Hernon Manufacturing Offers Engineering Help to GSA Buyers

Central Florida adhesive and sealant manufacturer connects GSA buyers with engineers to assist with purchasing adhesive solutions through MAS

Sanford, FL., February 28, 2014 – Hernon Manufacturing, the innovator in adhesives, sealants and dispensing equipment was awarded a General Services Administration (GSA) Multiple Award Schedules (MAS) number GS-21F-0168Y, under schedule 51 V, the hardware superstore for commercial coatings, adhesives, sealants and lubricants which includes products for marine, architectural, aerospace, vehicle and industrial commercial usage. To assist GSA buyers, Hernon enables customers to “Speak to an Engineer” through its website portal.

The GSA is the acquisition arm of the federal government which streamlines the process of connecting commercial businesses to federal buyers through GSA Contracts.  The purpose of the schedules program is to eliminate redundancy in the buying process, pre-approve contractors and leverage the buying power of the federal government by pre-negotiating prices.

“In a highly competitive marketplace, the GSA plays a vital role in connecting the private sector, specifically small businesses like Hernon Manufacturing with Federal Agencies,” said Edgardo Rodriguez, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Hernon Manufacturing. “We are committed to meeting the needs of these Federal Agencies, providing a simpler buying solution and high-quality engineered adhesive and sealant products.”

The GSA has been around since the Truman Administration and is responsible for the listings of over 28 million products and services available through GSA Contracts.  Hernon Manufacturing completed the lengthy, six month long application qualification process with the federal government and now has more than 160 product listings.  Some of the product lines include:

• Cylinlock® - Assembly of cylindrical parts, such as rotors, gears, bushings, collars and bearings, can be effectively and reliably accomplished with Hernon’s line of Cylinlock® Retaining Compounds. Cylinlock® high strength products eliminate the need for mechanical methods of assembly while decreasing production and assembly cost.

• Dripstop® - Hernon’s line of Dripstop® sealants for plumbing, refrigeration and hydraulics are engineered with many advantages over conventional pipe dopes. These materials harden without shrinkage in the joints creating a tough, insoluble, vibration proof seal that will not leak even if threads are damaged.

• Gasket Replacer - Hernon Gasket Replacer products form a thin, tough, resilient, solvent, and temperature resistant seal. Gasket Replacer adhesives are superior to other gasketing methods. They contain no solvents and do not shrink, stretch, split, rot, distort, wear-out, or relax. Joints never need re-torquing.

• Nuts N’ Bolts® - A family of anaerobic adhesives designed for use with assemblies having thread fasteners, Nuts N’ Bolts® are 100% active liquid single component thread lockers that self-harden when air is omitted between the mating surface of a nut & bolt, but it remains a stable liquid in its container. Nuts N Bolts® is designed to replace lock washers and other expensive methods to prevent vibration and loosening of parts which improves machine reliability. Many of the Nuts N’ Bolts® products have MIL-Spec and ASTM numbers.

• ReAct® - Hernon offers a complete line of structural acrylic adhesives which are two-part, no mix and reactive, called ReAct®. Each adhesive has two components:  the adhesive base or resin, and the Activator. Structural acrylic adhesives are termed “reactive” cure systems. The adhesive base reacts upon contact with the Activator layer to initiate the curing mechanism.

• Self Locker – Hernon Self Locker products are pre-applied, micro encapsulated anaerobic thread locking compounds that stay dry to the touch until the shearing action of thread engagement breaks the capsules and allows the released adhesive to begin to cure. Self Locker products provide resistance to vibrational loosening, and fluid leakage.
• Tuffbond™ - This line of epoxies offer substantial moisture, chemical, and heat resistance. They provide high shear strength for tough and durable bonding of wood, metal, ceramic, glass, plastic, masonry, stone, concrete, rubber, etc. Tuffbond™ epoxies are 100% solids and can be customized for specific applications.

“Our MAS allows for direct sales to the federal government and can simplify direct purchases of Hernon Manufacturing products and services by city, county and state agencies,” added Rodriguez. “Additionally, if a buyer has any questions regarding the use of one of our formulas, we encourage them to contact us directly.”

HERNON Manufacturing has been committed to delivering world class adhesive, sealant, and impregnation solutions along with precision dispensing systems for nearly four decades.  A long-time member of Central Florida’s industrial manufacturing community, HERNON offers strong brands and technologies, all made in the United States, for a diverse range of industries including:  Energy/Power Generation, Medical, Electronics, Electrical, LED, Automotive, Appliances, Sporting Goods, Ammunition, Communications, Aerospace, Aviation, High Tech Audio, Defense, Fire Suppression, Transportation, and Marine. HERNON Manufacturing is proud to be an ISO-9001 and ITAR registered company whose products meet or exceed Mil-Specs.

