Room In The Inn Needs Community Support To Replace Aging HVAC Units chattanoogapulse.com
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Room In The Inn Needs Community Support To Replace Aging HVAC Units - chattanoogapulse.com
Why HVAC Installation and Replacement Matters More Than You Think in Houston Archives The Katy News
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Why HVAC Installation and Replacement Matters More Than You Think in Houston Archives - The Katy News
Get Ready For a Great Run in HVAC Replacements Contracting Business
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Get Ready For a Great Run in HVAC Replacements - Contracting Business
Noted the Best HVAC Company in Monroe, Michigan J&K Heating & Cooling Techs Sport New Uniforms to Prove It PRUnderground
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Noted the Best HVAC Company in Monroe, Michigan J&K Heating & Cooling Techs Sport New Uniforms to Prove It - PRUnderground
As students return to school for the third full year of pandemic-era learning, President Joe Bidens administration is emphasizing robust vaccination and testing efforts as well as improved air quality to protect school communities from the COVID-19 virus.
The White House released a back-to-school fact sheet Aug. 16 with information on COVID-19 safety best practices and resources for districts as they begin another school year. The information came days after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new COVID-19 guidance for schools, rolling back test-to-stay and quarantine requirements that guided school responses to the pandemic for the past two-plus years.
Under the new CDC guidance, schools are encouraged to let community considerations drive safety strategies, recommending masks only in areas with high community levels of virus spread. As of Aug. 11, 40 percent of counties, districts, or territories had a high level of the spread of COVID-19, according to the CDC.
In its fact sheet, the White House followed the CDCs lead, de-emphasizing the importance of masking and quarantining and instead focusing on vaccinations, testing, and air quality as major prevention strategies.
Im confident that with the support of the American Rescue Plan and other federal resources, we can keep all our children, all across the country, safe, healthy, and learning on the road to success, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said in a statement.
School districts should have a robust plan to ensure all teachers and students who want to be vaccinated can do so, the White House said.
Vaccines are available for everyone 6 months and older, and boosters are open to every person 5 years and older. The White House suggests districts use vaccines as the first line of defense against the virus by ensuring students, employees, and families know their options. (The CDC and White House guidance do not recommend requiring that students be vaccinated against the virus, but rather instruct districts to encourage students to get vaccinated.)
The Biden administration plans to work with the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association to encourage members to get a COVID-19 booster this fall. The CDC has various resources, including a Booster Tool, a COVID-19 vaccines page, and Vaccines.gov, that all have information on who is eligible for boosters and how to access them. The AFT and NEA will also emphasize the importance of educators who are 50 or older getting their second booster if they have not done so.
The White House used the fact sheet as an opportunity to call on school districts to host vaccine clinics. Schools can use funding from the American Rescue Plan and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to cover the costs of vaccine clinics, and the CDC published its own guide for schools planning vaccination clinics.
In its new recommendations, the CDC scaled back testing guidance, removing the popular test-to-stay strategy, which allowed students to remain in class after being exposed to the virus if they undergo periodic testing. Instead, the health agency recommended diagnostic testing for anyone who is showing symptoms of the virus. It also recommended screening testing be used for high-risk activities, such as contact sports and early childhood education programs, for schools in areas with high community spread of the virus.
In its fact sheet, the White House emphasized testing as a strategy to protect students from the virus. The Biden administration plans to distribute 5 million over-the-counter rapid tests and 5 million swab PCR tests as well as additional point-of-care rapid tests to schools over the next year.
Districts can order the tests through January 2023, according to the fact sheet. Schools can also use funding from the CDC Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity program, which provided $10 billion to K-12 schools to pay for tests, the fact sheet said.
Schools are still able to use American Rescue Plan dollars to pay for air quality improvements in their buildings. According to the fact sheet, the funds can be used to cover the costs of inspections, repairs, upgrades, and replacements in HVAC systems. The money can also go toward air conditioners, fans, portable air cleaners, and germicidal UV light systems, as well as repairing windows and doors.
The administration plans to collaborate with HVAC professional associations to provide expert guidance and technical support to improve indoor air quality at schools.
