Category Archives: Planning & Design

TopSpot Internet Marketing Recognized with 2012 Manufacturing WebAward

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Houston, TX (PRWEB) September 26, 2012

TopSpot Internet Marketing’s web development strategy was recently recognized with Manufacturing Standard of Excellence Award in the 2012 WebAwards from The Web Marketing Association (WMA). The WMA was founded in 1997 to help set a high standard for internet marketing and development of the best sites on the web. The WebAward program is the longest running annual website award competition, dedicated to naming the best sites in 96 industries while setting the standard of excellence for all website development. More than 2,000 entries from 42 countries were adjudicated in 96 industry categories during this year’s competition. Entries were judged on design, copy writing, innovation, content, interactivity, navigation, and use of technology.

The award was received for web development of the Farmers Copper website for Outstanding Achievement in Web Development in the Manufacturing Industry. Farmers Copper LTD, headquartered in Galveston, TX, is recognized as one of the oldest family-owned and operated metal service centers in the United States. They have been a paid search customer of TopSpots since 2005 and in 2010 they contracted with TopSpot to develop their new website and implement an SEO program. After launch of the new website in 2011, Farmers Copper experienced a 188% increase in monthly conversions. Learn more about Farmers Coppers internet marketing strategy in their case study.

This is not the first award for Farmers Coppers website, receiving an Award of Excellence from the Business Marketing Association of Houstons 2011 Lantern Awards.

About TopSpot Internet Marketing Solutions

TopSpot Internet Marketing Solutions is a Houston-based agency specializing in B2B industrial marketing. TopSpots team has over 20 years of industrial internet marketing experience in helping small to mid-sized manufacturers, distributors and service companies with strategic plans to help grow their business. Our solutions include paid search marketing, SEO, website architecture, website design & development, mobile web development/marketing, analytics, email marketing, conversion improvement, multivariable (a/b) testing and consulting.







New Models On Display At The Legacy At Millennium Park Showcase Forever Views

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Chicago, IL (PRWEB) September 26, 2012

Two new model residences showcase the remaining luxury condominiums in Chicago available at The Legacy at Millennium Park, a 72-story new construction high-rise in the Loop.

Located at 60 E. Monroe St., just west of Michigan Avenue, The Legacy features 356 condominiums overlooking Millennium Park, Lake Michigan and the city. Remaining homes range in price from $ 393,000 for an 875-square-foot one-bedroom floor plan to $ 6 million for a 9,301-square-foot, full-floor penthouse.

The new models highlight The Legacys Skyline and Millennium series residences in tiers 01 and 02, located on floors 16 through 59. Both tiers offer panoramic east facing views, with the 01 also facing north and northwest and the 02 opening up to the south and southwest.

Unit 5201 is a three-bedroom, three-bath floor plan with 2,405 square feet, an open living area, and a large eat-in kitchen with island. Upscale finishes include Sub-Zero, Wolf and Miele appliances, dark stained Snaidero cabinets with metal trim, and white carrera marble countertops. The master suite has a large sleeping area, two walk-in closets and an en-suite bath with double vanity, soaking tub and separate shower. The model, by Glen Lusby Interiors, features a contemporary d

Keystone Pacific Orange County Property Management Promotes Tina Rosenbaum to Community Manager

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Irvine, CA. (PRWEB) September 26, 2012

Keystone Pacific Property Management, a leading property management company providing services to community associations throughout Southern California, is proud to announce the promotion of Tina Rosenbaum to Community Manager.

In her promotion as Community Manager, Tina will be supporting the General Manager of CZ Master Association located in Orange County property management. Based in the Rancho Santa Margarita office, she will assist with the day-to-day operations of the community including; Board meeting preparation, on-site inspections and maintaining the aesthetics of the community.

We are delighted to have Tina take on this increased responsibility, said Denise Bergstrom, Vice President of Association Management. Tina did an outstanding job managing the architectural desk for the community in her previous position. She is well-equipped to assist the General Manager of CZ with the day to day operations of this large scale community.

