Month: February 2019

Meet Alyssa Woods, HR & Marketing Coordinator

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

Business Unit and Job Title

-Corporate

-HR/Marketing Coordinator

What does your job entail?

I split my time between the HR and Marketing Teams. On the HR side I schedule interviews, onboard our new hires, recruit at career fairs, and I am on the safety committee.  On the marketing side of things, I help make the newsletter, prepare for trade shows, and order promotional items. 

What did you do before coming to Melink?

I was an undergraduate student at THE Ohio State University.  During my time at OSU, I did several HR internships, worked at OSU’s sensory lab, and was a member of the volunteer organization Alpha Phi Omega.

What is your favorite aspect of working at Melink?

My Favorite aspect of Melink is the culture. Everyone who works at Melink is very friendly, and all ideas are valued and asked for no matter what role you are in.

What do you like to do in your time off?

In my free time I like to go camping and hiking with my family. I also enjoy playing tennis, running, and going to Kings Island when it is open.

Tell us something that might surprise us about you.

When I was 9 I posed for a Pampers Box, and the packaging is still used today.

What are your hopes for our industry?

I hope we reach and surpass all the goals we have set as a company.

Motto or personal mantra?

“It is our choices, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”

                                                                                                                                                -Albus Dumbledore

Future is getting warmer, but still bright

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

Originally published on Cincinnati.com

In recent months, I have come to notice an interesting shift in the news coverage of climate change. Stories have moved away from debating its scientific merits and causes, toward accepting it as a reality. In fact, most coverage has focused on the current and future impact of climate change as well as coping strategies.

Take for example the following headlines: “19 schemes to survive climate change,” “Climate change puts our military bases at risk,” and “Your children’s Yellowstone will be radically different.” This shift suggests, at least to me, that as a society we have finally accepted that the climate is changing, and humankind is the cause. Though I would generally prefer that we collectively focus our efforts on preventing rather than accepting it as an inevitability, I view this as a positive development. The first step to solving any problem, is recognizing the problem exists. 

As a father of three wonderful children, it is clear to me that taking action against climate change is a moral imperative. Those who are willing and able to think beyond the present, and who are selfless enough to act on behalf of future generations, know that the time to make a difference is extremely limited. I’m reminded of my grandfather, who arrived in Normandy, D-Day plus two. He didn’t join the fight, at age 17 no less, because he expected to get rich. He did it because it was the right thing to do; it needed to be done. I am now convinced that the risk climate change poses to our children and grandchildren will dwarf any threat humanity has faced before.

As a kid, my dad used to say to me, Craig, your problems are like mountains. You can climb over, go around, or tunnel through it. You can never just stand still and do nothing.  Until recently, I think most folks have been waiting on the federal government to lead the charge against climate change up over, around, or through the mountain. But it’s clear Uncle Sam’s current interest is in removing the mountaintop and mining its coal. The cavalry isn’t coming. We need to lead the charge. 

Though we are now experiencing the increasingly impactful effects of a changing climate, such as unprecedented heat, flooding, and wildfires, I remain more determined – and encouraged – than ever. Every day I see more selfless leaders, particularly from private industry and local government, leading our way to a brighter future. 

For example, look no further than our own back yard. The city of Cincinnati has developed a plan consisting of 80 strategies aimed to reduce carbon emissions 80 percent by the year 2050. Separately, a group of local professionals worked for a full year to launch a 2030 District in Cincinnati. Several founding members of this district have made an aggregated commitment to reducing their building’s energy use, water consumption, and transportation emissions by 50 percent by the year 2030. 

Site Selection Magazine, a publication covering real-estate and economic development, has named Cincinnati the Most Sustainable Metro in the U.S., beating out Chicago, Boston, Seattle, and San Diego. In 2018, Fifth Third Bank signed a Power Purchase Agreement allowing them to achieve 100 percent renewable power consumption.  Proctor & Gamble, the largest consumer products company in the world, has diverted 70 percent of its manufacturing waste from landfills; in two more years P&G will have achieved 100 percent diversion.

At Melink, we have just broken ground on our second Zero-Energy building, HQ2, located in Milford. And for me personally, I am in awe of my colleagues and the impact they’re making on a global scale. Every day I have the unique privilege of serving alongside some of the most passionate, best-at-what-they-do, group of professionals working in energy efficiency and renewable energy today.

While there’s no silver bullet for combating climate change, saving the future will be the culmination of many collective efforts from men, women, and children who are committed to changing the world. Though we should pay attention to the buzz around climate doom and gloom, we shouldn’t worry about it. Instead, let’s take action where we have an opportunity to make a difference. 