The U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Energy also plan to highlight school districts that are excelling in efforts to improve indoor air quality through the energy departments Efficient and Healthy Schools Campaign over the coming months. The departments plan to release criteria for recognition in the coming weeks, according to the fact sheet.
The Environmental Protection Agency also has a set of resources that schools can use to improve air quality, including its Clean Air in Buildings Challenge and a guide for indoor air quality in schools. The CDC provides air ventilation guidance through its interactive school ventilation tool.
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White House Outlines Key COVID-Prevention Strategies for This School Year - Education Week
Investment Supports McWilliams & Son's Rapid Expansion Through Organic Growth and Strategic Acquisitions in the Growing, Resilient and Highly Fragmented Residential Services Market
SAN FRANCISCO and LUFKIN, Texas, Aug. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Percheron Capital ("Percheron"), a private equity firm focused on partnering with high-quality essential services businesses, today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire a majority stake in McWilliams & Son ("McWilliams" or the "Company"), a leading residential HVAC and plumbing services platform. Following the transaction, McWilliams' Chief Executive Officer, Trey McWilliams, will remain a significant investor and continue to lead the Company. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Founded in 1974 in Texas by the McWilliams family, McWilliams & Son offers residential HVAC and plumbing maintenance, repair and replacement services with a reputation for outstanding quality and customer service. The Company's people-first values focused on service, trust and reliability have resulted in industry-leading customer satisfaction scores and consistent growth for over 45 years. McWilliams' commitment to providing advanced training programs, innovative technology and equipment to its technicians has made the Company an employer of choice in the markets it operates.
Under Trey McWilliams' leadership, the Company has successfully expanded its reach through strong organic growth, new branch openings and acquisitions of high-quality, partnership-focused residential HVAC and plumbing businesses. With Percheron's strategic support and operational resources, McWilliams is well-positioned to further accelerate its growth in new and existing markets.
Trey McWilliams said, "I am proud of our exceptional team and the strong business we have built together. We attribute our success to our people-centric approach and unwavering commitment to our customers, team members and community. Percheron embodies our values and brings significant experience and a strong track record supporting high-growth, acquisitive services businesses. I am excited about the significant opportunities our partnership with Percheron creates for our team members as we continue executing on our vision of building the premier provider of residential HVAC and plumbing services in the country."
Chris Lawler, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Percheron, commented, "The residential HVAC and plumbing services market has been a thematic investment priority for Percheron given the industry's large size, non-discretionary services, strong and resilient growth and high fragmentation. We are thrilled to partner with Trey McWilliams and his team, who have built a rare platform with best-in-class operational and performance metrics, including leading customer service scores, technician productivity and retention. The Company is supported by advanced technology, systems and processes, and has a strong track record of growth through both organic initiatives and strategic acquisitions. We look forward to leveraging Percheron's deep operational capabilities to support the next phase of McWilliams' rapid growth."
About McWilliams & Son
McWilliams & Son is a leading HVAC and plumbing services business founded in 1974 in Texas by the McWilliams family. For over 45 years, McWilliams & Son has proudly served customers with a reputation for outstanding quality and customer service. A hometown company with hometown values, McWilliams & Son puts its customers, employees and community first. McWilliams & Son invests heavily in its team members, including providing industry-leading training programs and advanced technology and equipment, to enable team members to achieve their full potential and better serve our valued customers. For more information, please visit http://www.mcwilliamsandson.com.
About Percheron Capital
Percheron Capital is a private equity firm focused on partnering with exceptional teams to build market-leading services businesses.The firm's purpose is to help high-quality businesses accelerate growth and enhance long-term value. Percheron has over $1 billion in assets under management and focuses on investing in strong services businesses in resilient end markets, including animal health, automotive, education, food & beverage, healthcare & wellness, and residential. For more information, please visit http://www.percheroncapital.com.