Tina joined the Keystone Pacific Property Management team in May, 2011 and has over six years of experience in property management. Rosenbaum is currently pursuing her Certified Community Association Manager (CCAM

Joomla crosses 1 million downloads per month: Asahi Technologies announces Custom Modules to help businesses gain competitive advantage

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New York (PRWEB) June 16, 2012

It is quite common to see businesses in New York get confused over which platform to choose for their websites. Most experts agree that Joomla is the perfect platform to create web portals. Written entirely in PHP, Joomla is currently used by over a million websites all over the world. Some of the worlds popular e-Commerce CMS sites like Citibank, MTV and many more use Joomla. With amazing flexibility and cutting edge functions, Joomla is also a stable CMS to develop, operate and upgrade. Asahi Technologies, a New York based Web Development firm has launched custom modules specially developed for Joomla to help businesses across New York adapt to evolving web technologies.

Unlike many other frameworks, Joomlas multi-lingual support feature is very helpful when creating non-English websites. The best examples would be the customized Portuguese website of Porsche Brazil or the French website for Kelloggs. These were developed on Joomla platform without any hiccups. It remains as one of the striking features of Joomla in web development. Most e-Commerce experts and developers seem to echo this positive review on Joomla CMS.

One of the major reasons why websites migrate to Joomla is the adequate security measures in the Joomla architecture. Most of HTML based websites are often prone to security risks, since Joomla is written in PHP and MYSQL code it is easier to identify and eradicate malicious content intruding websites. Besides that users can also find security updates and patches in Joomla forums and community for current security issues said Vinod Subbaiah, CEO of Asahi Technologies, who was also an e-Commerce CMS developer during early days of his career.

“While Joomla gets used by over 1 million new businesses worldwide for their web portals, businesses would certainly need customized modules to gain competitive advantage. Our custom modules would serve the very purpose” adds Vinod.

Although there are plenty of custom tools like Prestashop, ZenCart and OpenCart to enhance business development on the web, Joomla remains to be the most reliable and efficient e-Commerce CMS and its popularity is growing from one level to another.

About Asahi Technologies

Asahi Technologies is a New York based custom software design and development firm that provides software consulting and development solutions to small and medium level businesses all across North America. Asahi Technologies specializes in responsive design, cloud computing, online marketing, mobile application development and open source technologies. Under the leadership of Mr. Vinod Subbaiah, who himself started his career as a software programmer, Asahi Technologies team comprises of experienced software professionals have extensive knowledge of technology covering B2C and B2B operations. The firms headquarters is located in New York City, NY.







Perkins+Will and Cobalt Win Top Award in the Workplace Total Category at Interior Design Award Gala

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Vancouver, BC (PRWEB) October 30, 2012

The Vancouver office of Perkins+Will was recently honored by the Interior Design Institute of British Columbia (IDIBC), when they were presented with two awards at the Institutes Awards of Excellence 2012 gala. An annual celebration of interior design excellence in British Columbia, this years IDIBC event highlighted the industrys increased focus on sustainable design.

Perkins+Wills design for Cobalt Engineerings new corporate headquarters in Vancouver earned the only Award of Excellence in the Workplace Total Category and an Award of Merit in the Sustainability Category, one of only two projects that were recognized across multiple categories.

We are incredibly pleased to have our work recognized as one of this years market-leading designs, says Loren Cavallin, Perkins+Wills Director of Interior Design and the lead designer of the Cobalt Office Interiors project. Cobalt is a creative and innovative company that believes strongly in collaboration and sustainability. We wanted their corporate interiors to reflect these core values.

Targeting LEED-CI Gold standard, the project was developed in close collaboration with the client, allowing them to showcase their leadership in sustainability. While the building site offers prime water and mountain views, strategic planning, low panels, and transparency maximize vistas throughout the entire space. A focus on daylight harvesting reduces energy consumption, and custom plywood lighting fixture in the reception area speaks to light and air, Cobalt’s core business.

