The Trailer’s Ready To CLEAR Out: New H.J. Martin Partnership with Recycling Program Allows Businesses/Residents to Help Keep Carpet Out of Landfills

H.J. Martin recently partnered with the CLEAR Carpet Recycling program to help Green Bay and other Midwest-city businesses and residents take an active role in recycling used carpet—the 2^nd most recyclable item in landfills today.

At no extra charge to them, residential and commercial customers in the Midwest receiving new flooring from H.J. Martin can rest assured that their carpet and carpet pad is being discarded responsibly. The old carpeting and pad will be shipped to Milwaukee where it will undergo a transformation into new products.

Stewardship programs like CLEAR (Carpet Landfill Elimination And Recycling) are working hard nation-wide to transform the more than 6 billion pounds of yearly discarded carpet into new, useful products: picnic tables, parking stops, sound barriers, car parts, new carpet and pad, nylon pellets, erosion controllers, and more. 

These innovative alternatives to the well-known curb/dumpster-to-landfill routine are sparking interest with businesses and consumers alike as concerns about environmental impact rise. “Everyone’s interested in it,” said Jeff Sharp, Vice President of Sales for CLEAR, when discussing the recycling opportunity. Right now, the biggest complication facing would-be recyclers and processing facilities is the logistics of collecting and transporting the carpeting.

Though 4.5% of carpet was recycled last year, and over 2 billion pounds since 2002, it will take teamwork and a collaborated effort from everyone to ensure that carpet is discarded responsibly.

The choice to join the program was easy for H.J. Martin, who was already recycling their customer’s old carpet pad. An on-site CLEAR trailer is already being loaded at their headquarters in Green Bay after its arrival only three weeks ago.

The company is excited to be a part of the voluntary stewardship program and participate in the increased opportunity to transform what we’re standing on today into the park benches we’ll be sitting on tomorrow.

AGC Selects H.J. Martin for Two 2011 Build Wisconsin Awards

Associated General Contractors (AGC) of Wisconsin selected H.J. Martin for two 2011 Build Wisconsin Specialty Contractor Awards in the categories of Interior Finishes and Exterior Finishes. This will be the sixth year in a row that H.J. Martin is honored with such a selection.

Interior Finishes—Bellin Hospital Emergency Room

The 32,448 square-foot Bellin Hospital Emergency Room remodel expansion project caught the AGC’s eye for the extensive, unique, and exacting interior finish work. H.J. Martin’s Commercial Flooring; Metal Stud and Drywall; and Glass and Glazing teams worked together on the state-of-the-art Level III emergency facility.

Over 128,000 square feet of sheetrock was hung, 2,000 square feet of glass was set, and 15,600 square feet of carpet, vinyl, and tile flooring was seamlessly laid. The work was completed on a rigorous schedule while maintaining the standard of perfection and accuracy that the medical field requires and H.J. Martin is known to deliver.

Exterior Finishes—Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery

An impressive looking building, the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery on the UW-Madison campus was opened December 2010 after an exciting build. Working from aerial lifts, the H.J. Martin team set 1,200 pieces of locally-manufactured glass, weighing up to 580 pounds apiece, after building and installing 52,000 square feet of curtain wall.

H.J. Martin welcomed the difficult exterior finishing project, overcoming the design, safety, and even weather challenges presented. Special features, including sunshades for each floor on the south side of the building and 60 automated glass vents that bring fresh air in once a day, helped the Institute achieve its LEED Gold certification.

The Institute will also serve as the host site for the 2011 AGC awards ceremony. The H.J. Martin team will be on-site December 1 to receive the awards.

More Pictures From These Impressive Projects—

Altrusa House Gets New Carpeting

Altrusa House’s October 2011 newsletter features a picture of H.J. Martin employees Chris Larsen and Matt Schaut. They paused for a photo-op while moving carpeting into the east Green Bay “home away from home” as they prepared for installation.

The Altrusa House serves out-of-town patients and families who are in Green Bay due to a medical emergency. The 12-bedroom home is free-of-charge to the hospital-referred guests, and serves up to 1000 people each year. The re-carpeting project was the result of a recent donation, and H.J. Martin was hired to supply and install the carpet.

Carpet for Concentration: H.J. Martin Donates New Carpet for 4th-Grade Classroom

Jackson Elementary School

Last week, H.J. Martin received a note of appreciation from Jennifer Kozak, principal, and 24 students of Annie Jackson Elementary School in Green Bay. H.J. Martin recently donated and installed a large carpet in one of their fourth-grade classrooms.

 “The students have been using it to listen to directions during our focus unit lessons for reading,” says Jennifer, “Thank you!” Each of the fourth-grade students from the newly-carpeted classroom signed the note.

H.J. Martin Completes House of Hope Project

H.J. Martin is pleased to announce the completion of the House of Hope project.  With functional bathrooms and a new dream kitchen the House of Hope can fully serve the approximately 60 young homeless families every year.   

H.J. Martin would like to thank Carrie Tedtman from our office for helping project manage the renovation along with serving as one of the lead fundraiser chairs for the House of Hope’s annual Touchdowns for Hope. 

More information can be viewed by clicking http://www.houseofhopegb.org/

Bay Business Journal: 30 Local Companies Earn Top-Dog Status. Insights on the Top 30 Privately Owned Brown County Employers

H.J. Martin & Son, Inc. was featured in the Bay Business’s 2010 Journal as one of the top 30 privately owned Brown County, WI employers.  The current issue celebrates the group of 30 employers who collectively employ more than 37,000 Northeast Wisconsin residents. 

