Practical Facilities Tips, News & Advice.
Retail giant Walmart is getting into the facilities management business. The company has launched Upstream Facility Services, a new business that will offer the retailer’s in-house maintenance expertise to other companies nationwide. Leveraging the systems and scale that support thousands of Walmart and Sam’s Club locations, Upstream is designed for companies managing complex facility operations, especially […]
Skilled trades are considered a strong foundation for a facilities management career. As the U.S. confronts a critical shortage of skilled trade workers, the Lowe’s Foundation announced an expanded $250 million commitment to help train and develop 250,000 tradespeople by 2035 through its Gable Grants program. This announcement follows a $100 million initiative from financial giant BlackRock to support the next […]
Four out of five commercial real estate (CRE), workplace, building management, and facilities professionals lack the data they need to make confident space-planning decisions, according to a new report. The survey, conducted by Wakefield Research, interviewed 400 decision-makers in the U.S. for Butlr’s “Beyond Occupancy: The State of Office Space 2026” report. The results show […]
Contact with electricity or exposure to it remains one of the leading causes of workplace fatalities and injuries in the United States, according to an analysis recently released by the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI). ESFI gathered data on fatal and non-fatal occupational electrical injuries from the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and Occupational Safety […]
It’s here! It’s finally here! After brutal temps pummeled much of the country during winter, March 20th marks the first official day of spring. For facilities managers, the warmer weather provides opportunities to tackle tasks delayed during the cold and to give everything a nice refresh. However, the new season also poses some challenges like […]
Back to Basics is an article series that highlights important, but possibly overlooked, information facilities management professionals should know. Water pumps are among the most critical (and most underestimated) assets in modern facilities. They quietly support HVAC systems, boiler feed operations, domestic water supply, wastewater handling, cooling towers, irrigation, fire protection, and sanitation. When pumps operate […]
As winter turns to spring, facilities teams have their work cut out from them transitioning from heat to cooling, ensuring their centralized HVAC system is properly serviced and ready for sustained use. Before shifting all their attention to cooling needs, though, facilities managers should also be mindful of end-of-season maintenance requirements for their heating solutions. […]
Three nonprofits—the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council, the National Center on School Infrastructure, and the New Buildings Institute—have formed the HVAC Change Lab, a new partnership to improve health, safety, and academic success by upgrading heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems in schools. The groups are partnering with school […]
Water systems are among the most essential—and least visible—components of any facility. Pipes, valves, pumps, and recirculation loops work quietly behind walls and below floors, delivering water for sanitation, heating, cooling, and daily operations. Because these systems often function behind the scenes, they tend to receive less attention than HVAC or electrical systems—until a failure […]
Behind every high-performing building lies an unsung hero: the central plant. These mechanical nerve centers—clusters of chillers, boilers, pumps, and cooling towers—quietly provide heating and cooling to hospitals, airports, campuses, and other complex facilities. When everything hums along, hardly anyone gives them a second thought. But when a pump fails or a chiller trips, the […]