Building operations are increasingly strategic: NFMT East 2026

The importance of communication between FMs, vendors and stakeholders was a consistent theme throughout sessions as more organizations see building operations as value-adding. 

As NYC energy code enforcement begins, operators face decision on pathway

Prescriptive and performance-based approaches give facilities managers a choice for how to proceed, a building energy specialist says.

Turner goes vertical on $900M Pennsylvania hospital expansion

The Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center in Wilkes-Barre will have an 11-story, 600,000 square foot patient facility and an expanded emergency department.

Threat groups target cyber-physical systems to disrupt critical infrastructure providers

The Iran war has raised concerns that industrial sectors could be the target of hacktivists, state actors and other groups exploiting vulnerabilities in operational technologies like those used in building systems.

Scaled-down repairs can make sense as asphalt prices rise

Limited maintenance projects can sustain surfaces until the impact from the Iran conflict eases and oil prices stabilize, paving companies say.

Keep protections in place even if OSHA eases enforcement: safety specialist

A proposal for OSHA to reduce its enforcement of the general duty clause shouldn’t be a reason to relax standards, says an executive at a fall protection company.

NFMT East 2026: Counterfeit communication cables pose building threat

Facility managers must be vigilant about fraudulent cabling, which poses a flame and smoke risk when used, the Communications Cable & Connectivity Association says.

Safety-Kleen to pay $175K federal fine for maintenance, storage violations

The Linden, New Jersey, facility has since fixed leaking equipment and properly stored its waste, EPA says.

NFMT East 2026: Where germs are hiding in facilities

To combat pathogen spread, facility managers can approach remediation like they’re following a recipe, cleaning specialists said.

How variable speed HVAC motors can accelerate facility decarbonization

By adjusting motor speed to demand, HVAC systems use only the necessary amount of energy, reducing consumption by as much as 50%, ABB data show.  

Office space must support learning and well-being to attract workers, design firm says

Tension around RTO may have eased in recent months, but employers still need to ensure physical spaces are responsive to employees’ needs, according to Gensler.

Trump promotes facilities manager to Kennedy Center executive director

Before becoming head of operations at the performing arts center, Matt Floca was associate director of sustainability and energy and director of facilities management for the District of Columbia government. 

Schneider Electric introduces variable speed HVAC drives to support energy savings

The ATH200 and ATH600 drives are optimized to help HVAC equipment manufacturers serve commercial and mission-critical environments through adverse conditions, Schneider says.

H-E-B to build supermarket on former landfill site

The retailer will receive more than $20 million in incentives to help cover the cost of remediating the land in Buda, Texas, through an agreement with several government agencies.

NFMT East 2026: Lowering peak energy demand can provide outsized benefit

Demand charges are increasingly impacting facility operators, a Sanalife executive said at the conference.

Employees use food services less, hurting cafeteria economics: report

Cafeterias are stuck in a vicious cycle of declining use, rising costs and the availability of other options, ezCater found.

3 c-stores taking car washes to the next level

From stand-alone spin-off brands to in-tunnel entertainment, operators are turning the wash bay into a loyalty driver.

Building problems are a threat to museum collections, GAO says

Especially for facilities in which the building is an artifact, upgrades can be out of reach, a report by the watchdog finds.

NFMT East 2026: Communication key to better cleaning contractor outcomes

Set meeting schedules and initiate open dialogue during difficult situations to help ensure contracts go according to plan, a consultant says.

Cushman & Wakefield hit with class-action lawsuit over climate risk in retirement plan

A former employee at Cushman & Wakefield alleged in her suit the firm failed to properly monitor and protect its employee 401(k) plan from “material climate-related financial risks.”

NFMT East 2026: How building operations help organizations’ strategic goals

Thousands of facilities managers and vendors are attending the conference this week to learn about industry issues and technology solutions impacting building operations this year. 

Safer Skies Act creates more tools for defending against drones

State and local authorities have more options to help facilities protect their airspace from dangerous incursions.

This obscure legal clause is holding back US malls. Simon Property Group got Saks Global to forfeit it.

What are reciprocal easement agreements, and how did Simon accomplish what most shopping centers can only dream of?

As facilities increase AI use, cyber threats loom as a constraint

Businesses are prioritizing solutions that improve reliability, uptime, operational performance and physical security, according to a survey.

Power and capital constraints may drive shift to modular cooling, smaller data centers

Customer adoption of AI could also change how and where data centers are built as well as how they’re sized and cooled, Nautilus Data Technologies says.