Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

7 Seventy House is defying the odds in Hudson Countys rental market, recording a high level of spring velocity thats propelled the luxury new. apartment building in Hoboken, N.J. past the notable mark of 70% leased.

While much of New Jerseys Hudson River Gold Coast has experienced slowed activity as the coronavirus pandemic took hold, The Marketing Directors, the exclusive leasing and marketing agent at 7 Seventy House, has reported steady leasing at the 424-home building.The landmark Marchetto Higgins Stieve Architects (MHS Architects)-designed building features a 14-story high rise tower with multiple terraced setbacks, a glass and brick exterior and a distinctive columned entryway.

The uninterrupted pace has been fueled by the large pool of renters exclusively seeking brand new apartments, and the implementation of a comprehensive digital presentation that allows prospects to remotely view 7 Seventy House with one-on-one interactive virtual tours of the fully-furnished model apartments and world class amenities.

The newsworthy leasing mark was achieved simultaneously with another significant milestone at 7 Seventy House. Developer Bijou Properties and partner Intercontinental Real Estate Corporation have announced the building is now over 50% occupied.

7 Seventy House was developed in conjunction with a two-acre public resiliency park right outside the building. The 7th and Jackson park features a public plaza with step seating and tilted lawn panel, large plaza to accommodate vendors and seasonal markets, a childrens playground, a one-acre green space designed for active and passive recreation uses and a state-of-the-art 6,835 square-foot community gymnasium.

7 Seventy House boasts a comprehensive 90,000 square-foot resort-style amenity package that includes its residents-only outdoor spaces. Theres also a penthouse pool with lounge seating, expansive amenity deck with BBQ stations, bocce ball court, state-of-the-art multi-level gym, play room, game room, indoor bike storage, on-site dog park, dog grooming room, alcove with coworking lounge and coffee station and a conference room with access to an outdoor lounge with a fire pit. Many of the amenity spaces boast views of the Manhattan skyline.

Beyond the private amenities, 7 Seventy House will offer services that include a 24-hour attended lobby, Hello Alfred concierge service and covered parking. Theres also approximately 24,000 square feet of ground floor retail space that will serve residents and the Hoboken community.

Studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom residences at 7 Seventy House feature open floor plans with red oak engineered wood floors and expansive windows that bathe the homes in natural light. Kitchens boast Quartz countertops, white ceramic tile backsplashes, custom cabinetry, and a premium GE stainless-steel appliance package, with in residence Bosch washer and dryers. Luxury baths are outfitted with grey mineral stone tile and Kohler fixtures.

Monthly rents start in the $2,600s, with limited-time incentives that include six weeks free on a 13-month lease.

Situated just steps from the 9th Street Light Rail Station, 7 Seventy House blends an upscale living experience with the convenience of quick access throughout New Jerseys Hudson River Gold Coast, including Hobokens PATH, New Jersey Transit and Ferry terminals with service to Manhattan. Closer to home, theres a wide range of services and cultural attractions available in the Monroe Center, the premier arts and business community in Hoboken, which boasts artist studios, childrens activities, fitness facilities, eateries and much more.

7 Seventy House has launched a newly produced virtual tour program to remotely accommodate prospective residents. The tour is part of one-on-one interactive presentations being conducted by leasing agents through personal Zoom meetings. Please visit the buildings website atwww.7SeventyHouse.comor call 201-795-0770 to schedule a virtual tour.

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Over 70% of Luxury Apartments at MHS Architects-Designed 7 Seventy House in Hoboken, NJ Now Leased | Dean Marchetto Architects, PC (now Marchetto,...

Transformation The Hinge / Niels Olivier Architect

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Text description provided by the architects. In the woods just north of the city of Arnhem a new neighborhood is being developed under the name 'Buitenplaats Koningsweg'. This former military site will be transformed into a cultural enclave. The complex is known as 'De Scharnier', or in English 'The Hinge', is situated at the heart of the enclave. These interconnected buildings, erected at right angles to one another, used to accommodate the military theater in one 'leg' and the restaurant in the other, but have now become the home, workshop, and studio of a well-known artist.

