We are pleased to announce the opening of our new office headquarters in Scottsdale, AZ.
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In honor of Labor Day, we decided to dig deep and do some of our own research on what makes trades and labor happy in the homebuilding industry.
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The most common and powerful trait in any team of highly productive rock stars is undeniably motivation. And though it isn't easy to instill motivation in others, it is necessary for employee retention, professional growth, satisfaction, and productivity. Motivated employees are imperative to the success of any organization. Since no single strategy will motivate all teammates, we did our research and came up with a list of seven different strategies and ways to encourage motivation in the workplace and create ultra-motivated employees.
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Trends are powerful enough to shape the world we live in -- the cars we drive, the houses we buy, the phones we use. But its not only because of their viral or popular nature that we choose to adopt them. Trends often involve a changed appearance (style) of an object, but more importantly (and permanently), trends have the ability to evolve the function of an object. These are the trends we look for at Aterra -- the next steps in "design evolution," so to speak. And as our roots are in lighting design, we haven't been able to help but notice the latest trend in recessed lighting -- the modern square trim.
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Smart home technology hasn’t been around that long. But when compared to other industries that rely on smart technology to reach the demand of their customers, it is clear that our industry has missed a few steps. There are thousands of new products for lighting design, energy management, security, and home environments. We’ve seen the supply, we know the demand, so what are we missing here? Why has it been so hard to just give the people what they want?
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Diversity of offerings is the name of the game at this week’s TecHome Builder Summit in Austin, Texas.
Whether or not you’re at the Summit, you’ll want to check out these five hidden gems to help diversify your tech offers.
Insteon recently released its flagship Insteon Hub, a central controller for all smart devices in a connected home. New features include field upgradability, easy setup and improved wireless range. The company, a member in the Thread Group and AllSeen Alliance, also offers apps that work with Apple HomeKit- andMicrosoft Cortana-enabled products from various manufacturers and protocols.
“We want to take care of our customers no matter where they’re at or what platform they’re on,” says Rich Peterson, vice president of sales at Insteon. “We’ve got a vast ecosystem of more than 200 products. There’s so much versatility and no limit to number of connected devices we can put on a network. No matter what you have in your home, we want to be ready for that. We want to be Switzerland, the one who takes care of everybody. It’s all about the end customer and the experience they get because they will become your biggest advocate.”
To that end, Insteon has joined the Works with Nest program, allowing customers to control their Nest Learning Thermostats, along with hundreds of Insteon products including light bulbs, wall switches, wall outlets, cameras and sensors.
Aterra Lighting Design & Controls offers homebuilders access to web-based tools that allow customers to spec lighting packages remotely. Using GoToMeeting sessions and Aterra 3D design software, customers can virtually install in-room scenarios and adjust lighting levels to get a sense of the finished room during day, evening and night. This process can also be done in a builder’s design center with a trained Aterra designer walking through each room virtually.
“In fact, we live and breathe lighting design services, sales services and documentation for the production homebuilder,” he says. “And we can provide a national homebuilder with consistency of service across the board.”
By giving this much control to customers, Salmonson says, buyers are upgrading themselves, with the builder optimizing and expanding on the customers’ lighting option allowances.
“With this remote specification capability and our 3D design tool in builders’ design centers, Aterra has seen record growth,” Salmonson says. “In fall 2014, we saw sales spike up over 2006 volumes. This indicates that our investment in lighting specification technology is being welcomed with open arms by builders and their customers.”
Eemax is responding to the implementation of National Appliance Energy Conservation Act (NAECA) efficiency standards on April 16, 2015. The resulting product changes to tank-type water heaters will impact all levels of users—plumbers, distributors, designers and property managers. As a manufacturer of tankless water heaters, Eemax says its products are already 99 percent efficient and no changes are necessary to meet NAECA standards.
Eemax’s HomeAdvantage II is designed specifically for residential hot water with durable heating elements, smart, self-modulating digital technology. There is no standby heat loss, and the small, space-saving system, which can last 20 years or longer, can be installed anywhere.
In addition to NAECA-related solutions, Eemax is investing in “distributed generation,” their concept of placing hot water generation close to the point of use while eliminating 50 percent or more of piping cost (material and labor) and eliminating the cost, complexity and waste of a recirculation system.
“We’re at a crossroads in the industry in terms of water heating with new regulations coming out. We want to educate builders and raise awareness of our product,” Bolleyer says.
Field Controls is expanding its Healthy Home System by offering a ventilation cooling option for builders in states with stringent new energy and indoor air quality standards.
The Healthy Home System is a whole-home air quality solution that uses a central fan and ductwork and treats the entire home as a system, improves the efficiency and cleanliness of the air handling system itself, and constantly monitors and manages home air flow. Since the system is added to an existing HVAC system, customers can save thousands of dollars over buying a standalone system.
HVAC installers can easily handle the low-voltage electrical components, and the other components are plug-and-play with existing fans and ductwork, says Carl Moody, regional sales manager for Field Controls.
Ventilation cooling is usually combined with energy conservation measures such as shading provided by trees and window treatments, roof reflectivity and attic insulation. Mechanical air circulation can be used with natural ventilation to increase comfort, or with air conditioning for energy savings.
Related Article: IBS Wrap Up Special Report: Emerging Tech Trends
Field Controls also offers with the system an option for home control, as its thermostat ties into a whole-home automation system. By the end of the year the system will be compatible with five of the top HVAC automation systems including the Nest Learning Thermostat.
Luxe Wardrobe Automation is a one-woman company based in Austin, Texas, owned and operated by Nancy Fike. Luxe’s streamlined conveyor system for installation in closets and other spaces allows homeowners to view and access garments or other items at the push of a button.
Customers can hang up to four times the number of garments that can go on a standard rod, in the same linear space. The customizable, simple-to-install conveyors are available in many configurations and lengths and in single or double tiers.
“With current building trends, customization, personalization and individualization are the keys to reaching sophisticated homebuyers,” Fike says. “In view of current home construction costs per square foot, certainly an essential concern is the most efficient use of space. Cutting-edge high and low technologies offer efficient luxury and have become modern necessities. Needing to maximize every inch of valuable space, the typical single closet rod is inefficient and a huge barrier to getting the most out of wardrobe space.
Using Luxe Concierge custom software, homeowners can now integrate their PC and their Luxe conveyor. “With the click of a mouse or touchscreen technology, Luxe Concierge will bring the selected garment to you,” says Fike.
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Remote lighting design and control -- can you imagine the possibilities of the future?
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