• Awarded 2012 ThinkGlobal Exporter of the Year
• Nominated one of Florida's Top Companies to Watch in 2012
• Received the 2012 William C. Schwartz Industry Innovation Award
• Named 2013 State of Florida Small Business Exporter of the Year

Visit http://www.hernon.com or contact 407-322-4000 for more information.

Maintenance Checklist for Your Parking Lot

Parking lots are a large capital expense for a facility manager. Keeping your parking lot well maintained will help protect your investment and impact your customers in a positive way. But, how do you know what you should do and when?  This checklist will help you know more about a proper, effective and timely parking lot maintenance schedule:

Clean Parking Area
Regular cleaning of a parking lot or parking garage can help identify potential problems. The simple act of walking the parking area during the cleaning process and making some observations can spot small issues.  Addressing them now, can stop them from turning into bigger, most costly problems.

Parking lot cleaning can be broken into three categories – trash removal, parking lot sweeping and hydro-cleaning.

Trash Removal – Keeping empty trash receptacles in and around your facility in high traffic areas will encourage visitors to be tidier. Depending on the amount of visitors your building sees on a regular basis, you may require professional help for cleaning including porter services, janitorial services and even bulk debris removal.  Obviously, this task needs year round attention!

Parking Lot Sweeping Schedules - Parking lots should be swept weekly, year round, to remove dirt and trash. Removing this trash not only keeps your facility more attractive to visitors, but it also prevents the garbage from clogging your parking lot drains – causing standing water, and polluting the streams, lakes, and the ocean.  If you’ve run out of hours in the day to accomplish this task regularly, hire a professional company.

Hydro-Cleaning Schedules - Wash parking surfaces periodically, at least twice a year, more often if you have a high traffic area.  Spring is an excellent time of year to wash your parking area!

Hydro-cleaning removes dust, oil, and grease that can not only be tracked into your facility, but also can cause wear on your pavement.  Hydro-cleaning does not create water runoff like pressure washing. The water is actually recycled, cleaned, and reused again.

If you haven’t seen this process, watch this great video!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hc8hZInOCRw

Inspect Drainage 
Standing water can penetrate into asphalt pavement and even concrete causing potential structural hazards. Now is an ideal time to clean out floor drains, basins and gutters to prevent debris from stopping drainage.

Inspect Lighting Fixtures
Broken or burned out light bulbs impact building security and the safety of your visitors. How well are your lots lit at night?

Remove Vegetation
Vegetation that grows through the cracks and seams of your asphalt paving can mean trouble. Large cracks should be filled and parking lots should be seal coated on a regular basis.  Think your parking lot may need some repairs?  We recommend contacting a professional paving company like ABC Paving and Seal Coating!  Visit their website now.

About American Facility Services 
Since 1993, American Facility Services (AFS) has built a solid reputation based on safety, quality and customer service. With offices in Orlando, Jacksonville and Tampa, AFS’ portfolio of commercial facility services enable our clients the convenience of working with a single provider for all their commercial property needs. Contact AFS today at 866-793-3735 or visit our website at http://www.afsflorida.com for an online proposal.

A Guide to Protecting Your Asphalt Investment

When visiting a place of business, no one wants to swerve around potholes, step through puddles and trip over liter or guess where to park because your parking lot lines have faded away.  Obstacles like these between your customers and your business mean one thing – less income for your business.  Actually, they mean two things, less income and more expenses on potentially large repairs or even replacement of your asphalt pavement.

Asphalt pavement is a tough surface. It has to be with the tonnage that passes over it daily. But the natural environment and human factors continually test the endurance of your pavement.

Water tries to find cracks to seep into the sub-structure, vegetation continues to try to poke through to reach sunlight, and humans drop trash that clogs drains causing standing water.  Left on its own, your parking lot doesn’t stand a chance.  All that money spent to pave your lot and make the entrance to your building presentable is going down the drain, literally.

So, we all agree. Paving maintenance for your parking lot is important.  But, with everything else going on with your facility, what should you be on the lookout for?  We’re glad you asked!

Here’s a list of things you should regularly inspect!

Got Pot Holes?
Potholes are created when moisture seeps into the pavement, as temperatures change the water expands and then contracts. This weakens the pavement. Traffic loosens it even more, and it eventually crumbles and pops out.  A hazard to drivers and pedestrians alike, pot holes should be repaired by an experienced paving company.

