Posts Tagged ‘place’
Choose light-emitting diodes (LED) exit signs for best friendly-environment technology
June 14th, 2010
If you are buying exit signs for a building you will be constructing your choice is clear, LED EXIT SIGNS should be installed. Ask your architect or designer to use only LED exit signs in your building. What about the exit signs in an existing building you already occupy? LED exit signs are an ideal replacement but you need to determine what kind of exit sign your facility already has. The following descriptions should help you identify your facility’s exit signs:
• LED Exit Signs: These exit signs have a string of very small, typically red or green, glowing LEDs arranged in a circle or oval. The LEDs may also be arranged in a line on the side, top or bottom of the exit sign. LED exit signs provide the best balance of safety, low maintenance, and very low energy usage compared to other exit sign technologies. ENERGY STAR labeled LED exit signs will use less than 5 watts of power and last over 10 years.
• Incandescent Exit Signs: These exit signs contain one or two incandescent lamps, typically a clear glass bulb with a filament inside, with either a screw-in, bayonet, or push and twist style base. These are the most energy intensive exit signs and consume up to 40 watts of electricity. Signs illuminated with incandescent lamps typically require lamp replacement every 500 to 2,000 hours.
• Fluorescent/CFL Exit Signs: These exit signs typically contain one or two narrow U-shaped tubular lamps that appear frosted. They have a variety of bases but are typically screw-in (self ballasted) or plug in (remote ballasted). These exit signs are more efficient than incandescent exit signs, but still use up to 16 watts of electricity and have lamp life spans of 5,000 to 6,000 hours.
• Photoluminescent Exit Signs: These exit signs use no power and are typically pale green in color. If installed in an inappropriate location they can present problems to facility operators. Photoluminescent signs, though acceptable for a variety of installations, need to be exposed to light each day to charge. If placed in an area that does not receive adequate quantities of light, or is vacant for multiple days, these signs may not produce enough light to be discernable in an emergency.
• Tritium Exit Signs: These exit signs use a mildly radioactive form of hydrogen and require no electricity, but the amount of light they emit will dissipate over time. They are typically pale green in appearance. Disposal of these exit signs may be subject to local environmental ordinances. If you have one of these signs in your building please consult your state environmental office for advice.
Posted in Corporate | 
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SBA chief says administration is asking Congress to extend loan guarantees
February 9th, 2010
Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Karen Mills was in San Antonio Monday to discuss ways both the agency and the Obama administration are working on to further encourage lending to small businesses.
Mills spoke at the annual International Franchise Association convention.
These efforts, Mills says, include asking Congress for additional funding for its loan programs.
In February of 2009, the SBA received $730 million in federal stimulus funding as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. However, this wasn’t enough to meet the loan demand and in December, the SBA received an additional $125 million from Congress.
“We immediately were able to get that out as well. (But) it will run out at the end of this month,” Mills says, adding that the president has asked Congress for another extension in funding.
SBA spokesman Jonathan Swain says the president called for extending the recovery act provisions for the SBA’s 7a and 504 Certified Development Company loan programs through Sept. 30, 2010. The House passed legislation that would do so and it included $323 million to fund the extension. The U.S. Senate has not yet acted on the proposal.
“We are continuing to discuss it with the Senate and are hopeful we will see the extension move forward soon,” Swain says.
If granted, Mills says, the additional funds will be used to increase the loan limit for its 7(a) and 504 loan programs from $2 million to $5 million. Mills says about 10 percent or 12 percent of the loans made with recovery funds have gone to franchisees. Many of these franchisees, she says, have expressed the need for larger loan limits in order to purchase buildings or to make acquisitions.
“So, we’ve proposed to Congress that we increase these loans,” she says.
Other things the SBA is looking to do is extend the 90 percent guarantee on its 7(a) loan program.
The Recovery Act, among other things, temporarily raised the guarantee on the 7(a) loan program up to 90 percent through the end of the calendar year 2009, or until funds set aside for the program were exhausted.
Prior to the enactment of the law, the guarantee on the 7(a) loan program was between 75 percent and 85 percent.
The act also temporarily eliminated fees for borrowers on the 7(a) loans as well as fees for both borrowers and lenders on the 504 loans through the end of the year or until funding for the enhanced programs are exhausted.
The 504 CDC loans are principally used for land, new building construction, acquisition and rehab of existing buildings, long-term machinery and equipment purchases, and debt refinancing.
Interestingly, Mills says, the agency is also seeking to use its 504 loan program to refinance owner-occupied commercial real estate mortgages.
Mills says that in this present economic environment, in an effort to get commercial mortgages off their books, some banks may be unwilling to renew commercial real estate mortgages even if the owners have never missed a payment.
Using the 504 loan program in this capacity temporarily, she says, could benefit these business owners.
Mills says the agency has been meeting with small and large banks as well as small businesses and community leaders around the country to develop the measures that it is seeking from Congress. And, she says she believes these measures are ones that will be easy to implement.
“We can do those things quickly within the programmatic structure that we already have (in place) at very cost-effective rates,” she says.
Posted in Corporate |
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Schneider National to hire 2,500 drivers in 2010
February 9th, 2010
Schneider National Inc. of Green Bay, the largest privately held trucking company in the country, said Monday that it plans to hire 2,500 new drivers for its regional fleet this year to serve a growing freight base.
Drivers will be hired in each of its five regions: West, Southwest, Midwest, Southeast and Northeast. Hiring is expected to take place during the entire year, with all 2,500 new drivers in place by December.
Regional drivers will provide short-haul services for Schneider customers. Schedules will allow drivers to have time at home each week.
“Work-life balance is more important than ever to today’s professional truck driver,” said Mike Hinz, vice president, Schneider National. “Schneider’s regional driving opportunities are a perfect fit for those drivers who want to make a good living with a company that will be here tomorrow, and at the same time, enjoy more time at home with their families.”
Schneider said strong reception of the regional service by customers and drivers has accelerated Schneider’s regional expansion plans.
“The customer demand for our regional service has exceeded our expectations and created enough freight density to get drivers home weekly,” Hinz said.
Schneider will continue to provide long-haul service for customers.
Schneider National is a $3.7 billion provider of truckload, logistics and intermodal services.
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