Most buildings on the military site date back to the 1960s and 70s and are in a bad state, but for reasons of sustainability, it was decided to reuse and repurpose the buildings as much as possible. When it comes to The Hinge, were forced to renew the facade or the roof we chose contrasting materials like steel and timber. All exterior walls are now insulated in compliance with Dutch building regulations. The colors used in the transformation, different tones of gray, were prescribed by the main urban plan, but also the use of industrial, bold materials. This also meant that all the original brickwork had to be painted gray. The whole complex is heated by means of an energy-saving pellet installation. With solar panels on the roof of the House, it will ultimately be almost energy neutral. The swimming pool is unheated, being purified by natural filters such as plants and gravel.

In its original state, the southern 'leg' of the building was strikingly unsuitable to house a family. The building comprised a block of toilet rooms, a restaurant kitchen with a bar, and a dining area, spread over two floors. Therefore, we introduced two major interventions. Firstly we designed a void in the center of the building, linking the living room on the first floor to the garden by means of staircases. This void also divides up the former large restaurant area on the first floor into two well-defined spaces: the family kitchen and the living room. The bedrooms and bathrooms are situated on the ground floor on either side of the void. Secondly, we added an extension at the head of the House, which provides the first floor with a dining room and a balcony. The roof is supported by beautiful wooden trusses. These were cleared of several layers of paint and were treated with a transparent coating to bring out the warm color of the wood.

The facades of the House were partly renewed. The north side looks out on the quiet, enclosed private garden. Slim aluminum window framing was placed within the original structure. Plenty of daylight comes in without the problem of overheating in Summer. On this side the charm of the original sixties architecture is evident. The south side of the building, looking out on a public road and a small restaurant, is much more closed, so as to guarantee privacy. The decayed original facade and the roof were replaced by contemporary well-insulated versions consisting of wood and steel. A quirky composition of large square windows and elongated horizontal ones symbolizes the transformation. The windows are equipped with electrically operated folding panels, perforated to filter the sunlight and designed to prevent people from looking in. The main entrance hall is a divergent mass that links up the House with the office and workshop. Facing southwards, the large windows as well as the front door are covered with horizontal louvres in a vertical framework made of thermally preserved Accoya wood.

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Transformation The Hinge / Niels Olivier Architect - ArchDaily

Architect Alex Josephson, co-founder of Toronto studio Partisans, speaks to Dezeen in a live Screentime talk sponsored by Enscape as part of Virtual Design Festival. Watch the broadcast live from 2pm UK time.

Toronto-based architect Josephson will speak to Dezeen's founder and editor-in-chief Marcus Fairs about the work of Partisans, the studio he co-founded alongside Pooya Baktash and Jonathan Friedman.

Amongst the studio's recent projects is The Orbit, a futuristic masterplan for the rural Canadian town of Innisfil that includes drone ports and infrastructure for autonomous vehicles.

Last year, Partisans collaborated with Google's urban planning wingSidewalk Labs to create a prototype for a 'raincoat' that extends from a building's facade to protect the pavement in front of it in harsh weather.

The prototype was developed as part of Google's recently abandoned plan for Sidewalk Toronto, a smart city proposed for Toronto's waterfront.

Partisans also created The Grotto, a wooden lakeside sauna with a burnt-timber exterior and a cavernous cedar interior, located on the shore of Lake Huron, north Toronto.

The studio is also behind the mahogany interior of Toronto's Bar Raval, which references Barcelona's art nouveau pintxos bars.

Other creatives featured in our Screentime series includedean of the Pratt Institute School of Architecture Harriet Harriss,trend forecaster Li Edelkoort,UNStudio founder Ben van Berkel,The World Around curator Beatrice Galilee,filmmaker Gary HustwitandBritish-Israeli architect Ron Arad.