Got Cracks? 
Cracks left unsealed in asphalt pavement allow water to penetrate the surface. This in turn weakens the pavement structure and leads to failures in both the pavement and the base beneath it. Once this occurs only extensive and costly repairs can fix the problem.

Faded Lines? 
Line striping design and pavement marking layouts of parking lots ensure effective traffic flow and compliance with ADA regulations. Proper layout directs traffic safely and efficiently.

Got Trash?
Keep trash receptacles in convenient places and empty them on a regular basis. Doing so will keep overflowing liter from blocking floor drains, attracting pests and causing pedestrian hazards on walkways and in stairwells. Also, sweeping your parking lots on a weekly basis will keep your parking lot free from excessive dirt and debris too.

Got Grease and Dirt?
Hydro-cleaning your parking area at least twice a year will reduce the amount of oil, dirt, grease, dust and other chemicals that can build up in parking spaces. Not only a slip hazard for pedestrians, these foreign materials cause your asphalt to deteriorate more quickly.

Got Weeds?
Vegetation growing through your asphalt pavement is a bad sign.  If you begin seeing asphalt cracks in your parking lots surface with weeds growing through, it deserves a closer look.  Water that seeps into asphalt though cracks causes damage.  As water runs over a parking lot its constant wear and tear breaks down the asphalt, eroding away the smaller pieces.  This erosion leads to a bigger problem, foundation erosion.  Left untreated, a small crack penetrated by water will turn into a pothole and into a large repair bills.

High-quality, commercial grade asphalt sealer should be applied to a new asphalt parking lot after the surface cures, which will take approximately 90 days to prevent cracks and vegetation growth.  After the initial sealcoating, a good rule of thumb to reapply another coat of asphalt sealer is two years.

About ABC Paving and Sealcoating
With more than 20 years of experience, ABC Paving and Sealcoating is Florida's leading paving contractor. ABC Paving and Sealcoating provides commercial organizations with the highest level of customer service, professional workmanship and services including:  asphalt paving, asphalt repairs and prevention, pothole repairs, sealcoating, line striping and pavement marking, thermoplastic, crack filing, signs and safety devices, concrete sidewalks, concrete curbs, site preparation and signs and safety devices.  We use our experience and the latest equipment available to get the job done right the first time in a timely, cost effective manner.  For more information about ABC Paving and Sealcoating, visit our website at http://pavingandsealcoating.com or call 866-934-7623 for a free estimate.

Hernon Manufacturing Announces New Distributor in Europe

Uniones Adhesivas to distribute over 5000 of Hernon’s adhesive products and introduce the Florida manufacturers’ dispensing equipment to its customers in and around the Iberian Peninsula

Sanford, FL., February 27, 2014 – Hernon Manufacturing, the innovator in adhesive and sealing technologies, announced its newest distributor, Uniones Adhesivas, located in Barcelona, Spain.
During a visit to Hernon Manufacturing’s’ plant in February, Alberto Gomez, the Peninsula Sales Manager for Uniones Adhesives, cemented the agreement to distribute Hernon’s products and equipment.  The new distributor’s territory includes Spain, Portugal, France and Italy.

“Uniones Adhesivas offers a complete, high quality range of adhesives and sealants in addition to custom dispensing equipment that allow our customers a complete solution in the most demanding industries including: Appliances, LED, Automotive, Electronics, Transportation, Solar and others,” said Gomez. “We have the leading brands in the market which has made us a benchmark of quality.”

Hernon Manufacturing, founded by brothers Harry and Josef Arnon and located in Sanford, FL has distributors throughout the world. This latest partnership is part of Hernon's aggressive growth strategy for 2014 and rapid expansion in the European market.

"This new distributorship with Uniones Adhesivas strengthens our industry position as they present our solutions to their customer base and make our products and equipment more readily available and visible in the Iberian Peninsula and surrounding countries," continued Arnon.

Hernon's extensive line of products and custom equipment are engineered to reduce production costs and save time, while increasing the accuracy and quality of the finished products.  The company has been in business for more than 30 years and offers solutions to recognized international companies in applications such as automotive, electrical, electronics, communication, aerospace, appliances, military ammunition, power generation and transportation. These technologies include anaerobic, cyanoacrylate, epoxies, acrylics, methacrylates, U.V. visible cure including customized technologies and many more.

"We are very pleased to distribute the products and dispensing equipment from Hernon Manufacturing to complete our range of products. Our customers in Europe will benefit from the excellence that Hernon Manufacturing team will bring us," added Gomez.