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EPB and the Tennessee Valley Authority have completed their 600th Home Uplift energy renovation for people in need and announced the investment of another $1,068,146 to keep the program going strong.Through Home Uplift, the EPB Energy ProsSM and TVA EnergyRight work with neighbors in need to provide substantial home energy upgrades at no charge to reduce their energy bills and improve the air quality. Both homeowners and renters can apply for the program.Through the Home Uplift partnership, the EPBs Energy Pros provided Joyce Threat with a new HVAC to replace her propane furnace along with complete insulation, air sealing throughout her home and more. According to Threat, the program saved her thousands of dollars when the price of propane spiked last winter, with the likelihood of even higher prices during the next cold season. I got my Home Uplift just in time, said Ms. Threat. Im very happy with the job they did and the service they gave me. My daughter has asthma, and she doesnt cough anymore when she visits me.Eligible Home Uplift participants may receive duct replacement, water heater and pipe insulation, wall insulation, HVAC clean and tune, windows and door replacement, and replacing heat pumps, water heaters and refrigerators. On average, EPBs Home Uplift participants save more than $400 on their energy costs each year with those who have the highest energy burden saving much more, officials said.Home Uplift participants understand that this program is about more than just energy efficiency, said Cindy Herron, vice president, TVA Energy Services & Programs. Were strengthening their quality of life by lowering their monthly power bills and improving home comfort, health and safety.As global forces drive up local energy bills, EPB is placing a priority on supporting our community through our EPB Energy Pros programs which include Home Uplift, free EPB Home Energy CheckupsSM for all EPB customers and other offerings designed to help our neighbors get the most value for the energy they use, said David Wade, president & CEO of EPB. In recent years, we have accelerated the number of Home Uplift energy renovations we complete each year while also providing free expert guidance from the EPB Energy Pros to all of our customers in-person, virtually, by phone, through our at Home with EPB Energy Pros video series and more.EPB and TVA first partnered in 2015 to provide high-impact home energy upgrades to qualified homeowners with the goal of helping them enhance the energy efficiency of their residence. Those who qualify receive home improvements at no cost to help them reduce their power bills. Since then, EPB, TVA, the City of Chattanooga and Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation have invested a total of $7.4 million locally. Across the Tennessee Valley, TVA has invested more than $21.68 million in the program.Officials said, "Analyzing Smart Grid weather-normalized energy data, EPB found each of the 600 homes will save more than 4,000 kWh on average each year, for a total of two million kWh each year."Savings translate to approximately 1,800 metric tons of avoided greenhouse gas creation, an environmental impact that equals avoiding the use of 1.9 million pounds of coal or more than 4,000 barrels of oil."Some Hamilton County residents have to make difficult decisions about what bills they can afford to pay, a harsh reality for more people as energy costs remain high, said Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger. Home Uplift gives families the peace of mind and better quality of life that comes from being able to address their needs."By lowering energy bills for some of our most vulnerable residents, Home Uplift is helping people stay in their homes, while also improving their health and reducing our greenhouse-gas emissions, said Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly. As Chattanooga continues to grow, programs like Home Uplift are key to preserving affordable housing and ensuring a more sustainable future for our city.Officials said, "In addition to joining other partners in funding the program, EPB also staffs Home Uplift with EPB Energy Pros who work with eligible Home Uplift participants to identify the home energy renovations that will provide them with the best cost-savings on their monthly bills."The EPB Energy Pros provide free expertise and services that are available to all EPB customers. For example, they provide free EPB Home Energy Checkups, in-person assessments of customers homes and provide them with personalized recommendations about the most cost-effective ways to make their homes healthier and more energy efficient."EPB Energy Pros can also provide guidance to help customers plan solar installations, install EV chargers and make home energy renovations. Theyll even inspect the contractors work when the project is done to ensure optimal customer benefit. In addition, EPB Energy Pros are available for phone consultations on all home energy related topics from questions about buying major appliances, what kind of insulation will provide the most cost-effective savings, to whether its time to buy a new hot water heater."All of these services are available to both homeowners and renters at no charge to help them get the most value from the energy they use. Customers can call our EPB Energy Pros at 423-648-1372 or book an appointment at EPB.com/energypros."EPB, TVA, and the City of Chattanooga encourage neighbors in need to apply now for Home Uplift by going to: epb.com/homeuplift. Renters can also apply to the program with consent from their landlord."