This Screentime conversation is sponsored byEnscape, a virtual reality and real-time rendering plugin for architectural design programmeAutodesk Revit.

Virtual Design Festivalis the world's first online design festival, taking place from 15 April to 30 June. For more information, or to be added to the mailing list, contact us atvirtualdesignfestival@dezeen.com.

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Live interview with Partisans architect Alex Josephson as part of VDF - Dezeen

Military housing still saddled with mold and maintenance problems, IG report finds

Cleaning mold, reducing toxic exposure and providing maintenance still need improvement in the militarys ongoing efforts to provide safe housing for service members and their families, according to a watchdog report.

Officials for the Defense Departments inspector general reviewed eight housing-related IG reports issued from 2014 to 2017 for its latest audit released Tuesday. The report stated while progress has been made across a wide variety of concerns, there is still room for service officials to improve the quality of barracks and family housing available on military bases.

In those eight reports, the IG made 110 recommendations and 19 remain open.

The audit took a deeper look at a nonstatistical sample of 16 recommendations from five reports to assess whether policies and controls over the maintenance and inspection of governmentowned and privatized housing were in place to ensure the safety of service members and their families, according to the report. Of the 16 recommendations reviewed in the audit, 10 remain open.

While several corrective actions were taken related to health and safety policy for military housing, such as developing or revising DOD or servicelevel housing policies and procedures, completing repairs, and using a jointservice working group to identify improvements in facility inspection and maintenance programs across the DOD, many deficiencies in radon and mold remediation, comprehensive inspections, and repairs to identified health [and] safety deficiencies still existed, according to the report.

Military housing, which is primarily managed by private companies, came under public scrutiny nearly two years ago when Reuters published an investigation that revealed the sometimes dangerous conditions of homes on bases, such as rodent and insect infestations, mold growth from poorly repaired water intrusions and toxic levels of exposure to lead, asbestos and other hazards.

Since then, Congress has intervened and created a series of reforms to improve base housing. Though after congressional testimony in December from military families, military service officials and the leadership of private housing management companies, lawmakers from both political parties agreed more can be done to protect families.

Reports from the IG, as well as the Government Accountability Office, have played a role in identifying problem areas within base housing.

Open recommendations in Tuesdays audit report primarily involved the DOD, Army and Air Force, as well as the Navys Joint Base AnacostiaBolling in Washington, D.C. Auditors allowed for affected agencies to provide feedback to the report prior to its public release. In some instances, there was agreement on what needed to be done and a timeline provided. Others refuted the IGs assessment.

The report said Army and DOD officials did not issue revised guidance for mold control and remediation and for radon evaluation and mitigation because of confusion over which office was responsible for implementing recommendations to issue policies and because issuing or updating guidance was not a high priority, according to the report.

The deputy assistant secretary of defense for facilities management disagreed with the IGs findings and responded a joint-service working group has been established and meets quarterly to review outstanding IG recommendations for facility maintenance and inspections.

The report also found the Army did not complete comprehensive and independent annual inspections to comply with health and safety requirements in 2017, 2018 and 2019. The Army skipped two installations in 2017, citing higher priority work. The service did so again in 2018 because of a lack of funding. Inspections in 2019 were not comprehensive because the Army limited the time for inspections at four bases. Army officials responded that this will be managed properly in 2020, according to the report.

The Air Force skipped annual health and safety inspections at two bases because the service reallocated resources for damage caused at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., during Hurricane Michael in October 2018. Those bases will be inspected with reports available by July, according to the report.

At Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, the base commander did not take corrective actions to properly label electrical panels in a barracks because it was considered a low funding priority, according to the report. That commander, typically a Navy captain, also made repairs to poor lighting in barracks hallways and rooms, but the repairs did not resolve the issue.