We couldnt be happier in our new space, says Stuart Hood, Managing Partner of Cobalt Engineering. The team at Perkins+Will worked closely with our mechanical and electrical engineers to design an office that is a joy to work in. We are able to showcase the benefit of collaborative integrated design with electrical, lighting, mechanical and interior design coming together as one. We have moved from an office where our clients would rarely visit to a place where we can host meetings with pride.

The Cobalt Vancouver office will now join other Perkins+Will projects, such as TELUS House, Haworth Calgary, and the City of Vancouver Engineering Department, as IDIBC award-winning projects. With an expanding portfolio of workplace interiors, the firm is currently applying their innovative approach to the corporate offices of industry giants Microsoft and CBRE.

About Perkins+Will

Perkins+Will is a multi-disciplinary design firm with over 29 years of experience in Vancouver. The firm is known for design excellence and innovation, approaching the challenges of architectural, interior and urban design with a global vision and unmatched resources. Led by a strong leadership group who provide a range of expertise and diverse perspectives, Perkins+Will Vancouver is able to maximize its clients vision, transforming ideas into built excellence, on time and on budget.

Founded on the belief that design has the power to transform lives and enhance society, the office is deeply connected to its community, donating one percent of its design services to local, non-profit organizations every year. Committed to the 2030 Challenge, the firm is ranked among North Americas leading green practices with an in-house research department and one of the largest portfolios of completed, deeply sustainable buildings, interior spaces and urban plans.

As a testament to their commitment to excellence, Perkins+Will Vancouver has received more than 150 design honours, including 6 Governor Generals Medals in Architecture, 13 Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia Awards in Architecture, the coveted Royal Architectural Institute of Canada Firm of the Year Award, and has consistently been named one of Canadas Greenest Employers by the Globe and Mail.

About Cobalt Engineering

At Cobalt, we give life to buildings. We’re a member of Integral Group, a deep green engineering firm with a passion for innovation. We are a building services consulting firm providing mechanical and electrical building design, sustainable design, sustainable master planning, LEED

SOLiD to Sponsor and Conduct Training at the CIBET Initiative

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(PRWEB) September 20, 2012

SOLiD is sponsoring and leading teaching sessions during the Certified In-Building Engineering Technologist (CIBET) training and certification initiative which takes place September 24 28 in Denver, CO. The program will provide a foundation of knowledge to the in-building radio frequency (RF) engineering community by exposing participants both industry newcomers and veterans to the scientific principles associated with Distributed Antenna System (DAS) deployments through a combination of lecture and hands-on lab experience. Held in conjunction with the Interdisciplinary Telecommunications Program at the University of Colorado at Boulder, students will, upon successful completion of the course exam, receive three continuing education credits.

The CIBET program is comprised of lectures and demonstrations from equipment manufacturers and system integrators designed to share practical deployment experiences for addressing unique and challenging venue requirements, merging indoor and outdoor environments, DAS noise impacts, interference sources, mitigation techniques and public-safety waveforms, networks and regulations. An optional workshop curriculum includes DAS deployment fundamentals such as RF propagation, waveforms and signals, link budget analysis, RF coverage, and confidence and capacity planning.

As DAS deployments become increasingly complex to support large-scale projects consisting of multiple wireless operators, high bandwidth capacity needs, convergence of both indoor and outdoor coverage spaces and public-safety communications, the level of sophistication required of the RF engineers who design, install and manage these networks similarly increases, said Seth Buechley, President of SOLiD. The first of its kind, the certification program through the CIBET Initiative ensures that current and future RF engineers will possess the sharpest skillsets to deploy and support mission-critical DAS networks.

SOLiD will train students on filtering techniques required for multi-service DAS deployments in which RF signals used by commercial cellular providers and public-safety communications services need to be properly isolated. SOLiD will also explore how DAS network technology and architecture will likely evolve into a single, all-fiber communications platform on which to plug in myriad services including cellular, public safety, WiFi and other applications such as RFID, building automation and more.

To learn more or register for the program, please visit the CIBET website.