Someone far wiser than myself once said, “Don’t carry the weight of the world on your shoulders… carry the weight of your world on your shoulders.” If each of us acts to preserve our world, and we maintain faith in one another, the collective impact will far outweigh the risks we face. Therefore, I choose to believe that our children and grandchildren will have an exceptionally bright future.

Buy Cheap, Buy Twice

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

I’ve been in my role, with Melink Corporation, as a Sales Engineer just over 1.5 years.  I want to ensure it’s understood that I am certainly no expert in the “Construction World” but I do have tangible experience.  This article’s content is based on my first-hand experiences, real-world applications I’ve dealt with and conversations I’ve had.  Thus, these opinions are largely subject to my own with some additional input from outside articles and research.  

My first week into this role was a mix of emotion, to say the last.  It was during this week that my manager (whom I see as an industry expert and mentor) expressed to me [something along the lines of], “Eric, you’re dealing with one of the toughest verticals Melink works within [New Construction].  I’ll be honest with you – you’re going to learn so much but you’re really going to have to learn to love frustration.”   Yes, you [reader] likely share my same sentiment – skepticism, surprise and curiosity; though, it didn’t take long to understand what he meant.  I was “christened” nearly the very first project I dealt with.  Long story short, despite our product being hard specified by the hired designing Mechanical Engineer, our product was ultimately “value engineered*” for a cheaper alternative.  Echoing my feelings earlier, I was surprised, curious and frustrated.  I became aware of the “Achilles heel” of the New Construction world – the bidding process (which is influenced by cost).  Cost is, and always has been, the deciding factor in mostly all aspects of a new build project.  It makes sense, until you dig deeper.

Everyone is guilty.  Even the product manufacturers should hold themselves accountable in this regard; they/we are just trying to play the ‘game’ and stay in business.  In his article, “People Are Cost-Driven with Kitchen Equipment but There’s an Adage of Buy Cheap, Buy Twice”, Andrew Seymour interviewed a chef by the name of Hayden Groves.  Mr. Groves is quoted as saying some buyers are too “Excel spreadsheet-driven” and end up trying to shave off costs when it might not be the right move for the business.  First hand, I’ve seen this happen, as explained earlier.  Our controls can often be eliminated for a cheaper alternative that cannot do the same thing, thus cannot produce the same results as our technology.  This decision is often made without any discussion or pragmatic decision process.  Who makes this decision?  Ultimately, it should be the owner or whomever holds the checkbook and it often is; in this case, I understand.  The owner can do what he/she wants to do.  Unfortunately, often it’s a ‘bidder’ who is trying to win the project by competing solely on cost.  Again, I want to reiterate that this doesn’t happen every time, but it does happen way more than it should.  Yes, I am saying that if a trusted designer hypothetically specifies a Rolls-Royces then you’ll likely see most bidders price out a Toyota Camry (Toyota’s are great vehicles – I own one!).  Yes, they both have engines and four wheels, but they are uniquely different and have glaringly different features, components and thus, different values.  Without going down this rabbit hole, I’ll just say it’s the principle of the matter…that matters.   Attending an industry conference this past week, I had the chance to sit down with consultants and manufacturers.  This exact discussion was brought to the table as a point of frustration for the consultants.  They share my frustration!  This is a broken process and research support this argument.  Consulting-Specifying Engineers recent publication (www.csemag.com), provided the top 10 HVAC systems and BAS challenges.  The top challenge, comprising 79% of respondents, is the inadequate budget for a good design. Conversely, this same research shows that 96% of specifying engineers can agree that product quality is paramount when comparing products, above all else; these are the engineers that are hired for their expertise to ultimately design and specify products to accompany the design, to meet an owner’s and/or architects’ goals.  Yet, here we are.  A battle between the desire to specify based on quality but ultimately being sold on what is cheapest.

So, how does a whole industry change?  Perhaps by “eating the elephant, one bite at a time” as they say.  One often overlooked and unquestioned factor is that of aftermarket and post install support.  It’s imperative that we all make sure to mention our product’s warranties and service/support on the front end of the process, as the lack of either could potentially be a major headache on the backend.  If I never mentioned Melink’s warranties/service in my discussions, they would never get asked about; this is shocking.  A 2016 McKinsey study proves that service and support reign most important in terms of purchasing factors


  2016 McKinsey Study – “How to Unlock Growth in the Largest Account.” 

Hayden Groves, also harps on warranties/support.  He said, “You should look for manufacturers’ warranty too. If a manufacturer gives you a minimum standard of a year but somebody else gives you five years, that’s a huge belief in that piece of equipment”, says Hayden.  Speaking of Rolls Royce…

“The quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten.” – Sir Henry Royce of Rolls Royce

*Value Engineering = “Cost Cutting”

CITATIONS

  1. Pelliccione, Amanda. “2019 HVAC & Building Automation Systems Study.” Www.csemag.com , Equal Opportunity Publications, Inc, 16 Jan. 2019, bt.e-ditionsbyfry.com/publication/?i=559857.