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EPB & TVA Complete 600th Home Uplift Energy Renovation And Announce Additional Program Funding For People In Need - The Chattanoogan
Is your air conditioner ready for summers home stretch? Heres how to find out.
Its August in North Texas, and if youre not wearing out your air conditioner, youre a stronger person than I am. Even though the ber months are a mere two weeks away, round these parts we bust out the pumpkin spice long before we put away the sunscreen.
In this record-breaking heat, weve already suggested that yougive your AC a little extra TLC, but theres always room for more knowledge about a North Texan in Augusts best friend your AC.
If youve ever opened up your AC to find that its frozen solid, thats a thing you never forget. That can happen when the airflow gets blocked by a dirty filter, all that cold air gets trapped, and the coils freeze. During a hot summer like this one, its especially important to change your filters regularly.
When times are tough, head up to the attic and share a cold one with your AC unit OK, but remember to remove the evidence when youre done.
Heres why you need a home inspector. This unit was installed improperly, and no one would have noticed because the problem is tucked underneath the unit where no one can see it.
Dont you just hate that word? Mold loves it. And you know what happens when its 120 degrees in your attic and 75 in your living room? Moisture forms in between.
Keep an eye out for moisture forming on vents and the areas around them. If you see moisture, you likely have a leak somewhere that needs sealing. Call your AC company for a service appointment so your unit is working efficiently and youre not breathing mold.
September is coming, but your poor AC still has a long way to go, so change those filters, and if you havent done it in a while, have your system serviced. Maintenance is less expensive than repairs, and repairs are less expensive than replacement.
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Fall is on The Way, But Your Air Conditioner Can't Catch a Break Yet - CandysDirt.com - Candy's Dirt
Graphic via Inc. 5000
published on August 16, 2022 - 9:54 AMWritten by The Business Journal Staff
A quartet of local businesses have made the annual Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing companies in the U.S.
Business magazine Inc. ranks participating private companies on three-year revenue growth from 2018 to 2021 for this years list. The minimum revenue required for 2018 is $100,000; the minimum for 2021 is $2 million.
Inc. Special Projects Editor Eric Hagerman noted in strong terms the rate at which companies on the list grew revenue this year.
Theres rapid growth, and then theres the sort of rapid growth that can melt the enamel right off your damn teeth, Hagerman wrote. Surely thats what it felt like for the founders in this edition of our annual list of Americas fastest-growing private companies. For they have piloted their startups on an atmosphere-piercing ride the likes of which weve not seen before. Among the top 500, the median revenue growth rate over the past three years is 2,144 percent up from 1,820 percent for the 2021 list.
Fresno-based Balanced Comfort made the No. 511 spot on the list the highest of any local firm. The company led by Aaron Husak was founded in 2012 and provides HVAC, plumbing, energy audit and modeling services. Balanced Comfort reported 1,211% growth over the last three years, improving its position on the list from No. 817 in 2021.
Kuubix Global in Visalia made the No. 670 spot on the list with 939% growth over the last three years. The company, under the leadership of Josh Butt, designs and installs solar panel systems for residential and commercial use.
EKC Enterprises in Fresno earned the No. 2,920 spot on the list with 186% growth. Under the leadership of Chris Shafer, the company provides low-voltage integration services for schools, colleges, hospitals and more.
Fresno-based Lees Air, Plumbing & Heating came in at No. 4,469 on the list with three-year growth of 99%. Under the leadership of Thomas Howard, the HVAC company provides air, plumbing and heating maintenance repair and replacement for residential and commercial customers.
No. 1 on the Inc. 5000 list was New Jersey-based financial services company BlockFi, which according to Inc. bridges the gap between traditional finance and cryptocurrency. It had three-year growth of 245,616%.
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Fresno, Visalia firms land on tooth-melting Inc. 5000 list - The Business Journal
Grant Morgan was baffled. It was March 2020, Covid was raging across the nation and one of the simplest ways to kill a virusblasting it with ultraviolet lightwas not being used in schools and nursing homes because hospital grade disinfection devices cost over $100,000. But the cofounder and CEO of R-Zero couldnt understand why: Thats a lightbulb on wheels with a timer. Theres no way it costs $100,000 to make, says Morgan, whod previously worked at Abbott and mobile phone repair startup iCracked. Its an artifact of our screwed-up healthcare system.
