St. Louis Companies Sponsors 56th Annual Society of American Registered Architects Conference

ST. LOUIS, MO, October 11, 2012 (Press-News.org) Spec-Rite Designs, a global distributor, manufacturer and designer of phenolic furnishings, is sponsoring and participating in the 56th Annual Society of American Registered Architects (SARA) Conference. The St. Louis-based company, Spec-Rite Designs, endeavor to provide global products that create higher performance buildings and are environmentally friendly.

The conference will run from Thursday, October 11 through Sunday, October 14, 2012 at the Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark Hotel in downtown St. Louis. In addition to sponsoring portions of the SARA conference, Spec-Rite Designs Operations Manager and Greenguard certified trainer, Jennifer Colon, LEED AP, will be presenting an Indoor Air Quality CEU course to conference attendees. The CEU course will be held Friday, from 4-5pm. Approved by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) for Professional Development, Colon's presentation is also approved as Continuing Education Hours towards the LEED Credential Maintenance Program.

"Indoor air quality is an important issue that Spec-Rite Designs works to address through its products, including phenolic paneling," said Jennifer Colon. "Indoor air pollution has negative effects on our health, the environment, and carries a severe economic impact. Poor indoor air quality can adversely affect employee health and productivity, can lead to allergies, asthma, reproductive and developmental problems, and even cancer." The U.S. EPA estimates the adverse cost of poor indoor air quality to U.S. businesses to be in the "tens of billions of dollars per year."

According to Greenguard, people spend over 90 percent of their time indoors where they may unknowingly be exposed to thousands of airborne pollutants including chemicals, dust, biological contaminants, anything that can pollute indoor air. The products and materials used indoors can release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and particles into the air that result in negative health impacts on those exposed to the pollutants. The United States Environment Protection Agency (U.S. EPA), the American Lung Association, the World Health Organization, and other public health and environmental organizations consider indoor air pollution as one of the greatest risks to human health.

Spec-Rite Designs' solid phenolic panels will not absorb moisture, mold, or bacteria because the phenolic panels are homogeneous and non-porous. The panels contain no traceable urea-formaldehydes, no emissions, and emit very low VOCs.

More than 100 attendees for the SARA Conference are expected to embark on St. Louis from California, DC, Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Virginia in addition to Students from Drury and Washington University. Spec-Rite Designs is also a co-sponsor for the Celebration of Architecture and Design Awards Banquet. SARA will announce award recipients during this annual banquet. Award recipients are selected from a nationwide search for projects with extraordinary design accomplishments. For more information about SARA, go to http://www.sara-national.org.

Spec-Rite Designs
Spec-Rite Designs is a St. Louis, MO based manufacturing firm with a worldwide network of sales representatives and global distribution capabilities. Spec-Rite has been designing and manufacturing solid phenolic products for over two decades. Spec-Rite Designs is a MHS Legacy Group company, a diversified national holding corporation also based in St. Louis with roots dating back to 1895. For additional information please visit http://www.specritedesigns.com.