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Excel Dryers: Hard At Work At Grand Central Station and Worldwide
Spanning 48 acres in the heart of Midtown Manhattan, Grand Central Terminal hosts approximately 750,000 visitors daily, 10,000 of which are lunchtime diners. In addition to housing 68 shops and 35 restaurants, the iconic landmark offers opportunities for tours, special events and entertainment throughout the year. Esteemed for its Beaux-Arts architecture, the high-profile venue also holds another distinction: busiest train station in the country.
Given its popularity and historical significance, it’s hard to fathom that the terminal was once in danger of being destroyed in favor of a high-rise office complex. Through a preservation campaign led by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and a favorable ruling by the Supreme Court of the United States, Grand Central was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and declared a historic landmark in 1976, spared of its fate.
With the building and its rich history preserved, the first of many restoration projects commenced. Over time, as new technologies emerged, thoughtful planning was given to upgrading systems and integrating energy-efficient and sustainable products. “Everything we do, we must look at with sustainability in mind. We’ve made a number of upgrades to Grand Central Terminal over the years, including updating the electrical, plumbing and lighting systems led by our sustainability team,” said Steve Stroh, assistant deputy director of electrical and mechanical maintenance.
An area receiving particular attention were the restrooms throughout the facility. Originally outfitted with paper towel dispensers, restroom floors were often strewn with errant waste, and the sinks and toilets, clogged with improperly disposed of paper towels, despite routine cleaning and maintenance. To eliminate these problems and other issues associated with paper towels like the inherent labor, maintenance and waste, hand dryers were considered as a sustainable solution. An added challenge, however, was finding a product that could meet performance needs without compromising the integrity of the original architecture.
While at a rest stop, Stroh experienced the XLERATOR® Hand Dryer. Impressed with its performance, he and his boss researched the product and surmised it could meet all of their objectives relative to performance, reliability and sustainability. “We thought if they could hold up to the abuse of a public rest area, they would be a great option at Grand Central,” said Stroh. “With the XLERATOR, we don’t have to worry about paper towels ending up outside the garbage cans, clogging toilets or plugging up on our sewers. It’s eliminated the need for paper towels in our restrooms,” he furthered. “We dug around and researched the XLERATOR and saw that it also had a lot of green certifications.”
Ultimately, XLERATOR Hand Dryers proved to be the perfect solution at Grand Central, with 24 units replacing paper towels throughout the public and office spaces of the terminal. The XLERATORs provide more benefits than cleaner restroom environments; touch-free, sensor-activated technology reduces touch points and significantly improves hand hygiene. “Visitors don’t want to touch something that hundreds of other people have touched,” Stroh said.
“XLERATOR changed the standard for performance, reliability and customer satisfaction,” explained William Gagnon, vice president of marketing and sales at Excel Dryer. “We knew it would be put to the test at Grand Central with their tremendous amount of traffic. If the XLERATOR can make it here, it can make it anywhere.”
Working with Stroh and understanding the unique needs of the facility, custom covers were recommended and ultimately selected. Offered in a plethora of colors, textures and finishes, Stroh had no trouble selecting one to fit in with the décor. An added benefit was the vandal-resistant coating and finish. The XLERATOR Hand Dryers “take a lot of abuse,” he said. “The new covers are great for our application because we can scrub them to get rid of graffiti and keep them clean.”
Others have taken notice of the newfound cleanliness of the restrooms; since the installation of the XLERATOR Hand Dryers, Grand Central Terminal restrooms have been nominated among America’s best public restrooms.
Matching the décor and meeting desired performance and energy-efficiencies, XLERATOR Hand Dryers support the sustainable transformation of the Grand Central Terminal. Iconic in their own right, the XLERATORs provide a new train of thought on performance, reliability and sustainability.
About Excel Dryer, Inc.
Excel Dryer has been manufacturing the finest American-made hand dryers for more than 50 years. The family-owned and -operated company revolutionized the industry with the invention of the patented XLERATOR® Hand Dryer that created the high-speed, energy-efficient hand dryer category and set a new standard for performance, reliability and customer satisfaction. Excel Dryer continues to lead the industry with its expanded and enhanced product line featuring adjustable sound, speed and heat controls. Combined with the most options and complete line of accessories, the best hand drying solution can be designed for any restroom environment. Excel Dryer prides itself on offering the best customer service and making sustainable products people can depend on. Available for distribution worldwide, Excel Dryer products can be purchased through an established network of sales representatives who call on more than 4,000 distributors globally. Learn more about Excel Dryer at exceldryer.com.
