NEW YORK, May 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Architectural Record (http://www.ArchitecturalRecord.com), McGraw-Hill Construction's prestigious publication, has presented its 16th Annual Excellence in Advertising Awards to 66 companies and agencies. The awards breakfast hosted more than 250 manufacturers, agencies, and architects in Washington, D.C. today during the AIA 2012 National Convention & Design Exposition.

More than 170 advertisements were judged. Advertisements were considered from the first quarter of 2012 in Architectural Record (in print and online) and in the January/February issue of GreenSource. Winners were judged for content and graphic presentation by a jury of 10 esteemed architects from across the country, representing the breadth of the profession.

"There is no single ad type that appeals to every architect. Our audience is highly visual and attractive images are an important characteristic of an effective ad. I'm thrilled for our winners and wish them, and all of our advertisers, continued success," said Laura Viscusi, vice president, McGraw-Hill Construction Media and publisher, Architectural Record.

This year's winners included:

Best in Class:

Campaign:

Single Page:

Winners:

Honorable Mention:

Online Ad Awards:

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Architectural Record Announces 2012 Excellence in Advertising Awards

COLUMBIA, S.C., May 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- CMARK International, Inc. (CMIT.PK), a global provider of facility and logistic support services for government and commercial institutions, issued a shareholder letter.

Dear Valued CMARK International, Inc. Shareholders,

As we approach the second half of 2012, it is with great pleasure that I write this letter to share some recent corporate developments with you and thank you for your continued support, loyalty and belief in us through the years.

There have been significant changes for the better in the last year and you will find a summary of these developments but most of which should give you some immediate insight into the substantial progress we are making.

We have successfully achieved an up-listing on the pink sheets to Pink Current Information with a goal this year to become Fully Reporting. This was our first priority and commitment to you, our valued shareholders, to achieve this, so you have the transparency you deserve when evaluating your continued investment in CMARK.

Secondly, and equally important, we have made significant strides with our senior lender in overall debt restructure and fully completed in December of 2011 a complex conversion of approximately 80% of our debt to favorable equity, thereby reducing the senior debt on the balance sheet from over $11 million to $2.5 million. This has made many of those involved in the Company, much more comfortable in continuing a business association with CMARK overall.

Our senior lender also confirmed its long-term support by offering a working capital loan of $500,000 with favorable terms allowing us to execute on major business development activities and complete work in progress.

Operationally, I have personally negotiated with several of our top vendors for better net terms, freeing up some working capital for necessary human capital preservation and other vital ops issues. These relationships are now on solid footing.

Further to my personal operations management process we have reduced overhead over the past three years by approximately 70% including the consolidation of various physical office locations into one corporate office. As a function of this we have eliminated a lot of redundancy in those various offices, significantly reduced the costs of infrastructure and streamlined the corporate staffing accordingly to effective and efficient levels.

In our highly competent sales and marketing department, we have significantly narrowed our focus on certain product groups providing a more efficient marketing and sales effort, along with more concentrated engineering and design oversight. This has had a major impact on our team who are now thriving in this carefully cultured work environment! Additionally, we have substantially increased efforts in alternative energy projects, and our private brands offerings in food service equipment and furnishings.

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CMARK International, Inc. Has Issued a Shareholder Letter

UNION CITY, Ind., May 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Acme Floor Company has won the "Best Commercial Wood Flooring" award for its installation of the flooring in Helzberg Hall, the 1,600-seat concert venue at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, and the current home of the renowned Kansas City Symphony. Supplied by Frank Miller Lumber, the flooring in Helzberg Hall was constructed and installed from more than 20,000 square feet of 3" red oak and features a stunning floor-to-ceiling aesthetic showcasing a variety of North American hardwoods.

The 2012 National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) Expo, held April 2012 at the Gaylord Palms Convention Center in Kissimmee, Fla., is the only convention and trade show in the world dedicated solely to wood flooring. Experts in wood flooring and hardwood from around the world gathered to network, share experiences with their peers, and honor the achievements of some of the premier flooring companies in the industry.

"Acme is honored to receive this award from the National Wood Flooring Association," said Bob Kenney II, president and owner, Acme Floor Company. "We are proud to do our part to create such an exceptional building for the Kansas City community."

Helzberg Hall was designed by internationally renowned architecture firm Safdie Architects, who collaborated with Acme Floor Co. to create a space that showcases the delicate acoustics of solo concerts, chamber music and even full orchestras. The architects wanted to use quartersawn hardwood to complement their world-class design, and Acme turned to the premier quartersawn hardwood experts at Frank Miller.