By April he and his cofoundersventure capitalist Ben Boyer and Eli Harris, whod worked at drone company DJI and cofounded battery startup EcoFlowwere struggling to build their own lower-cost disinfecting ultraviolet lights. Within months, R-Zero had lined up its first customers, leasing them a mobile device for $17/month that could zap a room clean within minutes. Today, the Salt Lake City-based startup sells ultraviolet-based hardware that disinfects, software and sensors that gauge how crowded a room is and a dashboard that provides analytics on how the devices are used.
You look at people starting companies and you think theres a formula. The dirty secret is no one knows what they are doing.
Last year, revenue reached $13 million; its expected to triple this year. With $170 million in equity funding from investors that include Silicon Valleys DBL Partners and the Mayo Clinic, R-Zero is now valued at $505 million. That fast growth helped it gain a spot on this years Forbes Next Billion-Dollar Startups list, one of 25 companies we think most likely to reach a $1 billion valuation.
With concern over the pandemic fading, Morgan now sees a far bigger opportunity beyond Covid. The same ultraviolet light disinfection technology that inactivates the coronavirus can also help lower the risk of transmission of other diseases, including influenza and noroviruseven monkeypox. Ultraviolet devices, which rely on a short wavelength of light known as UVC, work without toxic chemicals or massive energy use. Since they disinfect indoor environments and not the human body, they are not considered medical devicesmeaning the company doesnt need to spend time and money dealing with the FDA.
I think we can come out of Covid and build a safer, healthier, new normal, says Morgan. I think this is going to be baked into every physical space. It will be as ubiquitous as general lighting.
Morgan, 33, grew up in Folsom, California, the city made famous by Johnny Cashs Folsom Prison Blues. His father was an accountant; his mother ran a small business that sold printing forms and then became a school administrator. In high school, Morgan played drums in a jazz band (We went to Europe and opened for Carlos Santana), but opted to study mechanical engineering at California Polytechnic State University.
After a stint at Abbott and at a small medical device maker, he landed at iCracked in 2015 when his buddy AJ Forsythe, whod started the company in his Cal Poly dorm, called. You look at people starting companies and you think theres a formula. The dirty secret is no one knows what they are doing, he says. That was a really empowering thing for me early on in my career.
It also reinforced his preference for startups over big companies. When Allstate acquired iCracked in February 2019, he stayed just six months before going to another startup. I dont have an off switch, Morgan says. Its a blessing and a curse. I am, maybe, maladjusted. The status quo makes me uncomfortable.
The traditional chemical disinfection industry is highly inefficient. Itsineffective, its unsustainable, its dangerous and its labor intensive.
It was venture capitalist, Boyer, 46, cofounder of Tenaya Capital, who had the original germ of an idea to use ultraviolet light to fight Covid. Boyer would bring the connections and strategy, Morgan the leadership. Their third-cofounder, Harris, had experience making hardware and knew how to sell.
Harris, who is 29 and a Forbes Under 30 alum, had an unconventional upbringing on a shared property in Santa Barbara. His parents had spent many years overseashis mother on ashrams in India, his father in Kenyaand he studied Mandarin in college at Amherst. For a decade, he lived in China, working at drone company DJI in Shenzhen and then cofounding battery startup EcoFlow in 2016. He and Morgan had connected over a potential partnership for iCracked technicians to repair DJI drones that never panned out.
For scientific credibility, they connected with Richard Wade, a toxicology expert (and father of an iCracked employee) who came on as the companys chief scientist. At 76, Wade, who has a PhD in environmental health sciences from the University of Michigan, had worked in public health for decades, and, among other roles, had been the VP of environmental health at cruise lines Princess and Norwegian. He had, notably, written the protocol for decontamination of the Diamond Princess ship after its Covid-19 outbreak. My bias was UV because of it demonstrated efficacy, Wade says.