The commandants office for Naval District Washington responded in agreement with the findings and offered a timeline for resolution, according to the report.

Other open recommendations covered issues related to policies and instructions, preventive maintenance and environmental health and safety.

If DOD management does not address previous recommendations that were made to improve military housing, the DOD will continue to expose military families to health and safety hazards at installations around the world, according to the report.

The report did not make any new recommendations but encouraged all open recommendations be resolved.

Thayer.rose@stripes.comTwitter: @Rose_Lori

Family housing at Fort Jackson, S.C.U.S. ARMY

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Military housing still saddled with mold and maintenance problems, IG report finds - Stars and Stripes

Mold spores stick to surfaces and, if conditions are sufficiently warm, moist and undisturbed, extrude tendrils which turn almost any surface into food these form the fuzzy structures creeping out of the corner of the shower. Ceiling tiles, wood, paint, rubber, carpet, soil, dust; its all food to the mold, just add water.

How do you know when mold has arrived? Thats easy: youll smell the how to put this? the airborne end products of its digestive processes. Thats right, mold farts. Every time you smell that musty odor, that mold smell, thats what youre breathing in, said David Denning, principal investigator at the Manchester Fungal Infection Group and a professor at the University of Manchester, in England.

What effect does all this fungal activity have on health? Broadly speaking, we know there are two main ways mold can engage the immune system, and they depend on whether your system is underpowered or overactive.

If youre going through chemotherapy or have had a recent organ transplant, your evolved immune system firepower may have been depleted. The fungus can colonize the lungs and begin treating you as it would ceiling tiles or wood paneling, said Matthew Fisher, an epidemiologist at Imperial College London. But this is more often a problem in hospitals, home infections are exceedingly rare.

Youre much more likely to have an overactive immune system that freaks out when confronted with the irritating proteins present in spores and mold filaments. Filaments land on the mucous membranes of our eyes, nose and mouth, causing eye-watering, itching, sneezing, coughing or asthma attacks.

For most, these stop when you leave the moldy room. But experts estimate that between 5 and 10 percent of the population are more sensitive than others. In an environment thats colonized by fungus, youre also going to be inhaling those spores every day and you may potentially become sensitized to them, said Elaine Bignell, Ph.D., who co-directs the Manchester Fungal Infection Group.

Sensitization means your body recognizes a substance and mounts an aggressive response to even the faintest traces of it. If you already have asthma, you might get a particularly severe fungal asthma.

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How to Remove Mold Safely - The New York Times

Disaster assistance funding from the State of North Carolina and FEMA has been approved to help Hyde County Schools as a result of Hurricane Dorian.

Hyde County Public Schools was approved for more than $1.6 million to reimburse hurricane-related expenses. The reimbursement includes mold remediation at Ocracoke School following flooding.

This funding will allow us to continue moving forward with our plans to have our students on Ocracoke Island back in their school, in spite of all the challenges of this unprecedented school year that started for us with Hurricane Dorian, said Hyde County Schools Superintendent Stephen Basnight.

There is absolutely no way to even begin to express my gratitude for the outpouring of support we have received since Hurricane Dorian devastated Ocracoke Island. On behalf of the staff, parents, and community members, but most especially the students of Hyde County Schools, thank you.

More than $25 million has been approved by FEMA for Hurricane Dorian-related expenses in North Carolina through the Public Assistance program. The state and FEMA continue working with affected communities to ensure they receive all eligible disaster assistance.

Public Assistance benefits all community members. It provides grants to state and local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations to reimburse the cost of debris removal, emergency protective measures and permanent repair work.

Public Assistance is a cost-sharing program. FEMA reimburses applicants at least 75 percent of eligible costs, and the remaining 25 percent is covered by the state. The federal share is paid directly to the state, which disburses funds to agencies, local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations that incurred costs.

FEMAs share for this project is more than $1.2 million and the states share is more than $409,000.

