

Our Integrity web team stumbled across this Asian chain of TOILET themed restaurants.  Do you think they refer to their dishwashers as janitors?  They are technically cleaning toilets…

1.)  Roll towels:

Consider changing your paper towel dispensers from multifold towels to controlled-use roll towel dispensers.  Green Seal estimates this change will reduce usage by 25-35%. These towels also require restocking less      frequently, cutting back on labor.

2.)  Foam Soap:

Switching from liquid to foam soap is another way to reduce usage.  Foam soap requires less product per hand wash, does not drip like liquid, and conserves water due to a reduction in both lather time—the soap dispenses as a lather, and rinse time—liquid soaps adhere to the skin, requiring greater effort to remove  residue.

3.)  Toilet paper dispensers:

Dual roll sliding toilet paper dispensers are ideal for decreasing usage in that they encourage the completion of full rolls, versus the standard dispensers in which rolls are changed out when low.  They also prevent supply pilfering in public restrooms.

]]> http://icmconstruction.wordpress.com/2011/12/14/green-business-solution-dispensers/feed/ 0 icminc http://icmconstruction.wordpress.com/2011/12/14/client-spotlight-mid-century-dining-at-midtown-cafe/ http://icmconstruction.wordpress.com/2011/12/14/client-spotlight-mid-century-dining-at-midtown-cafe/#comments Wed, 14 Dec 2011 20:24:05 +0000 icminc http://icmconstruction.wordpress.com/?p=333 ]]> Click to view slideshow.

Our construction division recently had the honor of working with a Sonoma County institution, Chris Clemons of Pengrove’s  Super Burger, on his latest venture.  Midtown Café,  located on 4th Street in Santa Rosa (across from the original Super Burger), is an homage to decades past, when meals were a social event and food was fresh and made with pride.

Looking for a place to take a working lunch break?  Take advantage of free Wi-Fi while washing the “Gobble Pipe”, their  popular Thanksgiving-inspired sandwich of turkey, brie, caramelized onion, and  cranberry mustard aioli, down with a classic, glass-bottle Coke.  Want to watch a football game before the sports bars open?  With hours from 7 am– 3pm, enjoy their big screen TV and a “Sueyside”, the best-selling stack of 5 pancakes layered  with ham, bacon, sausage, hash browns, and fried egg.

Job foreman Greg Garrison was impressed with Chris’s passion for creating a unique dining experience.  The kitchen is open so you can see your sandwiches being made fresh to order. The walls are hung with vintage advertisements and flapper art above period-perfect wainscoting. Dining tables include classic games like dominoes and conversation starting books like “Would You Rather?”  They also stock a library of autographed books from local authors (they host book signings monthly).

A true supporter of local businesses, Midtown Café makes all sandwiches on Pengrove-baked Full Circle bread, brews locally roasted fair-trade organic coffees and teas, and has local beers on tap.  Their free range turkey and beef are roasted in house, where they also make their corned beef.  Enjoy!

Photos borrowed from adsoftheworld.com

Several members of the Integrity team are member of the Laguna Farm co-operative in Sebastopol, where we pick-up biweekly boxes of fresh, organic produce. Outside of Sonoma County, the Locavores website has a “food web links” section to help locate farmers’ markets (their favorite is at Ferry Market Plaza in San Francisco), farms, and grocery brands produced locally—such as Point Reyes’ Cowgirl Creamery, and Marshall’s Straus Organics, and of course, our area’s plentiful selection of local wines.

Looking for a holiday turkey?

Willie Bird of Santa Rosa has been raising poultry for 75 years, and their free-range offerings will make you quickly forget the usual Butterball (which doesn’t have a single production plant in the western United States).

What about baked goods?

Integrity favorite J.M Rosen’s of Petaluma makes cheesecakes and desserts (see above) so divine that Frank Sinatra had a standing weekly order of four cakes. Available at Whole Foods Market, their seasonal offerings include pumpkin, cranberry, and eggnog cheesecakes. We also recommend La Boulange Bakery, with locations in San Francisco, Marin, and the East Bay (Whole Foods also sells their cookie dough if you want to impress friends with “home-baked” goodies). They use only organic coffee and espresso and recyclable or compostable packaging.

Integrity is proud to support local vendors, local industry, and the satisfied taste-buds of your clients, guests, and families. We wish you a blessed and delicious holiday season!

“World Toilet Organization created WTD to raise global awareness of the struggle 2.6 billion face every day without access to proper, clean sanitation.  WTD also brings to the forefront the health, emotional and psychological consequences the poor endure as a result of inadequate sanitation.”

Integrity is a proud sponsor of 17 children in under-privileged areas around the globe.  Check out World Vision’s photo blog, linked to below, on the efforts they’ve made to provide children around the globe with a safe, sanitary place to “do their business”.

 An ode to the toilet (PHOTO BLOG).

Doors and windows:

Re-caulking gaps around doors and windows prevents water damage and insulates your facility against drafts, resulting in lower heating costs.  It is also wise to check the glazing putty which serves to seal a window into its frame.

Gutters & Downspouts:

Gutters and down spouts need to be cleared regularly through the autumn months.  Gutter-cleaning neglect is linked to such facility issues as wood rot, pest infestation, and foundation damage.

HVAC Maintenance:

It may have been some time since you’ve turned on your furnace, which means ducts filters and filter have accumulated dust and particulates that can cause odor and respiratory issues.  Be sure to schedule a full maintenance service to test accuracy, detect damage, and check for carbon monoxide leaks.

Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Detectors:

California law requires a working carbon monoxide  detector.  Test batteries and function for these and your smoke detectors.

Landscape & Yard Work:

In autumn, grass slows its growth upward as the roots grow deeper to prepare for winter.  This creates the ideal  conditions for fertilizing and reseeding your lawn.

Finally, don’t forget to trim tree limbs that hang near power lines or your facility’s roof, before storms turn them to  hazards.

If you require these tasks, please contact our Float Division.  We look forward to serving your autumn season.

1. Light exit signs with lower energy bulbs such as compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), light emitting diodes (LEDs), neon lighting, etc.  Replacing tungsten bulbs with CFLs makes an immediate cost savings of between 50-80%, and CFLs last up to 10 times longer.

2. Replace T-12 fluorescent lamps with T-8 lamps for improved color, less flickering and 20% lower energy use.

3. Consider occupancy sensors for areas of the office that aren’t used as much, such as the break or conference room—We will gladly install these.

Don’t forget to have Integrity recycle old bulbs for you!