The Refinishing Touch anticipates strong 2011
Alpharetta, GA – The Refinishing Touch, a world leader in on-site environmentally safe and sustainable furniture refinishing, re-upholstering and armoire modification for private and public organizations, has announced a summary of 2010 projects, milestones and successes.

During 2010 The Refinishing Touch completed more than 120 projects of refinishing and refurbishing with public and private organizations such as hotels within the InterContinental Hotels Group, The Hilton Family of Brands, Marriott, as well as government agencies such as The United States Court of Appeals.

The company, which added Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)-complaint TV recycling to its range of services in 2010, is preparing for continued strong demands of its services and products in the coming year from the other sectors it serves, including hotels and hospitality, government institutions and education organizations.

By the close of 2010 The Refinishing Touch will have completed projects for 20,000 customers in all 50 states plus Canada, as well as United States military bases around the world. It has refurbished more than 2.5 million rooms of furniture, saving the equivalent of approximately 7.5 million trees from landfills.

In 2011 The Refinishing Touch will continue to work with a number of household names including the Wyndham Hotel Group, Omni Hotels and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide and more projects nationwide.

The company’s commitment to sustainability is the core value in its own award campaign. The award program recognizes companies that are demonstrating a commitment to sustainability by implementing environmentally friendly practices that reduce their carbon footprint. In all, The Refinishing Touch honored 35 organizations this past year, including:
? Edwards AFB, Edwards CA
? Fairmont Battery Wharf Boston
? Omni Mandalay Hotel at Las Colinas, Dallas TX
? Sunset Station Casino Las Vegas
? Willard Intercontinental Washington, DC

Mario Insenga, founder and president of The Refinishing Touch said: “2010 was an exciting year for the company. We saw growth through new and existing customers and a greater demand for our refurbishing services. 2011 also looks bright, with more opportunities to market our leadership in the industry. We remain committed to helping business owners and organizations adopt environmental sustainability and lower their carbon footprint.”

Television disposal has become a major problem for the hotel industry as independent and chain hotels look to update bulky cathode ray tube television sets and replace them with modern flat screen televisions. This was evident in a survey The Refinishing Touch conducted in October which highlighted the hotel industry’s failure to educate owners and managers on how to recycle television sets, or even that television sets were required to be recycled according to state and regional requirements.

The Refinishing Touch polled over 100 hotel managers, operators and owners and found that despite guidance - and in some cases state laws - to reduce e-waste, television sets ended up in landfills. Two-thirds weren’t aware of what the requirements were for safe disposal. 26 percent of respondents were completely unaware of any requirements around television disposal.
In May, The Refinishing Touch partnered with Federal Prison Industries, Inc. (also known by its trade name UNICOR) to recycle televisions as part of its e-waste program. The work with UNICOR to recycle electronics safely and responsibly as part of its TV recycling program was designed to complement The Refinishing Touch’s armoire conversion services and reduce e-waste.

The Refinishing Touch expanded its range of services in 2010 with furniture hardware finishings, including drawer and door knobs, handles, pulls, casters and drawer glides. The past year also saw an expansion to its Touch Textiles collection with a new line of weatherproof upholstery fabrics designed to withstand UV rays, sunlight and the effects of cleaning agents. These new services complement existing and potential reupholstery projects The Refinishing Touch provides for its customers and partners.

About The Refinishing Touch

The Refinishing Touch® is a world leader in on?site environmentally safe and sustainable furniture refinishing, re-upholstering, armoire modification, EPA and OSHA TV recycling for private and public organizations. Its Touch Textiles division provides eco-friendly indoor and outdoor fabrics that complement its portfolio of materials, such as granite and quartz, as well as furniture hardware fixtures in a range of finishes to offer a one-stop service to its clients. The company has transformed over 2.5 million rooms of furniture, preventing approximately two million hardwood trees from being sent to landfill.

With clients in the government, hospitality and university sectors, The Refinishing Touch enables environmental and sustainability best practices while reducing spending by up to 80%. Clients include: The White House, The Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, US Department of Justice, US Congress, US Department of Defense, US Military and Coast Guard, Hyatt, Marriott, Wyndham, Hilton, IHG and a number of top universities. The company was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgia.

The Refinishing Touch has been recognized by the US General Services Administration with its Evergreen Award for innovative environmentally friendly practices.

SOURCE: The Refinishing Touch
.

Have something to say? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.