Maureen McHale: April 2014

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Not Just Handymen

If you’ve ever hired a handyman, you know it can be hit or miss on several key points:

His skill set
His quality of work
His price
His reliability.

How’d you like to never have to hire a handyman again? Sounds too good to be true, right? Well, it’s not. Here’s what you need to do -- find a company that is an expert in exterior building services and that puts the customer first by tailoring their services to meet your needs. Trust me, it’s not an impossible task, in fact, you’re reading an article from that kind of company right now!

Get Help - Exterior Building Services

So, how can an exterior building services company help you? Probably in more ways than you can image - or, maybe not. Did you think of any of these services?

Maintenance Services
General Contracting
Sweeping Services
Porter Services
Bulk Debris Removal
Janitorial Services
Pressure Washing
Hydro-Cleaning
Sealcoating
Line Striping
Asphalt Repair Services
Commercial Painting
Parking Lot Maintenance

We’ve Done All the Work

Basically, instead of hiring a painter, a sweeping company, a guy to pressure wash your building, or hydro-clean your parking garage, you simply contact American Facility Services (AFS).

American Facility Services (AFS) spent the last 20 years building individual companies that specialize in specific commercial exterior building services. The result is one point of contact that comes with a vast wealth of experience in a variety of commercial facility services.

So how have we done it? Over the years AFS has created sister companies operated by experts in their respective fields in various exterior building services – like asphalt, general contracting and janitorial services. Each of these companies have hired and trained a complete team of technicians – focused on their respective service.

We don’t have janitors working as painters, or pressure washers that double as part of the asphalt team. AFS is not a ‘Jack of all trades, master of none’. In fact, the way AFS has built its business, you can truly be assured that an expert will be working for you.

If AFS is currently performing one of your many commercial facilities maintenance tasks, why not contact them to take the stress off of finding a handyman and wondering when the job will get done and the quality of workmanship that will go into the job.

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.

Line Striping is More Than Just Cosmetics

If you think that line striping is just about making your parking lot look good, think again. Yes, it’s true – line striping is the icing on the cake of a freshly sealcoated parking lot, but these pavement markings are important for a number of other reasons. Let’s take a look at some of them now:

Line Striping Cross Walks

Properly marked cross walks in your parking area alerts pedestrians of the safe and proper places to cross traffic. It also alerts motorists to slow down so that they can watch for people crossing and to stop until they make it safely to the other side.

Line Striping Parking Stalls

Without properly marked parking stalls, just think what your lot would be like on a busy day! First of all, if everyone was permitted to park where ever they desired, your lot would quickly become congested as parked vehicles would surely interrupt the traffic flow. Additionally, your parking area would probably not hold nearly as many parked vehicles either. Without line striping, motorists tend to leave more space between vehicles and they aren’t very good at lining up in straight rows either!

Another important pavement marking is the designated handicapped spaces. Not only is it your legal obligation to provide a certain number of spaces that meet specific requirements, but the lack of handicapped spaces certainly is not good for those in need.

Line Striping Stop Lines & Signs

A couple of other big safety issues are stop lines and having the word “STOP” spelled out next to that line. Imagine if everyone had the right of way – it would be sheer chaos! And, not very safe either.

Line Striping Fire Lanes

Talk about safety issues! Without fire lanes in front of office buildings, apartment complexes, shopping centers, and other tenant occupied buildings the fire department, the police or rescue unit might not reach someone in need in a timely manner. Not only are fire lanes a common sense factor that should be incorporated within your parking lot layout, fire lanes are also part of the Florida Statutes with specific code requirements for their installation and use.

So, as you can see, line striping really is more than just the icing on the cake! If you’re considering having your parking lot restriped, be sure to contact a professional asphalt company that has years of experience which can be backed by references that will stand by and vouch for its reputation.

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 866-921-8719 for a free estimate.

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Hernon Manufacturing Attends FIDAE Trade Exhibition in Chile

Central Florida adhesive and dispensing equipment manufacturer attends International Aerospace and Defense Fair in Latin America

Sanford, FL., April 16, 2014 – Hernon Manufacturing, the innovator in adhesives, sealants and dispensing equipment attended the 2014 FIDAE tradeshow in Santiago, Chile to connect with providers and customers in the business, scientific, civil and military world.

In existence for more than 35 years, FIDAE is the foremost aerospace and defense fair in the region and one of the most important and well-known around the world. During the tradeshow, experts from diverse sectors such as civil – commercial aviation, defense, aircraft maintenance, airport services and equipment, space technology and homeland security attended, from different countries to fortify ties and access to the cutting-edge advances in technology, equipment and services, with the clear purpose of positioning their brand in this region of the world.

“FIDAE was an excellent opportunity for Hernon Manufacturing to showcase its adhesive products and equipment to some of the largest aerospace and defense companies in the world,” said Harry Arnon, President of Hernon Manufacturing. “FIDAE proved to be a successful show for Hernon serving as a venue where executives with high decision power gathered and met.”