"We feel privileged that Frank Miller was chosen by Acme Floor Co. to supply the hardwood used in the architecturally significant Kauffman Center," said Dan Hackett, president and CEO, Frank Miller.

About Acme Floor Co., Inc. (www.acmefloorco.com)

A family owned and operated business specializing in laying, refinishing, and resurfacing hardwood floors for residential and commercial customers, Acme has more than 86 years of experience serving Kansas residents as a wood flooring specialist and also offers professional gym floors, custom staining and refinishing services.

About Frank Miller Lumber (www.frankmiller.com)

Frank Miller helps architects and designers realize the elegance and durability of quartersawn hardwoods in the most distinctive architectural endeavors. Established in 1903 and located in Union City, Indiana, Frank Miller produces exceptionally fine quartersawn and plain sawn hardwoods for manufacturers of fine furniture, cabinets, architectural millwork and flooring. Frank Miller's quartersawn products are used in high-end commercial and residential construction around the globe where there is a significant architectural/design element to the project's cabinets, millwork and flooring.

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Acme Floor Company Wins "Best Commercial Wood Flooring" Award From the National Wood Flooring Association

NEW YORK, May 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Dimension Data, the $5.8 billion global specialist IT solutions and servicesprovider, announced today that its Americas division is the recipient of eight Cisco Partner Summit awards. Cisco unveiled the winners April 17 at its annual channel partner conference in San Diego, Calif. Dimension Data received the following Cisco Partner Summit awards in the Americas:

U.S. and Canada:

Latin America:

"Cisco is proud to partner with so many well-respected and industry-leading organizations, and it is an honor to recognize Dimension Data Americas as a Cisco Partner Summit award winner," said Jim Sherriff, senior vice president, Americas Partner Organization at Cisco. "The awards presented to Dimension Data Americas recognize its performance and expertise as a Cisco channel partner in the Americas in 2011."

"Receiving this recognition from Cisco is a significant honor and reinforces the strength of Dimension Data's ability to partner with Cisco for more than 21 years," said Jere Brown, CEO of Dimension Data Americas. "We're very proud of our teams for earning these awards, which are a testament to their unrelenting efforts in working with each client to help them plan, build and support the right solution for their unique and changing needs."

Brown continued, "We are particularly pleased to have received recognition in key, growing markets like Canada and Latin America, which underscores our commitment to and success in these regions. These awards mean a great deal to our Americas organization and are a significant accomplishment for Dimension Data."

Cisco Partner Summit awards are presented at three levels: global, geo and theater. Cisco Partner Summit U.S. and Canada theater awards reflect a partner's performance in a given geographic region of the United States or Canada.

About Dimension Data

Founded in 1983, Dimension Data plc is an ICT services and solutions provider that uses its technology expertise, global service delivery capability, and entrepreneurial spirit to accelerate the business ambitions of its clients. Dimension Data is a member of the NTT Group. http://www.dimensiondata.com

Cisco and the Cisco logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cisco and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries.

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Dimension Data Americas Wins Eight Awards at Cisco Partner Summit 2012

DesignHub Inc., a creative services and marketing firm based in Saline, has developed the new website for Process Results Inc., an engineering services firm also located in Saline.

The new site describes Process Results' services across a range of industries - commercial, industrial, municipal, educational, and more.

The company provides consulting engineering and technical know-how to clients in chemical processing, pharmaceutical, green technology, automation and controls, energy management, facilities/industrial, commercial/architectural, forensic engineering and other application areas.

Visitors to the new site can learn about Process Results' work on high-profile projects through case studies that show how the company has helped clients meet engineering challenges and solve business problems.

The site outlines Process Results' eight-stage approach to engineering projects, and the company's professional credentials and affiliations are detailed. Other site highlights include a brief history of the company and profiles of the company's principals.

News from Process Results appears on the homepage and is archived within the site. There are also answers to frequently-asked questions about the company and its services.

"The DesignHub team was a pleasure to work with and responsive to our requests," said Cindy Dames, marketing manager for Process Results, in a news release.

"They provided a clean, professional facelift to our site."

DesignHub built the site upon its own content management system, called ContentHub, based on open-source software tools. ContentHub lets authorized site administrators at Process Results make day-to-day changes to the site's variable content themselves.

Process Results was founded in 1991. The company today employs 25 consulting engineers and other professionals. Continued...