Melink HQ2 – Our Zero Energy Vision & Strategic Plan

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

Melink’s second headquarters in Milford, Ohio will be one of the greenest buildings in the world.  Not only will it double the office and manufacturing space of our current 30,000 square-feet facility, it will serve as a model on how to design and construct affordable zero-energy buildings (ZEB) of the future.  Why is this so important?

Commercial buildings and homes consume over 60% of the energy in the U.S., and therefore, represent a majority of our country’s carbon footprint.  Though the building industry is on a path to achieve zero-energy on all new construction by the year 2030, it will be very difficult to convert the millions of existing buildings to zero-energy before 2050.

Unfortunately, because of global climate change, we may not be able to wait that long.  We need cost-effective solutions now.  The 17 hottest years on record have occurred over the last 18 years and the trend is getting worse over time.  Climate disasters from floods to fires are becoming more frequent and severe as a result.  In fact, more and more scientists are saying this could become an existential threat.

Yes, solar and wind power have gone mainstream over the last 10 years and that is good news.  And many utilities, businesses, schools, and government entities are starting to jump on the bandwagon.  But renewable energy still only makes up about 20% of our country’s energy mix.  Coal, natural gas, oil, and nuclear make up the rest.  We need to go from 20% to 80% renewables within the next 10-20 years.

One way to speed adoption is not wait for fickle governments and regulated utilities to solve this problem.  It’s time for the business sector to lead and create the clean energy economy of the 21st Century.  This means small, medium, and large companies like ours need to start making the necessary investments now.  Together, we can and must wean ourselves from dirty fossil fuels.

To be clear, this is not just about protecting the environment.  It’s about saving our planet and life as we know it.  It’s about investing in our security, health, and economy.  Who doesn’t want to be safe from more natural disasters in the future?  Who doesn’t want to be secure from flooding coastlines and mass human migration?  And who doesn’t want more jobs and long-term economic growth?

Therefore, this epic problem should also be viewed as a tremendous opportunity for humankind to finally work together on something that is bigger than any one person, political party, or country.  We can either smartly invest trillions of dollars now … or stupidly pay hundreds of trillions and likely lose millions of lives later.  We all know what our children and grandchildren would say.    

What does this have to do with our HQ2?  Everything.  Our new buidling will not be just another green project to say we ‘walk the talk’ at Melink.  Our building will be about showing architects, engineers, and contractors how to design and construct affordable zero-energy buildings of the future.  In other words, it will be about helping revolutionize the building industry for the 21st Century.

How will we accomplish this?

We are going to show that one can invest a small premium of 15-20% over and above a conventional, code-compliant building, and make it zero-energy.  The message being: If Melink can do it, so can everyone else across the country.  I believe developers, architects, and engineers from across the land will want to see and hear how we did this.  I believe our customers will want to see and hear how we did this.  The return on investment will be too good for them not to.

How is this different than HQ1? 

We invested a slightly larger premium of 25% over and above a conventional, code-compliant building.  We also made these investments to an existing building – slowly over time as we could afford them.  This project will show we can do it for an even lower premium if we smartly design the building and take advantage of the most recent innovations.

Features will include several of the best ones we incorporated here in our HQ1.  For example, we will have an even more highly-insulated envelope; we will have the next generation of window and door systems; and we will have a larger solar canopy over the parking lot.

While we can’t share too many details at this time because of the proprietary nature of our innovations, we promise we will push the envelope in ways that will make HQ2 one of the most innovative green buildings on the planet. More details will be provided in the near future.

And we will have many other features that won’t necessarily pertain to energy, but will make the building more comfortable and inspiring.  For example, we will have more open work spaces, more windows and skylights, and a green wall or water feature.  And we will have a museum center to educate visitors on the history of HVAC because to see the future you have to know the past.  Last, we will have a spirit wear shop to reward customers with gifts to memorialize their visit. 

Timewise, the building will be completed by the end of this year and we plan to hold a grand opening in June 2020 where we can publicize our initial findings from our building.

How are we going to pay for HQ2? 

I am taking advantage of what is called a PACE loan to invest in the energy efficiency and renewable energy features of our new building.  In essence the capital is provided upfront and paid back over 25-30 years through an assessment on the property taxes.  This is a great financing tool that we also want to share with the world.