The Bay Business Journal highlighted H.J. Martin by writing:

“What began with paint and tile has grown into a nationwide company with a handful of specialties.  H.J. Martin and Son, Inc. was established in 1931; the business began in the garage of Henry John Martin.  He started selling paint and tile to area consumers.  The business evolved over the years and grew in the hands of Patrick and Edward Martin.  The now fourth-generation family-run business offers glass and glazing, steel stud and drywall, commercial flooring, commercial doors and hardware, fixture and millwork installation, residential floor coverings, and floor care service.    

H.J. Martin and Son has become known for its quality installations and building service.  Most recognize the name from its Green Bay and Neenah storefronts but few realize the size and diverse options from this local company.  Relationships developed with contractors have taken H.J. Martin and Son into retailers across the country. 

H.J. Martin and Son crews self-perform every installation with the quality and detail for which they’ve become known.  They are licensed in all states and have crews nationwide.  The company satisfies all floor covering needs with carpeting, ceramic tile and vinyl flooring.  And its staff has the experience and technology to professionally clean any type of flooring. 

More than 75 years of unwavering family and employee commitments makes H.J. Martin and Son different.  Its slogan “Our people, Our reputation, Your success,” summarizes H.J. Martin and Son in a nutshell.”

H.J. Martin and Valerie Greetan Featured in A-List Magazine

Valerie Greetan: Interior Designer at H.J. Martin & Son Designer Showroom:

“If you knocked the Green Bay and Neenah H.J. Martin & Son locations together, you would end up with a staggering 17,000 sq. ft. of floor covering.  That in itself sends hardwood fanatics into frenzy.  But if you toss a seasoned designer like Greetan into the mix – someone who sees a thousand possibilities in each floor tile - an all-new dimension of style, choice and imagination swallows you up. 

‘Traditionally you can look at a product and think it can be used as you see it.  But if you have the ability to see beyond that…you can truly create a one-of-a-kind look,’ Greetan urged.  ‘I like to encourage my customers to use products in unexpected ways, such as using a beautifully printed tile to cover a wall in a dining room…or covering a fireplace wall from floor to ceiling in a dimensional stone or mosaic.’

Greetan is all for imagination – pushing the limits, embracing the unusual, creating styles that say something more than this is trendy.  This is in.  She enjoys introducing her customers to the underside of design: To her, anyone can sell a floor; it takes true artistry to sell an experience. 

It also takes commitment: folks who aren’t willing to accept that the Midwest isn’t a good fit for edgy design. 

‘For years we have worked with designers and customers who traveled afar and would bring back photos or samples of things they fell in love with on their adventures,’ Greetan said.  ‘It takes a very long time for those types of products to filter to the Midwest, especially the Green Bay area.  So we spent a lot of time researching different products.  We then decided to put this research to good use by expanding our showroom another 2400 sq. feet [to create] a one-of-a-kind space for customers who want to see the most unique flooring products offered in the industry.’”

H.J. Martin participates in ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

Extreme Home Makeover

August 17, 2010-Green Bay

H.J. Martin is excited to announce their participation in the Lexington Homes BIG BUILD 2010 for Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.  H.J. Martin will provide the flooring installation for this inspiring construction project.  H.J. Martin is prepared to install the homes’ entire flooring surface in a 24 hour period.   

The Lexington Homes BIG BUILD 2010 for Extreme Makeover: Home Edition will build an entire home – in just one week – for a deserving area family.  This is one of the most ambitious construction projects ever to take place in northeast Wisconsin and a great opportunity for the community to come together and make a difference in the lives of a family.  The project will be featured on an episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition to air this fall. 

Anyone interested in joining H.J. Martin in donating or volunteering for the Lexington Homes BIG BUILD 2010 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition should visit lexingtonneighborhoods.com or contact Insight Creative, Inc.

H.J. Martin Recognized as “Best of the Bay”

The Green Bay Press-Gazette awarded H.J. Martin as the best tile/hardwood and carpet flooring retailer for the 2010 Best of the Bay Readers’ Choice Award.   This is the fourth consecutive year H.J. Martin has been a first place recipient in the retail category.  According to the Green Bay Press-Gazette, there were over 17,000 completed ballots, which resulted in over 344,000 votes this year.  The Best of the Bay awards ranged from various industries including entertainment & leisure, professional & personal services, retail, health, and food & spirits.  H.J. Martin would like to thank the community for participating in the voting.

H.J. Martin partners with House of Hope

H.J. Martin and Son, Inc. and Designs of the Interior, Green Bay are donating their services as project managers to be used towards an Extreme “Hope” Makeover Project that will benefit the House of Hope.  Together, they have solicited and orchestrated area businesses to provide in-kind services and supplies for all three phases of the remodel.  In addition, they initiated coordination with the Brown County Home Builders Association (BCHBA) and its members for additional help with this endeavor.   BCHBA and its members along with Meacham Construction have been constant visitors to the House helping provide specialty services. 

The initial portion of the three phase makeover includes the demolition and reconstruction of the west resident bathroom, which serves six families who stay at the House of Hope.  In Phase II, the east resident bathroom will be gutted and rebuilt with new plumbing, electrical, walls, tile, and fixtures.  For Phase III, the kitchen and dining room will be remodeled to better accommodate the families staying at the House of Hope. 

The House of Hope provides shelter and educational programming for homeless pregnant and/or parenting women, 18-24 years of age, and their children.  In 2009, House of Hope served 59 families, including 69 children.  “This is an amazing gift for our young families.  The whole project has been a blessing.  Right now, we have ten families using one small shower, so this could not have come at a better time for us,” says director, Jennifer Allen.

The renovation of House of Hope is due in part by the grant from the Barbara Wetzel Charitable Foundation Trust who supports programs that benefit women and children.

St. Vincent de Paul Society – District Council of Green Bay operates the House of Hope program through generous community donations, grants, and proceeds from its retail store. 

For more information or ways you can help please visit www.houseofhopegb.org