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SALINE: DesignHub develops new website for Process Results

NEW YORK, May 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Stuart Dean, an international provider of renowned architectural restoration services, will highlight its full circle of interior and exterior architectural restoration solutions to attendees during the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM) Western North Carolina Chapter's trade show on May 17, 2012 in Charlotte, N.C. at the Charlotte Convention Center. The trade show will enable real estate management professionals who manage all property types to connect with colleagues across the greater Charlotte area.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120213/NE52388LOGO )

"Stuart Dean is proud to have worked on restoration projects for a host of buildings and landmarks in North Carolina. Our professionals restored the Wright Brothers Memorial statue and plaque to their original finish, bringing new life to this important icon in the state. We've also done work at the Wells Fargo Center in Winston-Salem and the TIAA-CREF building in Charlotte," said Mark Parrish, president and CEO of Stuart Dean. "Our innovative solutions can meet or exceed the needs of the real estate professionals who are scheduled to attend IREM, and we're looking forward to showcasing our services."

Stuart Dean offers a complete range of architectural restoration services that help extend the life, increase the value, and enhance the beauty of interior and exterior architectural surfaces. The company specializes in the restoration and protection of metal, stone, wood, glass, and tile grout for buildings, retail stores, institutions, restaurants and homes.

Stuart Dean's vast experience gained during 80 years in business enables the company to provide unique solutions to costly maintenance challenges, including cost-effective restoration programs that are custom-designed by the most skilled, knowledgeable and safety-conscious technicians in the industry.

IREM is comprised of over 80 U.S. chapters and eight international chapters, and provides real estate management professionals a source of education, membership and informative resources in the field. IREM is the only professional real estate management association that serves both multi-family and commercial real estate sectors, and has more than 18,000 individual members and 500 corporate members.

For more information about Stuart Dean, visit http://www.stuartdean.com.

About Stuart DeanStuart Dean is an international provider of renowned architectural restoration services, specializing in metal refinishing; stone polishing, cleaning and sealing; wood refinishing; glass restoration; innovative and sustainable grouts and flooring solutions; and curtain wall and facade restoration. Thousands of clients trust Stuart Dean to restore and preserve their buildings, retail stores, institutions and restaurants every day. Stuart Dean offers a portfolio of services to enhance the beauty and retain the value of a wide array of architectural assets. The company has been in business for over 80 years, with 22 offices in the U.S. and Canada and over 450 employees. Major markets served include Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, New York, Norfolk, Orange County, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Richmond, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, St. Louis, Tampa, Toronto, Vancouver and Washington, D.C. For more information, visit http://www.stuartdean.com.

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Stuart Dean to Present Restoration and Maintenance Solutions to Real Estate Management Professionals at IREM Trade Show

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

HKS, Inc., a top-five national architectural firm with 29 U.S. and international offices, is expanding its architectural services to include urban design through the newly formed HKS Urban Design Studio. The studio expands the firms ability to be part of the broader urban fabric through large-scale design and master planning.

Based in New York, the HKS Urban Design Studio provides urban design services for private developers, landowners, public and private universities, healthcare campuses, public institutions and government agencies with projects including commercial centers and downtowns, residential communities, sports and entertainment districts, waterfront development, campus design, and parks and open spaces.

Urban design is a specialty niche that transforms cities, creates new neighborhoods, and improves real estate value, said Ralph Hawkins, chairman and CEO of HKS, Inc. In alliance with our strategic plan, the HKS Urban Design Studio broadens our services to include development and strategic plans, comprehensive plans, neighborhood plans, and regulatory and incentive strategies. Our goal is to provide enlightened urbanism for our world environment, enhancing the human experience.

Nationally recognized architect and urban designer Randall Morton, AIA, associate principal and director of HKS Urban Design Studio, leads the group. With more than 28 years of experience, Morton has provided leadership for many award-winning projects and oversees the creative operations for the architecture and urban design studio. Some of his recent and notable involvements include the Hudson Yards in Manhattan, City Center in Las Vegas, and the Cultural and Entertainment District in Miami.

HKS was recently awarded the ballpark and convention hotel project following The Urban Design Studio master planning efforts with the city of Amarillo. Other master planning projects in the 2012 HKS Urban Planning Studio queue are work for Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas; Virginia Beach Convention and Entertainment District in Virginia Beach, Va.; the Galleria District in Dallas, Texas; Rose Rock Financial Center in Tianjin, China; and Amador Panama in Panama City, Panama.

Since its founding in 1939, HKS, Inc. has completed construction projects totaling more than $69 billion in more than 1,069 cities located in 46 states, the District of Columbia and 65 foreign countries. The firm operates from 29 offices worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.hksinc.com.

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HKS Urban Design Studio Launched

HAUPPAUGE, N.Y., May 8, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Veteran photo editor and producer Andrea Maurio has become Agency Access' newest expert consultant.