About SOLiD

SOLiD is the U.S. operating arm of SOLiD, Inc., a publicly-traded global telecom manufacturer established in 1998 and headquartered in Korea. SOLiD enables reliable coverage and capacity for wireless and wireline telecommunications providers with innovative, patented and robust fiber technology solutions. SOLiD’s distributed antenna system (DAS) solutions ensure dependable coverage within buildings, campuses and venues with support for commercial wireless, public safety radio, private 2-way radio, and paging using just one strand of fiber. SOLiDs fiber multiplexing solutions, based on patented INFINITY tunable laser technology, increase existing fiber capacity more than 16x and reduce CAPEX and OPEX. With innovation as part of its DNA, SOLiD is applying its technology to solve not only today’s challenges but leading the development of next-generation solutions. SOLiDs global customer reach includes major wireless operators, Tier-1 and facilities-based carriers as well as leading hospitals, world-class hotels and resorts, Fortune 500 corporate campuses, international airports, professional sports venues, metropolitan subways and other marquee customer sites. SOLiD is available on the GSA Schedule.

Please subscribe to the SOLiD blog, The Inside Story, for the latest information on industry trends.

For further information please email info(at)solidtechusa.com or call 888-409-9997.







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Announcement: The Rising Architecture Billings Index (ABI) Indicates Increased Construction to Come in the Next Year

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San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) October 25, 2012

The latest data from the U.S. Architecture Billings Index (ABI) has been released and it points to good news for construction businesses and real estate developers. In August, this leading construction indicator rose by 1.5 points, indicating a possible recovery in the U.S. construction sector. This report is good news for every business tied to the construction industry, from the architects that plan the projects, to builders who oversee the construction, to the carpet, door and window, flooring and other industries who provide materials for construction.

The ABI now stands at 50.2, which is the best level over the past 5 months. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has stated that any reading over 50 indicates good demand for architect services. While this is certainly good news for the countrys architects, it is also good news for the construction industry, since high ABI readings often precede strong growth in the construction sector over the following 12 months.

Concerns have been raised regarding the ability of the architecture industry to meet the new demand being indicated. Many architects became unemployed during the downturn, and some wonder if those remaining in the industry will be able to meet increasing demand from new construction projects. Fortunately, a separate study found that the demands for new projects are being met. This means growth will continue and strengthen without being derailed by constraints in the design phase of construction.

Looking more closely at industry sectors, multi-family residential buildings are a clear leader, followed by commercial and institutional building projects. The data is an encouraging indicator for economic growth.

Those best positioned to take advantage in this upswing in construction will be the builders and developers who have access to the necessary capital to fund their projects. Because banks are still unwilling to loan due to issues in the capital markets, more developers and builders are turning to lending experts who can get find capital sources. Sunovis Financial is just such a lending organization. The company has an experienced team of banking and real estate professionals.

About Sunovis Financial

Sunovis Financial’s motto is to rebuild the U.S. economy, one business and one loan at a time. The team of professionals find access to capital for borrowers, and the company specializes in SBA loans as well.







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HNTB selected as designer of L.A.s new Sixth Street Viaduct

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LOS ANGELES (PRWEB) October 19, 2012

The City of Los Angeles announced today it has selected HNTB Corporation to deliver final design and construction support services for the Sixth Street Viaduct Replacement.

The new Sixth Street Bridge will be a world-class, iconic piece of Los Angeles infrastructure because of this international design competition and the communitys involvement every step of the way, said L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa at a press conference earlier today. Los Angeles is where the world creates and innovates, and the selection of HNTB as the winning team reaffirms our ability to cultivate and attract the best and brightest in architecture, design and engineering right here in Los Angeles.

Were honored to have the opportunity to create a new icon that helps the City of Los Angeles address the need for urban parks and smart, sustainable development, said Gene Bougdanos, HNTB vice president and Los Angeles practice leader. The new Sixth Street Viaduct is a rare transformative opportunity for this community that will improve mobility, enhance safety, stimulate investment and offer people a place to gather, recreate and connect.