Representatives from Hernon Manufacturing, including Harry Arnon, Edgardo Rodriguez, Hernon’s Director of Sales and Marketing, and Engineering Manager, Tom Bray attended the show with Enterprise Florida, Inc. (EFI), the principal economic development organization for the state of Florida.

EFI arranged a Florida pavilion section within the larger USA/International pavilion. EFI also helped organize key factors of the event for the five Florida companies in attendance, including Hernon Manufacturing.

Also exhibiting at the show were representatives from Boeing, General Dynamics, ATK, Lockheed Martin, GE Aviation, Pratt and Whitney UTC, and more.

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.

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

When Should I Sealcoat Asphalt Pavement?

Sealcoating an asphalt pavement parking lot is essential to protecting your investment.

How do can you tell when you should sealcoat asphalt? After new pavement is installed, it’s recommended to wait approximately six months to one year before sealcoating. Having your parking area sealcoated can almost double the life expectancy of the asphalt. Asphalt sealant protects your asphalt against the elements – rain, snow, ice and harmful UV rays. The sealant also protects your asphalt from oil, gas, antifreeze or any other chemicals that can leak onto the asphalt and eat away at the pavement.

When Should I Have Sealcoating Reapplied?

While there’s no cut and dried answer to when sealcoating should be reapplied, it’s suggested to have sealant reapplied once every three years to maintain the surface quality throughout the lifetime of your parking lot.

If you can’t remember or don’t have records to tell you how long its been since your parking area was sealcoated, there are a few ways you can determine if it’s time to having your paving contractor come out. The first and most noticeable signs of asphalt deterioration are change in color from rich black to grey and cracks in the pavement, which widen over time. When you start noticing these changes, it’s time to sealcoat. The damage will continue if preventative and treatment measures are not taking. If in doubt, contact your local paving contractor, he can assess your parking lot and make recommendations for treatment and future care.

Why Should I Sealcoat Asphalt Pavement?

There are several reasons why you should have your asphalt pavement sealcoated. First, to make your parking lot look better and last longer – sealcoating just may be the answer. Sealcoating, as we mentioned before, stops weather damage by preventing the damaging effects of water penetration. It also prevents the sun’s ultraviolet rays from hardening and drying out the asphalt pavement surface. This damaging effect is called oxidation. Another reason you should have your parking lots asphalt sealcoated is that it resists the highly damaging effects of gas and oil seepage and all other road chemicals. And finally, asphalt sealcoating also restores the pavement to the original black color, which greatly enhances the overall appearance of a property.

Worried About Down Time?

If you’re worried about the effect of having a paving contractor shut down your parking lot for an extended period of time, have no fear. A professional paving work crew is highly experienced in offering a quick job turn-around to minimize interruption of your business. They will devise a plan that will get the job done right, in a minimal amount of time and have little impact on the parking access for your customers, visitors, and other building occupants.

About ABC Paving and Sealcoating

Why Do You Need Day Porters?

Day porters perform invaluable, time-saving services and are an excellent way to control property maintenance costs.

Even as businesses look to streamline costs and expenses, they still understand and appreciate how important the aesthetic appearance of their commercial property is to visitors and clients. After all, their first impression of your facility resides within its appearance. Cutting corners in this arena is not possible, but saving money isn’t impossible.

Having a day porter assigned daily tasks during business hours help keep your building clean. An added benefit of having a day porter on site is that it allows you the comfort of knowing about and being able to respond to any maintenance problem that may occur. What may start out as a small repair can quickly escalate into a huge maintenance issue if gone unnoticed or unreported by staff.

What do day porters do?

Day porters perform a multitude of tasks to keep your facility spotless, leaving you free to focus on your business and clients. A comprehensive porter service checklist can address the most common cleaning concerns; however, this checklist, of course, can be modified to meet the needs of your particular facility.

Some of the tasks day porters can perform include:

· Small to Large Size Litter Removal

· Oversized Debris Removal

· Bulk Trash Removal

· Dumpster Enclosure Cleaning

· Trash Receptacle Cleaning

· General Cleaning

o Windowsill Dusting

o Sidewalk Spills

o Public Phones

o Light Fixture Dusting

· Outdoor Cobweb Cleaning

· Window Cleaning

· Storm/Hurricane Cleaning

Compliment Parking Lot Sweeping

High-touch commercial day porter services also compliment high-tech sweeping services, here’s how: Day porters walk parking lots during the daytime hours to police areas for trash, scrape gum, remove cigarette butts from flower beds and wipe down trash cans. This helps keep your parking area clean in between sweeping services.

Whether you are a facilities manager for an apartment complex, office building, commercial and industrial complex, school or hospital, day porters just make sense. Many businesses have already outsourced day porter tasks to a commercial facilities maintenance company to avoid distracting staff members from their other duties. Having this type of service can promote an atmosphere of professionalism and assist your business in performing these necessary services.

Performing exterior janitorial services and providing a wealth of beneficial services to offices, hotels, institutions and other facilities, day porter services are available on a flat hourly rate, daily, weekly or monthly basis.