In conclusion, if we’re not part of the solution, who and what are we?  As experts in the building industry, if we don’t help raise the bar, who will and when?  We’re certainly not going to rest on past laurels and let the world pass us by.  We’re going to lead and make a difference.  

Healthy Buildings by Staying PositiV

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

This week my team and I had the unique pleasure of attending the Restaurant Facility Management Association’s annual conference, RFMA, in Austin, Texas. Having a chance to reconnect with our customers and focusing on helping them solve problems is always an incredibly rewarding and satisfying experience.

In talking with so many of the customers with whom we work on a regular basis, we noticed some consistencies regarding their challenges. First, many of these Facility Managers are managing an incredibly large portfolio of stores; most folks citing somewhere between 50 and 100 under their management, offering precious little time on a per site basis. Additionally, operating budgets are incredibly thin, leaving marginal room to proactively manage facilities, and often only being able to respond to urgent matters re-actively.

As the industry leader in HVAC Testing, Balancing, and Commissioning, Melink is uniquely positioned to help Facility Managers ensure comfortable, healthy and efficient buildings. And for years we’ve been taking note of the challenges this industry faces. So, we are incredibly excited to be launching our new product, PositiV!

PositiV is a standalone, self-powered, system that monitor’s building pressure and remotely tracks building health. Think of it like a fitness tracker for commercial buildings. We believe this proprietary technology will revolutionize the commercial building industry; it’s unlike anything else you’ll find in the market.  

So what makes this tech so revolutionary? First and foremost it was designed with Facility Managers in mind, empowering them to monitor the health of their portfolio with meaningful information… not just more data and alerts. It’s entirely stand-alone; meaning there are no wires or difficult connections with your local network. Our technology is powered by solar energy (yes, even the indoor unit!) and connected to the cloud wireless via 4G. And installation can be done in less than 15 minutes. One unit is installed on the roof and another unit is installed inside. From here, PositiV tracks four key building health indicators: building pressure, relative humidity, temperature, and CO2. But we want do more than just empower Facility Managers with information – we want to help them work smarter! For example, this technology enables our users to proactively manage problems by customizing intelligent alerts and trending this information over time, which provides valuable context, as opposed to a limited snapshot in time. 

This week we heard countless real-world problems cause by sick buildings. Here are a few examples, and where we believe PositiV can help.

  1. High Humidity. A negative building pressure draws in unwanted moisture from the outside causing costly damage and potentially even organic growth (i.e., mold).  Two Facility Managers I spoke with talked about having to replace tens of thousands of dollars of woodwork as a result of high humidity warping and destroying it. Having the ability to remotely monitor building pressure will enable the industry to eliminate costly issues such as this. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
  2. Pest Control. One facility manager spoke of a facility whose operations were being threatened by an insect infestation brought on by negative air pressure. Again, having meaningful data enabling operators to respond in real-time will eradicate issues such as this. Restaurant operators have far more important things to worry about.
  3. Increased Store Comfort, Customer and Employee Satisfaction. Keeping buildings healthy will prevent air from feeling stuffy & stale, eliminate offensive odors from grease & sewage, prevent hot & cold spots in the dining room, keep smoke out of the kitchen and dining room through ensuring adequate hood capture, and will prevent the cook line from getting too hot. Any one of these issues could become a big problem. A sick building will often yield many, if not all, of these symptoms. Make operations thepriority through preventing the building from getting sick.
  4. Increasing Safety and Reducing Risk. Nobody wants to deal with the liability from a harmful “slip & fall” brought on by moisture pooling on a floor from dripping condensation. Again, the meaningful and real-time information PositiV provides will help make facilities safer and reduce these very costly risks. 
  5. Reduced Energy Costs. A sick building often has unnecessarily high energy costs due to equipment running inefficient. Frequently, this may have a chain effect causing other equipment to work harder or improperly as a result. Keeping a building healthy will keep the overall cost of energy low, thus improving store profitability.

These issues can be mitigated with the use of PositiV. By consolidating multiple buildings’ health in a single, easy-to-use dashboard, users can triage problem sites and get ahead of issues caused by negative pressure. Ultimately, PositiV will give Facility Managers peace of mind in knowing their buildings are healthy and performing effectively.

If you’re interested in getting a unit for your facilities, let us know. We’re currently finalizing our Beta testing and will be going into full production in Q2. At Melink, It’s our mission to change the world, one building at a time. I hope we can do so, together.

by Craig Davis, President and Alex Falck, Product Engineer