March 2010 Newsletter

A baseball “doubleheader” at Huntington Park is in the offing for members, families, and guests of the Central Ohio IFMA Chapter this spring.

First, some 25 lucky persons—it’s first in, first served—will get a “behind-the-scenes tour” of the year-old facility April 21. The tour will begin (as usual) at 5 p.m., and (as always) is limited to the first 25 persons who respond to the Program Committee through the Web site.

“The second event at Huntington Park is a Family Night June 8 and is open to all members and their families and guests. However, unlike the April 21 tour where there is no member charge, there is for the family event.

The Membership Committee has put together a great night for the Clippers game against the Rochester Red Wings.

Family Night begins with a social event from 5:30-7 p.m. at an IFMA designated patio area where there will be an opportunity for great fellowship and an ample supply of hot dogs, hamburgers, cheese and relish trays, baked beans, potato salad, chips, cookies, soda, water, and a cash bar.

After everyone has “rubbed shoulders” and is well fed, it’s on to a reserved seating section for the ballgame.

The cost for the night is $25 for adults and $23 for youth (12 and under) and senior citizens (60 and over). Checks payable to IFMA Central Ohio Chapter may be mailed to:

Lisa Schultz, Limbach Office
822 Cleveland Avenue
Columbus 43201

Membership Committee also will be available at April and May chapter events for ticket purchase. Tickets will be mailed or available at IFMA meetings and events.

In addition to Schultz, Membership Committee co-chair, committee members Matt Gleim and Steve Bauman are in charge of preparations for the event.

Gleim said, “We think this will be a great social event, and we are planning for at least 60 adults and 20 or more youth and seniors. This is an outstanding facility and was named “Ballpark of the Year” last year by Baseballparks.com.”

“The Baseballparks.com award is given to the new stadium with the "best combination of superior design, attractive site selection and fan amenities." Huntington Park won over all other new or renovated baseball stadiums in the country, including the new Yankee Stadium and the New York Mets’ new Citi Field.

Gleim, vice president of Blue Ridge Service Corp, a Platinum level sponsor of the chapter, said his company will be offering “stress balls,” and/or baseballs as door prizes for the event.

For those unfamiliar with Huntington Park and the Columbus Clippers, the $56 million, 10,000 seat facilities is in the Arena District at Neil Ave. and Nationwide Blvd. The Clippers are a Triple-A minor league baseball team in the International League and are currently affiliated with the Cleveland Indians.

There is ample parking at about $3 per car within a 10-minute walk of the stadium, and you should have no trouble finding the right patio area. Just look for the IFMA banner!

Photos of this event - click here

It was on St. Patrick’s Day (March 17) that members and guests of the Central Ohio IFMA Chapter touring Emerson Network Power’s new Learning Center in Westerville found gold—LEED Certified Gold, the second highest designation granted by the U.S. Green Building Council.

The 70,000-square-foot training center at 530 Westar Blvd., Westerville, opened last September for Emerson employees, customers, and partners, and provides hands-on data center infrastructure support training for more than 1,000 students a year.

It is also the suburban community’s first LEED certified building.

Those fortunate enough to make the tour were escorted through the facility by Mark Cousino, manager of technical training, and Doug Vidler, director of corporate training and development.

When the building was opened, Frank Bibens, president of Emerson‘s Liebert services business said:

“Those who utilize the facility will be trained on the latest technical innovations, operations, and maintenance techniques for the company’s Liebert power and cooling equipment. This is an ideal learning environment where knowledge sharing, innovation, and technology advancement are embraced.”

Emerson, which acquired the Liebert Corp. in 1987, formed Emerson Network Power in 2000 to bring together its divisions that provide solutions for network and computer protection.

A main feature of the Westerville facility is an 11,000-square-foot equipment laboratory that houses Emerson Network Power equipment. Through design innovation, the laboratory runs at a 75 percent reduction in power consumption, achievable because the Learning Center is a teaching facility that is not supporting critical systems.

In addition to the equipment laboratory and classrooms, the building includes the Customer Resolution Center, a state-of-the-art call center which enables the Liebert services business to support customers who require the highest level of service response for their critical systems.