For more information on North Carolinas recovery from Hurricane Dorian, visitFEMA.gov/Disaster/4465. Follow us on Twitter:@NCEmergencyand@FEMARegion4.

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Hyde County receives $1.6 million in disaster funds to help Ocracoke School recover from Dorian - Island Free Press

The COVID-19 outbreak and resulting economic shutdown has had a crushing impact on Long Beachs small businesses. Recently, as some store owners began preparations for re-opening, months after theyd closed their doors to the public, civil unrest added to the challenges for beleaguered business owners.

Some businesses, however, have been spared from the impacts of the coronavirus and the recent unrest in the city. Frank Yanonis is a Long Beach native and owner of Save The Day Restoration, and he says hes been fortunate in recent months, dodging the challenges that have plagued so many of his colleagues. His company provides a variety of construction and restoration services for businesses, ranging from mold remediation, fire or water damage repairs, and cleaning and sanitization services.

When COVID came, it didnt hurt my business one bit, Yanonis admitted. I didnt skip a beat, which was very fortunate for me, but very unfortunate for a lot of businesses. I have friends of mine that have big businesses who lost millions of dollars overnight because of this. Its very, very tough out there.

Since Yanonis was lucky enough to avoid those economic hardships in his business, he wanted to find a way to give back to the community. The Wilson High grad put out a special offer to the community via his companys Facebook page, offering a free car sanitization for any first responder or healthcare worker in Long Beach. The car washes were offered every Saturday in May at the Save The Day Restoration headquarters in Signal Hill.

After getting 15 cars that first Saturday, word began to spread online. All told, Yanonis estimates that more than 150 cars came through to get professionally cleaned and sanitized for free.

The reason I did it is, Im very blessed in life, Yanonis explained. Whether it comes to business, family, Im one of the lucky ones where COVID didnt affect me. So I figured, Ill give back to the community. Ive got people in my family who are nurses, doctors and police officers. So I wanted to give back to the community, because I was born and raised in Long Beach.

In addition to the challenges of a global pandemic, small businesses also faced the challenges of rioting and looting across Southern California during the last weekend of May. This presented another opportunity for Yanonis to assist business owners. The weekend the looting began, Yanonis and his crew were boarding up a customers storefront on Hollywood Boulevard, where several businesses were also attempting to secure their stores.

Yanonis was approached by a manager of the Hustler shop on Hollywood Boulevard to board up their windows, which led to a wave of business all down the street. According to Yanonis, his crew of five workers, two trucks and about 200 pieces of plywood secured about 40 businesses that day. After dealing with several paying customers, Yanonis says he continued to secure the businesses that needed help, free of charge.

I went out there to board some stuff out, then I felt bad for places that were already out of business because of COVID, Yanonis said. They were getting ready to open up, now theyve got busted windows. Then I said, You know what, dude? I made some money over here, let me throw these five boards up for you.

Business continues to hum along for Save The Day Restoration, including some construction work at stores in the new PCH & 2nd shopping center. The company will also be providing sanitization services for companies looking to get as clean as possible before opening back up to the public.

I was doing board-ups Monday morning in Downtown Long Beach, Yanonis said, referring to the first day following the looting around the city. It was a great feeling to live in Long Beach and be a Long Beacher, because I went there with a team of guys at about 7:30 in the morning, and there were thousands of people doing cleanup. It just felt good to be down there and be part of whats going on. It was a great feeling. If theres any business in Long Beach that needs some help, if I can help, Ill be happy to do it.

Photo courtesy Save The Day Restoration

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FEATURE: Wilson Grad Helping 'Save The Day' For Local Businesses - The562.org

Weve been watching the Busby family for years via TLCs OutDaughtered and weve totally fallen in love. Adam and Danielle Busby are the parents of the only set of all-female quintuplets in the U.S. And since they also have their older daughter, Blayke, this means theyre caring for six young girls total.