Southwest Louisiana Offers Economic Development Opportunities
Southwest Louisiana is featured in the 2018 Louisiana Trade Guide as a prime area for foreign direct investment, as well as a great location for exporters.
In Southwest Louisiana you can enjoy a day of sun, sand, and surf on the coast of the “The Cajun Riviera,” or canoe the Ouiska Chitto River. You can hit the track or the casinos for Vegas-style gaming, visit museums with exhibits ranging from fine art to railroad history, and explore a re-created general store. Don’t leave without touring the Lake Charles Charpentier District, the architectural legacy of Michigan lumbermen who chopped down the trees here, then built their own distinct style of houses.
Allen Parish is diverse in culture and plentiful in natural resources and beauty, Allen Parish is where Cajun food and culture meet the timber-rich, piney woods of central Louisiana. Allen Parish is home to four Natural and Scenic Rivers, including the spring-fed Ouiska Chitto, which attracts canoeists and outdoor enthusiasts from all over the South. The Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana makes its home in Allen Parish and operates Louisiana’s premier land-based casino resort, Coushatta Casino & Resort and Koasati Pines Golf Course, its 18-hole championship course near Kinder. The gaming and hospitality industries, along with a plywood manufacturing facility, three prison facilities and a natural gas relay facility are the major private sector employers in the parish. Allen Parish has some of the most fertile farmland in the South, producing primarily rice and soybeans. The parish is served by two federal highway systems and extensive rail facilities.
Beauregard Parish is home to such industries as paper and plastics production, chemical production and insurance providers. The area is centered on one of the largest aquifers in the world. The 4,200-acre Beauregard Parish Airport has a 5,495-foot north-south runway. The airport, located just minutes away from major industry, boasts the largest land area in the state and one of the largest in the nation. US Hwy 171 and 190 provide transportation arteries. There are abundant opportunities for Nature lovers with its lakes, wildlife preserve and natural scenic beauty. Just north of the parish is Fort Polk, the state’s largest military installation and home to the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC).
Calcasieu Parish’s rich history combined with a modern, diversified economy and numerous recreational opportunities make this area a wonderful place to live and visit. The petrochemical industry is the mainstay economically for the parish, and the past decade has seen the aerospace and gaming industries broaden that base. The Port of Lake Charles is accessible to ocean-going vessels and is only 34 miles from the Gulf of Mexico, the closest of any deep-water port in Louisiana. Chennault International Airpark is a major feature for the area with more than 10,000 feet of runway, capable of handling most commercial aircraft. Lake Charles is the home of McNeese State University, a four-year, fully accredited university, as well as Sowela Technical Community College, one of Louisiana’s largest vocational schools. An abundance of streams, rivers and lakes along with museums, art galleries and festivals make the parish a true paradise.
The beautiful natural scenery of Cameron Parish is something not to be missed. The Creole Nature Trail All-American Road, a 180-mile drive through “Louisiana Outback” is a paradise which features beautiful plants and wildflowers and exotic wildlife, such as alligators, rare birds and many other colorful critters, all amidst the marshes and bayous of Southwest Louisiana. Cameron’s plentiful flora and fauna attract over 200,000 visitors each year, from nature lovers looking for native critters like alligators to photographers wanting to catch a breathtaking sunset or nautical scene, to bird watchers eyeing the vast variety of species found here, to beachcombers enjoying the shoreline. Cameron Parish offers a great opportunity for hunting and fishing and is a natural backdrop for industry, especially oil and gas. With its proximity to the Gulf of Mexico, it is no wonder that pipeline companies, petroleum companies, marine support vessels, offshore drilling operations and associated businesses top the list of revenue-producing businesses for the parish. For sportsmen, the area is known as “Sportsman’s Paradise” which has easy access to fishing, hunting, and wildlife which makes the region among the best in the world.
People from all over the world visit Jefferson Davis Parish to enjoy and experience rich Cajun and Indian culture. The film industry has long since discovered the unique scenery of Jeff Davis Parish, and has featured the parish in many productions. Four main transportation arteries run through the parish with I-10, US 90 and US 190 east to west, and US 165 to the north and Jeff Davis is strategically located between two major markets. The parish’s economic base includes health care services, shipbuilding, construction, agriculture, and oil field services. The Jennings Airport has a 5,000 foot runway, and the parish has many industrial sites including the Lacassine Industrial Park on I-10.
Learn more about the SWLA Economic Development Alliance.