After briefly considering on-demand disinfection, they quickly shifted their idea to buildingand sellingthe ultraviolet devices themselves at a price that would work for restaurants, hotels and schools. I called Ben back and said, Youre going to think Im crazy, but were building lights. Hes like, You are crazy, but Im in, Morgan says.
It wasnt easy. The supply chain crunch meant that ultraviolet lightbulbs were tough to get. Morgan, who knew that manufacturers typically produce a few extra for every big order they get, went to LightSources, one of the biggest ultraviolet bulb makers, and asked to buy anything they could spare. We got the overrun bulbs, just five bulbs, he says. Then they scoured the Internet for more, eventually getting enough bulbs to work out a design.
By July, theyd built a prototype named Hope (as in hope this works) that was six and a-half feet tall, held together with duct tape and wire. They dragged it to Atelier Crenn, a Michelin-starred French restaurant in San Francisco and gained a first beta customer. Then they loaded it into a minivan, driving around Californiato a luxury dude ranch, to schools, to anyone who might be a customerto show it off. Helped by its relatively low price and the panic of many business owners over how to reopen safely, they started lining up customers.
The traditional chemical disinfection industry is highly inefficient, says Ira Ehrenpreis, managing partner at DBL Partners, an early investor in Tesla who led R-Zeros $15 million funding round in August of 2020. Its ineffective, its unsustainable, its dangerous and its labor intensive.
With the new funds, R-Zero placed a large order for ultraviolet lightbulbs, and focused on improving their design. They wanted a product that would not only disinfect safely, but also wouldnt look out of place in a restaurant or school. They hired Bould Design, a San Mateo, California-based shop that had designed Nests thermostats and Rokus streaming players, to come up with a streamlined look. It had to look safe, says William Dougherty, chief information security officer at digital healthcare firm Omada Health, which signed a deal with R-Zero when he reconfigured the companys space last year.
Today, in addition to Omada Health, customers include large school districts, like those in Clark County, Nevada, Fort Bend, Texas, and South San Francisco; sports teams like the San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Red Wings; senior care facilities including Trilogy Health Services, which operates 132 locations across the Midwest; and companies like electric vehicle startup Rivian and household products manufacturer Simple Green.
R-Zero switched from a pricing model of leasing its devices at ultra-low cost to a more sustainable model of selling them and charging a subscription of between $50 and $250 a month to cover things like software and replacement bulbs. The company now offers three devices. Its original, mobile Arc device is the most expensive at $28,000 and can only be used to disinfect an empty room due to the harmful impact of the wavelength of its UVC light (254 nanometers) on people. R-Zeros two newer devices are cheaper and designed to operate continuously in the background. Both came to market in November of 2021.
Beam ($5,000) is an LED-based, upper room disinfection device that uses 265-nanometer ultraviolet light to create a disinfection zone located above people in a room. Vive ($3,000), meanwhile, uses a wavelength known as far-UVC at 222-nanometers to inactivate harmful microorganisms in the air and on surfaces, even while people are present. While the Beam works in large open spaces, like classrooms and office lobbies, the Vive can be installed in smaller spaces, such as conference rooms and bathrooms.
What we have come to realize is that there is not one-size, fits-all for infection protection, Boyer says. What Arc competes with is some form of chemical intervention. For Beam and Vive, its HVAC upgrades.
In July 2021, R-Zero acquired a tiny outfit called CoWorkR that uses sensors to gauge how many people are in a room. That information, in turn, allows it to determine a rooms riska packed room is less safeand to automatically turn the disinfection devices on or off. The data also allows R-Zero to give its customers advice on whether meeting rooms are over capacity and how to space meetings out to lower infection risk.
Before the pandemic, people accepted as normal that illnesses like influenza and the common cold spread through offices and schools, Morgan says. Yet the technology that could reduce the risk of Covid-19 could also cut the transmission of these longstanding illnesses, a boon to both health and productivity. The vision long term is to sell a reduction in sick days, Morgan says. Were capitalists, but I want my gravestone to say, Grant helped eradicate the flu.
Header image of R-Zero founders Grant Morgan, Ben Boyer and Eli Harris with their UV-based disinfection devices.
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This Startup Wants To Bring Disinfecting UV Light Into Every Physical Space - Forbes