HERNON Manufacturing has been committed to delivering world class adhesive, sealant, and impregnation solutions along with precision dispensing systems for nearly four decades.  A long-time member of Central Florida’s industrial manufacturing community, HERNON offers strong brands and technologies, all made in the United States, for a diverse range of industries including:  Energy/Power Generation, Medical, Electronics, Electrical, LED, Automotive, Appliances, Sporting Goods, Ammunition, Communications, Aerospace, Aviation, High Tech Audio, Defense, Fire Suppression, Transportation, and Marine. HERNON Manufacturing is proud to be an ISO-9001 and ITAR registered company whose products meet or exceed Mil-Specs.

• Awarded 2012 ThinkGlobal Exporter of the Year
• Nominated one of Florida's Top Companies to Watch in 2012
• Received the 2012 William C. Schwartz Industry Innovation Award
• Named 2013 State of Florida Small Business Exporter of the Year
Contact Hernon Manufacturing at 407-322-400 for more information, or visit http://www.hernon.com or www.unionesadhesivas.com/Hernon/.

ESA Renewables Commissions First Community Solar Farm in Central Florida

Central Florida solar company developed, constructed and will operate solar array

Lake Mary, Fl., February 18^th, 2014 - ESA Renewables (ESA), an industry leader in providing turnkey solar solutions, is pleased to announce the completion of a 400 kilowatt (kW) community solar farm on the Gardenia campus of the Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) located at 3800 Gardenia Avenue in Orlando, FL.  The array was commissioned in October by ESA and has been acquired by Spear Point Energy; OUC has agreed to purchase the generated power from Spear Point Energy under a 25-year power purchase agreement. 

The solar farm is the result of many companies coming together, including Sylvester and Cockrum, ReneSola, Advanced Energy, Chint, Schletter, ESA, and Spear Point Energy.

“The technology innovation of using Schletter micro-piles as foundations and precast concrete pads, in addition to the engineering design using a high density module with a modular canopy with long spans, has cut the construction schedule in half and minimized the risk factors in a rainy environment like Florida,” said Javier Latre Gorbe, Vice-President of Technical Operations for ESA Renewables.  “The solar array serves dual purposes as a solar farm and a canopy to 151 LED-lit parking spaces for OUC employees and guests.”

“We are pleased to have worked closely with ESA Renewables on the OUC community solar array project, contributing our services and capabilities of the micro-pile technology and carport structure to the farm,” said Ryan Kelly, Vice President of Sales for Schletter Inc. Mr. Kelly went on to add that “The carport structures are comprised of mainly aluminum, making it maintenance free. This saved an incredible amount of time and money during the installation process.”

"The CPS 3 Phase string Inverters are ideally suited for use in solar canopy designs. This decentralized approach provides reduced installation and BOS costs, lowers O&M costs and improves system uptime," said Jesse Batista Eastern and Latin American Sales Manager for Chint Power Systems America.

“It’s humbling working with firms like ESA, which takes great pride in not only its work, but the selection process to determine which modules to use in its projects,” said Brian Armentrout, Director of Marketing for ReneSola America.

The solar farm covers approximately 2.5 acres of the parking area of OUC’s Gardenia Campus and is expected to produce about 540,000 kWh annually – enough to meet the power needs of about 40 homes.  As a community solar farm, it is the first of its kind in Orlando, and only the second in Florida. 

Subscriptions to the community solar farm sold out in less than a week after OUC offered its customers the opportunity to purchase blocks of solar power from the array.  Subscribers receive credit on their electricity bills for their share of the solar farm’s production. The Gardenia solar farm has 39 OUC subscribers, and while initially they will be paying a slight premium for their electricity, their rate is locked in for 25 years.

"Half of our customers live in multi-family housing and do not have the ability to add solar to their homes. Innovative projects like this allow our customers to purchase solar power without the upfront costs or hassle of installing it and with the added bonus of being able to lock in their power rate," said Byron Knibbs, OUC Vice President of Customer & Sustainable Services.

“Spear Point Energy proudly invested in the project due to several factors: the high quality team, construction, material, equipment and the smart way OUC structured their community solar program. It is exciting that OUC is working with the community to allow Orlando residents to own the power generated by this solar project,” said Michael Johnson, President of Spear Point Energy. “We are pleased to be a part of bringing the benefits of community solar to Orlando.”

“This solar farm provides sustainable, green energy and eliminates the upfront expenses, installation and equipment maintenance costs associated with individuals installing solar at their own home or business,” said Lindsay Herold, Chief Operating Officer for ESA Renewables. “ESA is managing ongoing operation and maintenance (O&M) costs and services for the solar farm.”

