Multi-Family

Charlotte’s Plan to Increase the Planting of Trees

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According to the Charlotte Business Journal, Charlotte currently has a plan in motion to plant 15,000 trees every year to reach a tree-canopy goal of 50% coverage by 2050. The 15,000 annual trees are in addition to the 10,000 already planted every year by the city and volunteers.

TreesCharlotte, a public-private partnership, is working on achieving that tree-canopy goal.  Even though in 2008, an American Forests survey showed Charlotte already had 46% coverage, TreeCharlotte is attempting to get that percentage up much higher, because the trees in Charlotte is an amazing asset for the city.  Trees are extremely beneficial to the community, because they improve air quality, cool urban areas, reduce noise and conserve energy.  TreesCharlotte is trying to increase those benefits and reach their tree-canopy goal by partnering with neighborhood groups and communities across Charlotte.  This program is called NeighborWoods, which is “designed to replenish and sustain tree canopy, while offering instruction on proper tree care and maintenance”.

A NeighborWoods project gets the community involved, where residents plant trees on their own properties, while also helping their neighbors. TreesCharlotte provides volunteers to help with the events and they take care of organizing them as well. They also provide the planting designs, trees, mulch, all tools and tree experts to help with the planting and maintenance.

These NeighborWoods projects can’t happen without sufficient interest from the community, and TreesCharlotte will typically try to work in areas that want to plant at least 100 trees. Now is the time to get your own neighborhood involved and join a city-wide movement to make our city a healthier place.

The Pace of Business is On the Rise

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Business challenges we all face when responding to change.

Research by Progress Software/Economist Intelligence research showed some interesting statistics regarding the shifting business landscape around us.  The statistics show that the pace of business is the on the rise, and the top three factors causing this change over the past five years are the volatile economic environment, increased competition and a fast-changing regulatory environment. Unfortunately, businesses have barriers to overcome to react to the fast pace, including lack of resources, lack of coordination and inaccurate or incomplete data. Take a look at their infographic.

Most importantly, an overwhelming 53% of people believe leadership is ineffective in making the right decisions about how or when to respond to change.  Fortunately, we can all overcome these challenges by incorporating strong leadership, effective flow of information and keeping accurate and up-to-date data.

A&K Painting Company’s JobNet™

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A&K Painting Co. JobNet™ = Better Service, Better Property Security & Safety for CRE Personnel

At A&K Painting Company, we constantly work to provide our customers with the best service available.  We accomplish our goal in part by keeping our technology current and our project managers, foreman and all employees properly trained and educated in technology, security and safety.  To that end, we’ve created JobNet™, a state of the art Quality Control, cloud based Project Management system.

Our customers have the advantage of receiving better project information that includes relevant updates on where and when we will be in properties for the duration of any project.

JobNet™ keeps all of our CRE professionals’ information current and provides in-depth details about every project.  Our PMs utilize JobNet™ to keep detailed records on each project, which allows for better planning, communication and execution.  Project and customer information include customer preferences, hourly reports of progress for each project, and a detailed schedule for the duration of the project.  The system also keeps a record of each employee that works on a project, including the duration of their time on the site, so that there is complete accountability for each person that comes in contact with a property; this allows for better property security and personnel safety.  The JobNet™ system also keeps details about each product ordered for every project, so there is never any confusion about what is needed.

A&K’s JobNet™ = Industry Leadership, Better Service, Better Property Security and Safety.

Historic South End, Silos and Rail Trail

Historic South End Silos During Restoration

On October 21, 1852, the first railroad train arrived in Charlotte, which may have been the most important event in the city’s history.  Innovative funding by the business community and townsfolk made the line possible and the railroad train’s arrival spawned an imaginative leadership and innovative movement that contributed to making South End what it is today.
The city is dedicated to maintaining South End’s history, and A&K Painting Company is honored to be a part of that dedication.  We are proud to have completed the restoration project on the Silos that are such a famous landmark in the revitalized South End area. And while the landmarks of the South End are important to maintain and restore, the community also believes it’s imperative to beautify and transform the community into a welcoming place that intertwines nature with design.
The community is trying to accomplish this nature and design collaboration by transforming the existing rail trail, which runs parallel to Lynx Blue Line, into a vibrant public park that allows people to explore all that South End has to offer. There was a meeting held on April 23rd to share this rail trail vision with the community and it had a terrific turnout.  This vision is easy to see, because South End is filled with galleries, restaurants, bars and cafés that will be easily accessible by the rail trail, and if something is a little too far for you to walk, you can check out a wider range of exciting places via the Blue Line.  If you’re more interested in the design aspect of the community, you’re in luck; South End is a hot spot for design.  It is home to 200 design businesses, including showrooms and offices for architects, builders, interior and landscape designers, and graphic and web designers.  So matter what you’re interested in, there’s something for everyone in South End.

Americans with Disabilities Act and Restriping Parking Lots

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Americans with Disabilities don’t need any more hurdles to overcome than they already face, especially in their everyday lives and this includes attempting to visit a place of business.  The Americans with Disabilities Act takes this into consideration and has set requirements for businesses that are restriping their parking lots.  According to the U.S. Department of Justice, from the ADA Business Brief, “when a business restripes a parking lot, it must provide accessible parking spaces as required by the ADA Standards for Accessible Design.  Accessible parking spaces for cars have at least a 60-inch-wide access aisle located adjacent to the designated parking space.  The access aisle is just wide enough to permit a person using a wheelchair to enter or exit the car.  These parking spaces are identified with a sign and located on level ground”.  The ADA also has requirements for van-accessible parking, which include “a wider access aisle (96”) to accommodate a wheelchair lift, vertical clearance to accommodate van height, and an additional sign that identifies the parking spaces as ‘van accessible’”.  The ADA also has requirements on how many accessible parking spaces to provide when parking lots are restriped, which is based on a percentage of the total number of parking spaces provided per lot.  Also, according to the ADA, “the accessible parking space must be located on the shortest accessible route of travel to an accessible facility entrance”. 

A&K Painting Company understands how important accessibility is for people with disabilities and provides  solutions to meet ADA requirements when striping parking lots.  Our expertise and attention to detail can provide property owners and managers with the peace of mind that their parking lots have been designed with safety as the top priority and that all ADA requirements have been met.  Providing great value to CRE professionals and property managers, keep the bottom line in mind. It all starts with the use of proper preparation techniques which provide longevity and a better value overall.

Learn more about A&K Painting Company’s Striping for Safety and Maintenance Solutions.  Contact us if you have any questions and when we can be of service to you.