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. 

By Joe Burns • March 20, 2026

Iran fallout: Evaluating repairs 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.

By Robert Freedman • March 19, 2026

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Top 5 stories from Facilities Dive

Top 5 stories from Facilities Dive

By Facilities Dive staff

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.

By Joe Burns • March 17, 2026

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.

By Ryan Golden • March 17, 2026

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. 

By Robert Freedman • March 16, 2026

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.

By Robert Freedman • March 13, 2026

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.

By Joe Burns • March 13, 2026

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.

By Michael Brady • March 13, 2026

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.

By Joe Burns • March 12, 2026

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.

By Robert Freedman • March 12, 2026

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?

By Daphne Howland • March 11, 2026

Surging oil price spurs worries of eventual stagflation during Iran war

In a development that could have downstream effects on facilities management, the average price for a gallon of regular gas jumped 16% during the past week, to $3.48.

By Jim Tyson • March 10, 2026

Why bigger batteries can make sense for facilities

As energy costs rise and battery costs drop, installing batteries with more capacity can make sense for facilities that want to cover blackouts and use time-of-use arbitrage to avoid higher rates, a battery specialist says.

By Robert Freedman • March 4, 2026

Diesel continues upward trend as Iran conflict prompts more constraints

Prices had already been rising for most of the year, but crude oil and shipping routes are facing immediate pressure from turmoil in the region.

By David Taube • March 3, 2026

Home Depot launches real-time delivery tracking for large items

The technology the company uses for live order tracking of small items is being made available for large products like appliances and lumber. 

By Max Garland • March 3, 2026

Only 26% of maintenance is preventive: UpKeep survey

Insufficient staffing and scheduling conflicts are the main barriers to more proactive maintenance, the survey of 214 managers by the CMMS software company finds.

By Robert Freedman • March 2, 2026

Everything you need to know about AI for facilities management

Learn how AI can help facilities teams, where to start and how to estimate ROI.

By Allison Thomas • March 2, 2026

VenHub is betting big on robotic c-stores. Is the industry ready to buy in?

The unmanned, AI-driven c-store chain’s CEO wants to sell and open hundreds of locations by early next year. But will retailers trust a format that’s so far failed to gain traction?

By Brett Dworski • Feb. 24, 2026

How getting building data early in an M&A deal can add value

Facilities teams that get a head start on integrating occupancy and other building data can save their organization money, says an executive from building software company Eptura.

By Robert Freedman • Feb. 20, 2026

Why Jack in the Box bets parking lot paint can cure sales

The chain hopes improvements to product quality and restaurant cosmetics will reverse sliding same-store sales and help prepare for a full remodel program.

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • Feb. 20, 2026

How digital signage providers can help facilities teams add value

Manufacturers like LG Electronics USA can act as facilitators, helping operators integrate third-party tools and software to drive positive outcomes, an executive says.

By Joe Burns • Feb. 17, 2026

Why cooling has become the single point of failure in data centers

Cooling failures are no longer minor issues — they’re now one of the biggest risks to data center uptime.

By Alex Schafer, Director of Sales at Güntner • Feb. 17, 2026

Libraries are central to community life. Many are in aging buildings that are falling apart.

Most U.S. library buildings face deferred maintenance, aging systems and limited funding options that put core civic services at risk, a new GAO report found.

By Vicky Uhland • Feb. 13, 2026

Higher ed institutions see drastic drop in space utilization: Occuspace

Dining areas and student centers are the only spaces that maintained utilization levels in fall 2025, according to data covering North American institutions.

By Joe Burns • Updated Feb. 12, 2026

All eyes on utilization: How CRE leaders are rethinking building space

Building utilization rates are increasing as workplace operators leverage data to inform space decisions, CBRE says.

By Joe Burns • Feb. 10, 2026