In a previous season of OutDaughtered, we saw the Busbys go through major issues with their home after discovering a mold infestation. They were forced to move out and make do with a new place. And it now seems theyre doing major work to the home theyre currently in, according to Adams Instagram. Heres what fans noticed.

RELATED: OutDaughtered: Adam Busby Calls His Familys Mold-Infested Home Completely Unrecognizable Now

Adam and Danielle already have their hands full when it comes to caring for their kids. And their lives were turned upside down when they discovered mold in their home. Back in June 2019, Ava, one of the quintuplets, developed a respiratory sickness that seemed to get quite extreme. From there, the family learned their home was infested with mold, and they were forced to take immediate action.

Adam and Danielle had a mold inspector come in and assess the situation and it didnt look good. All of the clothing can be washed. Pillows will need to be discarded. Mattresses need to be discarded, the inspector said. And then you need a full-blown mold remediation contractor to come in and HEPA vacuum everything, clean everything. Its a big process. If the tests pass, then you can live in it. We dont know for sure, but it may be fine.

RELATED: OutDaughtered: Danielle Busby Says Her Home Is Still Infested With Mold

Moving is tough on kids and its particularly difficult when its sudden. I think the move has been hard on everyone, but the quints most of all, Danielle told the OutDaughtered camera crew. And since the kids had to make major readjustments, Adam and Danielle were there to reassure them everything would be OK but even Danielle noted there are many aspects of the old home that she misses.

I miss my big, big kitchen, Danielle told GoodHousekeeping in July 2019. Its a give and take on lots of different things there are things about my home that are getting repaired that I miss so much.

Its not all bad, though. It definitely has the space that I think we need, she told the publication. The yard is the most beneficial, we like for the kids to play outside we dont like our kids being on iPads and that kind of stuff. We want them to play and interact so theres a pool, theres a huge yard its definitely a plus in that aspect.

Since the Busbys appear to still be in the home they moved into post-mold issue, it looks like theyre finally making some changes to the place. On June 7, Adam posted a photo of Riley holding a hammer, wearing a hardhat, and kicking through a wall in their house. DEMO DAY! he captioned the post. Riley was born for this! Literally had to take the hammer away so she didnt start tearing down the rest of the house.

Then, on June 9, he posted another photo of one of the quints with the caption, Escaping the madness of demo at the house by spending my Birthday Week in Louisiana with family. does em get much better than that!

Both of these posts had fans wondering whats going on.

Wow, what are you remodeling? a fan asked on the Instagram post of Riley.

Another answered, I believe thats the kitchen island.

Yet another added, gotta be the kitchen, its the one thing about the old house Danielle said she would miss.

It looks like well have to stay tuned with the current season of OutDaughtered to see whats going on!

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'OutDaughtered': Adam Busby Hinted on Instagram Something Big Is Happening to Their House - Showbiz Cheat Sheet

By Abbey Slattery, WRAL Digital Solutions

This article was written for our sponsor, the North Carolina Military Business Center.

The federal government consumes a significant amount of energy. With hundreds of bases and buildings around the world, installation energy or the energy needed to do things like heat and light the installation accounts for 80 percent of all federal energy consumption.

In North Carolina alone, there are six major military bases, 116 National Guard and 40 Army Reserve facilities, which translates to a hefty amount of energy use. In order to reduce spending and improve resiliency, it's crucial for the government to find the most efficient ways to put this energy to use.

For many businesses, this may provide surprising ways to leverage new business. The N.C. Military Business Center connects businesses around the state with opportunities with the federal government, and the environmental and energy industries are no exception.

"Within that energy field, one major component is figuring out how to be energy efficient with existing facilities on the base. Then you have stand-alone projects, which means you could put up a solar farm or install geothermal equipment," said Sue Kranes, the infrastructure team lead at the NCMBC. "Then, you have site cleanup, where you go in and clear out asbestos in walls or conduct mold remediation. You can do indoor/ outdoor water clean up in other words, different types of water filters that really strain out all the contaminants. Really, there are a lot of projects that can be done individually, not even necessarily in relationship to a construction contract."