HNTBs winning design features:


A Ribbon of Light design concept that matches the family of Los Angeles River bridges and pays respect to the original bridge;
The concrete structure includes signature arches to U.S. Highway 101, serving as an iconic gateway to Boyle Heights;
A new Viaduct Park that will increase the recreational green space available to Boyle Heights residents;
An Arts Plaza that will be a dynamic urban gathering place and a catalyst for economic growth, as well as providing expanded opportunities for public art, including digital murals from local schools and artists;
Easier bike and pedestrian access compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act; and
Improved access to the Los Angeles River.

It was chosen by a panel made of members from the Bureau of Engineering and Caltrans, with unanimous support from the Design Aesthetic Advisory Committee. The DAAC is made up of stakeholders including community members, river advocates, and design professionals.

Construction is expected to start in 2015 after approval from the Board of Public Works and the Los Angeles City Council. The project, which will create nearly 5,000 jobs, is expected to be completed in late 2018 and opened in 2019.

HNTB has a long-standing presence in Los Angeles, starting nearly 100 years ago with the design of the Colorado Street Bridge in Pasadena and extending to the present with projects such as the I-405 Sepulveda Pass Widening, University of Southern California Galen Center and the new Tom Bradley Terminal at the Los Angeles International Airport.

Its a recognized industry leader in the planning, design and construction of complex, long-span and movable bridges. HNTBs bridge practice has been responsible for numerous award-winning signature bridge projects across the United States including the Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge in Boston; the Blennerhassett Bridge in West Virginia; Bob Kerry Pedestrian Bridge in Omaha, Neb; the Lake Champlain Bridge in New York and the Mississippi River Bridge in St. Louis.

About HNTB

HNTB Corporation is an employee-owned infrastructure firm serving public and private owners and contractors. With nearly a century of service, HNTB understands the life cycle of infrastructure and solves clients most complex technical, financial and operational challenges. Professionals nationwide deliver a full range of infrastructure-related services, including award-winning planning, design, program delivery and construction management. For more information, visit http://www.hntb.com.







Acuity Business Solutions CEO June R. Jewell, CPA to Speak at The Zweig Letter Hot Firm Conference

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(PRWEB) September 12, 2012

Acuity Business Solutions, an award winning provider of software and business management consulting services, announces June R. Jewell, CPA, President and CEO, will be a featured speaker at The Zweig Letter Hot Firm Conference in Aspen, CO, October 24 -25, 2012. The Zweig Letter Hot Firm Conference is one of the premier conferences for the fastest growing and most successful architecture, engineering, planning, and environmental consulting firms. Executives and industry experts come to celebrate their success, share industry news, learn from their peers, and leave with the tools they need to make the coming year even more successful.

June will present Utilizing Technology to Improve Business Management which encompasses the following discussion:

“There are two ways to improve the execution of your projects and business management using people or technology. By leveraging technology you can save money, grow faster and improve business processes to increase profitability. In this presentation, we will look at all the areas that technology can positively impact your business results including business development and proposals, financial management, project estimating and budgeting, employee analysis, resource scheduling and forecasting and overall firm performance analysis. We will also look at how to recognize areas of your business where your firm can benefit from implementing technology, and how to get the highest return on your investment.”

“We are thrilled to have June Jewell speaking at this years Zweig Letter Hot Firm Conference. The high-quality presentations on topics of interest to our clients are what make this conference one of the top events in our industry and, as one of the leaders in the industry, June brings the deep experience and knowledge that our attendees have come to expect. said Mark C. Zweig, Founder and CEO, ZweigWhite

About Acuity Business Solutions

Acuity Business Solutions helps project-based businesses such as Architecture, Engineering and Environmental firms, Government Contractors and Professional Services firms find opportunities, win business, deliver projects, and manage their organization. Our clients benefit from over twenty years of industry knowledge and best practices. Acuity Business Solutions has built a tremendous track record, helping hundreds of firms reduce costs and increase their profitability. Acuity Business Solutions is committed to your business results. For more information about Acuity Business Solutions and the products and services offered please visit http://www.AcuityBusiness.com

About ZweigWhite

ZweigWhite is a consulting and publishing company that helps leaders in the architecture, engineering and environmental consulting industries achieve their business and personal goals. Since 1988, when the firm was founded by Mark Zweig (and later joined by Fred White), ZweigWhite has offered an array of publications, services, and events designed to provide firm leaders with the tools they need to succeed. What began with a simple newsletter has grown over the last two decades to become a comprehensive suite of products and services, including newsletters, market research reports, seminars and executive education offerings, business conferences, and management consulting services covering virtually every aspect of business management. Visit ZweigWhite at http://www.zweigwhite.com.