Ms. Maurio's two-decade professional career includes stints at some of the nation's most popular and prestigious publications. She'll work primarily on Agency Access' Campaign Manager Pro program, overseeing personalized editing and marketing services for commercial photographers.

"After almost 20 years in the photography business, I'm taking my career in this slightly different direction because I want to work more directly with photographers," Ms. Maurio said. "My goal is to help them achieve marketing success and further their careers, and I believe the best way to do that is through Campaign Manager Pro."

Agency Access is a consultancy and direct-marketing agency for commercial photographers, illustrators, artist reps and stock agencies. Campaign Manager Pro, an all-inclusive program that plans and executes photographers' marketing programs, combines Agency Access' data, editing and promotional services under the guidance of a specialized marketing team, including a campaign manager, graphic designer, cold-calling expert and a supervising artist consultant like Ms. Maurio.

"Agency Access really shares my passion for photography and my commitment to helping artists succeed," she said. "I can't think of a better place to apply everything I've learned about this industry."

Ms. Maurio comes to Agency Access after serving over five years as photo editor and shoot producer at Runner's World magazine. She's worked as a freelance photo producer for high-profile magazines including Maxim, Stuff, Shape and Women's Wear Daily, and as a photo editor for New York magazine, Hers magazine, Who magazine (Australia's weekly version of People magazine) and the former online beauty resource Gloss.com.

She's also been a photo editor for book publisher Rizzoli/Universe Publishing and has worked on special photography projects for Men's Health, Parents, People and Entertainment Weekly magazines, among others.

Ms. Maurio earned a bachelor's degree in photography from the Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, Calif., and an associate's degree in video production from Mercer County College in Trenton, N.J.

In addition to consulting through Campaign Manager Pro, Ms. Maurio will be a regular contributor to The Lab, Agency Access' interactive blog where industry experts answer artist's marketing and creativity questions.

"We're very excited to add someone with Andrea's experience to the team," said Agency Access CEO Keith Gentile. "Her desire to help freelance artists succeed is directly in line with our corporate mission, and her talent and personality are perfect matches as well."

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Agency Access Welcomes Veteran Photo Editor

Salines DesignHub Develops New Web Site for Process Results: DesignHub Inc. of Saline has designed and developed the new website for Process Results, Inc., an engineering services firm also based in Saline. The new site, http://www.processresults.com, describes Process Results ervices across a range of industries commercial, industrial, municipal, educational, and more. The company provides consulting engineering and technical know-how to clients in chemical processing, pharmaceutical, green technology, automation and controls, energy management, facilities/industrial, commercial/architectural, forensic engineering, and other application areas. Visitors to the new site learn about Process Results work on high-profile projects. Case studies tell how the company has helped clients meet engineering challenges and solve business problems in specialized areas such as research and development, wet and dry laboratories, HVAC, electrical study, hazard analysis, and others.The site outlines Process Results eight-stage approach to engineering projects. The companys professional credentials and affiliations are detailed. Other site highlights include a brief history of the company and profiles of the companys principals. News from Process Results appears on the home page and is archived within the site. There are also answers to frequently asked questions about the company and its services. DesignHub built the site upon its own content management system, called ContentHub, based on open-source software tools. ContentHub lets authorized site administrators at Process Results make day-to-day changes to the sites variable content themselves. Process Results was founded in 1991. The company today employs 25 consulting engineers and other professionals. DesignHub is a creative services and marketing firm. It works with clients on website design and development, brand development, brochures, annual reports, newsletters, advertising, public relations, direct marketing, search marketing, social media, packaging designs, signage, and trade show displays, as well as marketing strategies and plans. The company was founded in 1999. More at http://www.design-hub.com.