At the NCMBC, Kranes uses her previous experience as chief of acquisitions with Naval Facilities Engineering Command Mid-Atlantic to help North Carolina businesses identify and secure federal contracts in a variety of industries, including architecture, engineering, construction, and maintenance.

For Kranes, the energy and environmental opportunities offered by the federal government are ripe with opportunity for a wide variety of businesses, whether they provide erosion control services, historical building restoration, or contamination cleanup. By signing up for the NCMBC's MatchForce database, local businesses can be matched up with relevant energy and environmental opportunities at North Carolina bases for free.

And Kranes has a point there's plenty of work to go around. In fact, the Department of Defense recently spent $7 billion on construction projects on military bases around North Carolina a few years ago, and will spend $1.7 billion on new construction just at Camp Lejeune and Cherry Point in 2020.

For local businesses, that means ample opportunity.

"It's no secret that all military operations worldwide have historically had extensive environmental concerns. Our installations here in North Carolina are no exception. If you're rebuilding a base, there's usually demolition that has to take place. Back when those bases were initially built, common building materials included things like asbestos and lead-based paint, so whenever they come down, the abatement of those materials is necessary before new construction can go up," said James Shannon, vice president of program development at SR&R Environmental, Inc. "As these installations are modernizing and rebuilding or expanding, they are going to run into those environmental concerns, and companies like ours and many others in the state will benefit from that."

At SR&R Environmental, Shannon and his colleagues provide services like industrial cleaning, remediation, spill response and waste management. In establishing and growing the business, the NCMBC has been instrumental, offering valuable resources and identifying areas of opportunity.

"All of the people that work for them are just top-notch individuals and they're knowledgeable. To have somebody with that background and expertise to be able to guide you through the maze of the federal contracting world is really invaluable, especially to the small businesses that don't have the infrastructure and the administrative backup to dedicate somebody to do that," Shannon said. "Big companies have that. They can hire a person to do all that, but small business doesn't have that luxury, so the NCMBC has been an invaluable resource."

Among one of the most useful offerings from the NCMBC is their annual construction Summit in Wilmington. Every year, they bring in top military officials from all across the Southeast region to discuss future projects and anticipated spending. Every three years, the summit is preceded by a roundtable that focuses specifically on energy and environmental projects and concerns.

For professionals like Shannon, it's the perfect opportunity to get an inside look at the industry and a step ahead of the competition.

"The roundtable is definitely a view from 30,000 feet," Shannon said. "They get some heavyweight talent to speak at that people from D.C. and from the military commands then the summit starts, and you zoom in to 10,000 feet, 5,000 feet and touch and go on the airstrip as you move from session to session."

Shannon has been attending both the roundtable and the Summit for years, even skipping out on his own golf tournament to make an appearance.

"The day before the Summit, the Society of American Military Engineers holds a scholarship fundraising golf tournament, which I'm the chairperson for," Shannon said. "I do play golf, but I don't play golf at my own golf tournament. I go in and get things started, then I skip away and go to the energy and environmental roundtable. I've told Scott Dorney [executive director of the NCMBC], and he and I actually pin down times so that I can get back and forth without missing anything."

It may seem extreme, but the insight and networking opportunities that can be gained from attending the roundtable and Summit make it well-worth the trouble for Shannon. For a small business like his, it offers an upperhand in competing and winning significant federal contracts, as well as learning what the latest updates are in the industry.

"The government talking to industry provides a good gateway, lessons to be learned and a way ahead for local businesses, as well as creating a better relationship with industries that can help accomplish missions on the military bases," Kranes said. "At the North Carolina Military Business Center, the emphasis we are trying to leverage is that there are so many opportunities that are available to anyone in North Carolina if they want to enter the federal market."