A ribbon-cutting celebration was held at OUC’s Gardenia Campus near John Young Boulevard in Orlando at the end of October.  The solar farm can be seen from Interstate 4, the main artery running through the city.

Watch the Construction Video Now!

About ESA Renewables, LLC

ESA Renewables has positioned itself as a leader in the industry providing a wide variety of services to solar PV systems worldwide. ESA activities include project financing, EPC, commissioning, monitoring, O&M, third party engineering, production simulation and development. With headquarters in Castellon, Spain, ESA has additional offices in Florida, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, and Italy. For more information about ESA Renewables, LLC, please visit http://www.esarenewables.com or call 407-268-6455.

About Spear Point Energy

Spear Point Energy is an independent power producer and solar project developer for commercial and industrial customers, municipalities and utilities throughout the U.S. Spear Point sells renewable electricity at competitive rates to customers through power purchase agreements. The company finances, develops, builds, owns and operates solar power systems ranging from 100 kilowatts to 20 megawatts in size. Spear Point Energy is online at http://www.spearpointenergy.com.

About Schletter Inc.

Schletter has designed, developed, and manufactured solar mounting products in the U.S. since 2008, while backed with more than 20-years of solar mounting experience from Schletter GmbH. Schletter Inc maintains three manufacturing facilities in North America and is headquartered in Shelby, North Carolina. Since opening its United States facility in Tucson, Arizona, Schletter Inc. has manufactured more than 1 GW of installed PV mounting systems. Schletter Inc. offers products for roof mount and ground mount systems for residential, commercial, and utility scale photovoltaic systems. Schletter Inc. is an independent subsidiary of Schletter GmbH, which operates subsidiaries in eleven countries with more than 1,800 employees worldwide. For more information on Schletter GmbH, please visit http://www.schletter.de.

About ReneSola

Founded in 2005, ReneSola (NYSE:SOL) is a leading brand and technology provider of solar PV products. Leveraging its proprietary technologies, economies of scale and technical expertise, ReneSola uses in-house virgin polysilicon and a vertically integrated business model to provide customers with high-quality, cost-competitive products. ReneSola solar modules have scored top PVUSA Test Conditions (PTC) ratings with high annual kilowatt-hour output, according to the California Energy Commission (CEC). ReneSola solar PV modules can be found in projects ranging in size from a few kilowatts to multi-megawatts in markets around the world, including the United States, Germany, Italy, Belgium, China, Greece, Spain and Australia. For more information, please visit http://www.renesola.com.

About Chint Power Systems America

CPS America is a leader in advanced PV inverter solutions including residential string, commercial and utility products.  Rooted with a culture of innovation driving cost effective high performance, the leadership and development teams have deep experience in telecommunications power systems where reliability, uptime and efficiency are paramount. Chint Power, with 1GW inverter capacity, is a division of Chint Group, a $4B global firm with business units focused on power electronics, industrial automation, power transmission and distribution and solar panels. http://www.chintpower.com/na.     

Winter Park Falls "In Love" with its New Solar Panels On Valentine's Day

Winter Park, Fl., February 13, 2014 - On Valentine’s Day, Friday, February 14, at 10:30 a.m., the City of Winter Park will show how much it “loves” its newly installed rooftop solar panels at the Public Works Compound located at 1409 Howell Branch Road.

Last summer, the City Commission approved an agreement with Clean Footprint, central Florida’s leading solar development and finance company to add solar energy into our city’s electric power supply
portfolio. This solar project, developed by Clean Footprint and ESA Renewables, a Florida-based solar company, generates 100kW of clean, green energy and is the city’s first, largest and only solar energy project to date.

“This venture into solar photovoltaic panels is a victory for all of the city’s electric customers. For those seeking a smaller carbon footprint, solar energy answers that need. In addition, solar is an alternative energy source that provides a hedge against future electric rate increases. This is a huge step for the city as it relates to entering into a more sustainable energy source,” said Electric Utility Director Jerry Warren.

“All other sources of energy will fluctuate in pricing. Solar is an ideal choice granting municipalities and companies access to low-cost and stable electric prices for up to 30 years,” said John Porter, Managing
Partner of Clean Footprint.

With the completion of this renewable energy installation, the City of Winter Park becomes a leader amongst Florida cities committed to providing renewable energy to their citizens. To truly see why the city has fallen “head over heels in love” with these new solar panels, bucket trucks will be available for the media to get a bird’s-eye view of the roof top panels.

For more information, please visit cityofwinterpark.org, esarnewables.com or clean-footprint.com.