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Projector Doctor Enhances Online Usability and Announces Rebranding Initiatives

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San Diego, CA (PRWEB) September 05, 2012

Projector Doctor, a division of Mendtronix Inc. and the AV industrys leading repair services and logistics company, today launches new online features in tandem with a redesigned website in response to its high customer traffic and growing capabilities. Post launch, the company announces its plans for strategic rebranding initiates focused on scaling large volume repair and logistics services through the companys growing B2B counterpart, Mendtronix, Inc.

The roll-out of this updated site includes new features to improve the interactive customer experience and optimized content that allows for faster and easier information assimilation. The site uses a new design in the Projector Doctor and Mendtronix corporate style coupled with robust site architecture and streamlined navigation. Dynamic product search features, integrated online forms, SEO optimized content, and powerful ecommerce functionality all add to the sites already competitive position in the online marketplace.

Todays consumers expect intuitive design and a user-friendly experience, so we created an engaging site that educates customers on different options available to them while improving the after-market process, said Todd Savitt, vice president of business development at Mendtronix. Projector Doctor has been the AV industrys most trusted service provider for over a decade, and our website should reflect that. Our site exemplifies the professionalism of our team and the quality of the products and services we sell.

This site launch follows a string of newly awarded business for the company and rolls out as part of a larger, strategic rebranding initiative. Central to this rebranding strategy is a focus on high-volume services capabilities across new and emerging product markets, such as interactive flat panel displays. Expansion of the companys infrastructure is underway and includes the build-out of new 15k square feet facility in Pittsburgh, which opened its doors last month and services the entire upper Midwest and Northeastern regions of the United States. The company now has 56K total square feet between Atlanta, Pittsburgh and San Diego.

Mendtronix and Projector Doctors brand strategy focuses on further market penetration through a proliferation of services, solidifying the companys position as the only one-stop-shop for the AV industry. Large manufacturers often hit bottlenecks when executing in-warranty and out of warranty services internally, leading to high operating costs and sometimes negative ROI, said Steve Storr, president and CEO of Projector Doctor and Mendtronix. Our customers partner with us because we successfully and efficiently absorb the entire after-market lifecycle, from RMA case generation and account management to repair services and logistics.

About Projector Doctor:

Projector Doctor, a division of Mendtronix, Inc., was founded in 1998 and has become the leader in national projector and AV services and logistics. With three nationwide locations, the company provides customers with the fastest turnaround times in the industry. Integrated into Projector Doctors services include unique, 24/7 automated RMA generation, robust data management system, and real-time reporting. Projector Doctor is the authorized service center (ASC) for all top electronics brands and has one of the largest inventories of replacement projector lamps and bulbs in the nation. From large Fortune 500 businesses and ProAV, to government, education and houses of worship, to large end users such as Regal Entertainment, National CineMedia and AMC Theaters, Projector Doctors high-touch services support the full spectrum of todays manufacturers and professional AV user needs. Visit http://www.projectordoctor.com for more information.

About Mendtronix:

Mendtronix, Inc.(MTI) is the premier AV repair and logistics services company. MTIs customer base includes Fortune 500 corporations, national manufacturers, global contract manufacturers, resellers, logistics professionals, and large end-users. As a leader in quality repair, refurbishment, and after-market operations, MTI has solidified its position as the turnkey solution for the complete electronics lifecycle. With a proven track record for scaling quickly and efficiently into new product markets, MTI has built the infrastructure to service a wide range of vertical industries. The companys wide array of customizable services reduces operating costs, minimize waste, and optimize the longevity of the electronic product lifecycle. For more information, please visit http://www.mendtronix.com or call Todd Savitt, VP Business Development, at (858) 726-0200 ext. 297.