Ballard Benefit Works Selects Online Techs HIPAA Cloud: Ballard Benefit Works, a Howell-based full service employee benefit and health care finance consulting firm, has selected Online Techs independently HIPAA audited cloud system. By partnering with an independently HIPAA audited data center, companies can be assured their data and applications are hosted in facilities that operate and implement HIPAA compliant controls and security measures. Like many companies in the employee benefit and health care industry, Ballard Benefit Works biggest concern was the integrity and protection of their data and clients data. In addition, they were required to adhere to all HIPAA privacy and security regulations. While searching for a HIPAA compliant cloud provider that would meet their high standards, Ballard Benefit Works found many companies claiming to be HIPAA compliant and secure, but without documentation from an independent auditor to back it up. One of Online Techs biggest attractions was they put forth the effort to receive third party audit reports from qualified assessors and put it in writing they are HIPAA compliant, says Justin Spewock, Ballard Benefit Works CEO. Online Tech is the only independently HIPAA audited managed cloud provider. Their HIPAA compliant cloud meets 100 percent compliance across all 54 HITECH citations with no exceptions as determined by an independent Certified HIPAA Security Specialist (CHSS). Online Tech meets all of the HIPAA requirements including meeting the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) rules and regulations 164.308, 164.310 and 164.312. Compliance with the HITECH Act requires policies that protect the availability, integrity and confidentiality of PHI (Protected Health Information), Business Associates Agreements, and preparedness to report any violations of PHI misuse to the Office of Civil Rights (OCR). Online Tech signs a BAA (Business Associate Agreement) with every client in the healthcare industry that clearly defines the obligations and responsibilities of both parties to ensure PHI is protected. Ballard Benefit Works cloud is hosted in Online Techs high availability data center infrastructure with rigorous physical and network security safeguards and warm site disaster recovery options to ensure PHI is private, protected, and always available. More at http://www.onlinetech.com or http://www.ballardbenefitsworks.com. Ballard Benefit Works Selects Online Techs HIPAA Cloud: Ballard Benefit Works, a full service employee benefit and health care finance consulting firm, has selected Online Techs independently HIPAA audited cloud system. By partnering with an independently HIPAA audited data center, companies can be assured their data and applications are hosted in facilities that operate and implement HIPAA compliant controls and security measures. Like many companies in the employee benefit and health care industry, Ballard Benefit Works biggest concern was the integrity and protection of their data and clients data. In addition, they were required to adhere to all HIPAA privacy and security regulations. While searching for a HIPAA compliant cloud provider that would meet their high standards, Ballard Benefit Works found many companies claiming to be HIPAA compliant and secure, but without documentation from an independent auditor to back it up. One of Online Techs biggest attractions was they put forth the effort to receive third party audit reports from qualified assessors and put it in writing they are HIPAA compliant, says Justin Spewock, Ballard Benefit Works CEO. Online Tech is the only independently HIPAA audited managed cloud provider. Their HIPAA compliant cloud meets 100 percent compliance across all 54 HITECH citations with no exceptions as determined by an independent Certified HIPAA Security Specialist (CHSS). Online Tech meets all of the HIPAA requirements including meeting the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) rules and regulations 164.308, 164.310 and 164.312. Compliance with the HITECH Act requires policies that protect the availability, integrity and confidentiality of PHI (Protected Health Information), Business Associates Agreements, and preparedness to report any violations of PHI misuse to the Office of Civil Rights (OCR). Online Tech signs a BAA (Business Associate Agreement) with every client in the healthcare industry that clearly defines the obligations and responsibilities of both parties to ensure PHI is protected. Ballard Benefit Works cloud is hosted in Online Techs high availability data center infrastructure with rigorous physical and network security safeguards and warm site disaster recovery options to ensure PHI is private, protected, and always available. More at http://www.onlinetech.com or http://www.ballardbenefitsworks.com.

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Client Wins From May 8

Careful real estate investors get a Commercial Building Inspection or Property Condition Report prior to buying a commercial asset. There are multiple grades of commercial building inspections and there are a lot of different types of professionals performing theses services, all of which are appropriate for one situation or another.

A few of the classes of professionals that perform commercial building inspections are:

1) Due Diligence Firms. These firms usually call their commercial building inspections Property Condition Assessments or Property Condition Reports. My firm Partner Engineering and Science, Inc. is included in this group. The better of the due diligence firms employ registered engineers and architects and have a specific engineering inspection practice. I am not saying that the best inspectors are necessarily engineers or architects; rather that quality inspectors can work under the responsible charge of an engineer or an architect very effectively.

2) Home inspectors who do commercial too. This group varies widely in my opinion. Some are very good no doubt.

3) Architectural firms. Architects know buildings and building codes well. They are a very good choice when you are planning to do a major renovation after purchasing the building.

4) Structural engineering firms. Structural engineers tend to focus on structural issues as opposed to all building systems, but there are no doubt plenty of structural engineers with broad building systems knowledge.

5) General Contractors. GCs generally know buildings well too. Contractors also run the gamut from very good to less so. A general contractor is great at providing cost data for a renovation, and GCs tend to be a practical group A GC generally does not want to produce a long narrative report.

As my firm is an engineering due diligence firm, I would recommend the first choice; however, I have seen all five of these types of commercial building inspectors yield high quality work. I have also seen due diligence firms, especially firms that are really environmental firms trying to add this service to their offerings, produce really low quality work.

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All Commercial Building Inspections Are Not Created Equal