The building, located on five acres, has a number of environmentally-friendly construction and design elements that enabled it to receive the Gold LEED designation. These include:

• A 35.7 percent annual water savings with the use of low flow water fixtures.
• Recycling and diverting over 75 percent of construction waste from landfills.
• Automatic lighting controls throughout the building to reduce electricity waste by turning off the lights when a room is not in use.
• Using more than 20 percent of construction materials that were processed/manufactured regionally, saving transportation fuel.
• Using sustainably grown wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council and low emitting materials that limit adverse health effects on workers and visitors.
• Drought tolerant plants purposely chosen to reduce the amount of water needed for landscape maintenance.
• Capture of rainwater in the on-site pond which supplies 100 percent non-potable water for landscape irrigation.
• Twenty-two spaces for bicycles, and facilities for riders to change and shower to encourage associates to bike to work.
• Preferred parking spaces to reward associates for using low-emitting, fuel-efficient vehicles and to encourage carpooling.
• An east/west building layout that increases the amount of sunlight utilized by building occupants. Ninety-six percent of the work spaces have access to daylight and outside views for more natural light in the building.
• White roof materials that reflect the sun to help reduce the amount of energy needed to cool the building.

“Look ma, no hands!”

This might well be the rallying cry for Vince Newton, owner, operator of Commercial Restroom Products and member of the Central Ohio IFMA Chapter.

Through his new company, Newton is working to get people out of restrooms “hands free,” and, in doing so, germ free.

And while his product line features Moen Sensor Flush Valves for toilets and urinals, Moen Sensor Faucets for sinks, and the Xlerator hand dryers that whisk away water in 10-15 seconds, it is the SanitGrasp door handle that adds “the final touch to a touchless restroom.”

Newton said, “With the awareness of H1N1 influenza, almost everyone knows of the danger of spreading germs. This is why ‘hands free’ restroom products are becoming very popular with the general public as well as in the workplace.

“The SanitGrasp door handle is in the shape of a ‘J,’ thereby enabling a person to open a door with a closed fist, wrist, or forearm. This is a simple solution to the old concern—‘I washed my hands, but did the person who grabbed the door handle before me do the same?’

“If the restroom has paper towels, they are often used to grasp the handle and open the door, but then the disposal of the towel may be a problem. If the owner has installed hand dryers to save money, visitors must use their hands or sleeves to open the door. In doing so, there still may be enough germs on the handle to transfer during the door opening process.”

The SanitGrasp, which can be easily attached, is four inches by 16 inches, and is made of 12 gauge stainless steel plate with anti-microbial protection. The handle is easier to use by all persons than the traditional door handle, Newton said.

Newton opened his company in 2008 shortly after he retired as eastern regional sales manager for Waterless Co., a Vista, CA company specializing in waterless type urinals.

“Rather than retire and play terrible golf, I decided to form my own company and continue to offer my many years of experience with commercial plumbing products.

“A second motive was to continue to be active in promoting restroom products which are recognized as ‘green’ and/or save water – such as the waterless type urinal I had been associated with previously.

“It was with this in mind that I joined IFMA in 2008,” Newton said.

In addition to his “hands free” products, the company offers a number of specialty/hygienic products, including replacing toilet partitions, enzyme type urinal cakes, and a natural organic restroom cleaner. To obtain more information about the company, go to http://www.commercialrestroomproducts.com.

Newton has spent much of his career as a representative of companies manufacturing and/or selling commercial plumbing or restroom products.

“After graduating from St. Mary’s High School (a German Village school since closed), my first full-time job was as an assistant mail boy with Integrity Supply, a Columbus plumbing wholesaler, which was the ultimate entry level position. However, it did pave the way for my future career in plumbing sales,” he said.

While in high school, Newton, who plays tenor sax, and several friends formed a dance band known as The Classmen.

“We were all from different high schools, but we all took music lessons from the same individual. We stayed together for six years and played for proms, wedding receptions, and at the officers’ and NCO (non-commissioned officers) clubs at what was then Lockbourne Air Force Base,” he said.

Newton also played the sax while in the Navy and aboard the USS WASP, a carrier often involved in the recovery of Gemini capsules.

Thirty-seven years after the members of the band went their separate ways, Newton was “scrounging around in my dad’s basement,” and discovered a reel-to-reel tape the group had made in its heyday.

This prompted Newton to see if he could find the others of the group. It took about two months, and he was able to locate all but one. After a reunion and another chance meeting it was decided to bring The Classmen out of retirement. Their first performance was at Newton’s daughter’s wedding in 2000.

For six years the group traveled the Columbus area before deciding “we were too large for small gigs and not quite good enough to justify the going rate for wedding receptions” and again dissolved.

However, Leo Hall, who played alto sax, had a software package that enabled him to program for a three-piece rhythm section—keyboard, bass, and drums—and he and Newton formed The Saxmen, a two-man group that sounds like a five-piece combo that performs today.

“If someone is looking for background music (big band, swing, or jazz) for a cocktail party, during dinner, or for a silent auction or fundraiser, Leo and I will play. If someone wants entertainment, we add a vocalist who sings 50 percent of the songs we play,” Newton said.

Newton and his wife, Sharon, reside in Westerville. They are parents of six grown children and eight grandchildren for whom they are “active babysitters.”