This article was written for our sponsor, the North Carolina Military Business Center

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Environmental and energy opportunities abound at NC military installations - WRAL.com

Provided by The Columbus Dispatch Leighann Goodson, an employee at CleanTech, a professional cleaning service, prepares to clean some of the companys office space on Tuesday, March 24, in Columbus, Ohio. Goodson and other CleanTech employees work in commercial or construction spaces to professionally clean potentially contaminated spaces during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. [Joshua A. Bickel/Dispatch]

Plenty of contractors who provide cleaning services, ranging from routine janitorial work to mold remediation, are offering to provide businesses with a "deep clean" before they reopen to the public during the pandemic or after an employee tests positive for the coronavirus.

But finding someone who can do the job properly and effectively isn't easy.

"It's unregulated," said Ron Greenbaum, president of the Basement Doctor in Columbus. "That's a huge problem. ... It's like the wild, wild West. ... Some of the chemicals being used are harmful or noneffective."

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Although no license is required for those who provide cleaning, disinfecting and remediation for the coronavirus, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued recommendations for proper cleaning and disinfection of "community facilities" frequented by the public, such as office buildings, schools, day care centers and retailers.

The recommendations include making sure that surfaces first are cleaned of dirt and debris with detergent or soap and water, followed by disinfection with a product that is approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for use against hard-to-kill viruses.

Those products are contained on what the EPA calls its "List N." The labels for the authorized disinfectants all contain an EPA registration number.

Greenbaum said one of the first questions a business should ask of anyone offering to clean for the coronavirus is whether any "N list" products are used.

Many of the contractors who are trained and equipped to handle the coronavirus have experience in dealing with mold and lead remediation or the biohazards present when dealing with sewage backups or crime scenes, said Kirsten Hoedlmoser, a chemical engineer and certified industrial hygienist in Toronto.

"Those things are very analogous" to remediating the coronavirus, she said. "They're dealing with a hazardous or potentially hazardous environmental issue that could cause someone harm."

A clue to the ability of a cleaning business to do such work could be certification by a trade organization such as the IICRC, the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification, she said.

Paul Davis Restoration on the Far North Side has that certification, but it isn't advertising itself as remediating the coronavirus, said Mike Slusher, general manager of the local franchise, which is part of a national chain.

The Columbus staff is properly trained and willing to do such work, but makes it clear to customers that unlike the cleaning and disinfecting it does for damage from water, fire, mold and biohazards, it can offer no warranty for remediating the coronavirus, he said.

"The moment we're done cleaning, we can tell you it's disinfected, but the next person to walk in can bring the virus with them," he said. "You need to look for a company that is honest with you about that."

Paul Davis' parent company has put out a list of questions that businesses and other should ask a coronavirus cleaning vendor. The questions include:

Do you have experience with biohazard cleaning?

What type of personal protective equipment will your employees wear?

What type of chemicals will you use (and are they EPA-approved)?

What cleaning techniques will be implemented?

Hoedlmoser, who works for the global engineering consulting firm Envista Forensics, said she sympathizes with business owners who already are hurting financially due to the pandemic and find themselves staring at "a big price tag for a cleaning company" after an infection.

"But I do think it's important to remember that you get what you pay for," she said. "There are contractors who specialize in this sort of thing, and they may be more expensive. ... It's important that you make sure you get a contractor who knows what they're doing, especially if you have a space where you know" the coronavirus was present.

Hoedlmoser also appreciates the frustration for businesses that are grappling with a new virus that isn't fully understood, remediation efforts for which there is no licensing, and guidelines that continue to change.

"Everyone is scrambling to figure out how to respond," Hoedlmoser said. "Every expert I know is trying to wrap their arms around this."

jfutty@dispatch.com

@johnfutty

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Coronavirus in Ohio: What to ask when hiring a cleaning contractor - msnNOW