Integrated Facility Services’ Controls Manager selected as Missouri Gateway Green Building Council 2023 Board Chair
ST. LOUIS, MO – Chris Ruth, Controls Manager for Integrated Facility Services (IFS), has been selected as the 2023 Board Chair of the Missouri Gateway Green Building Council, a chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). In this role, Ruth works to advance the organization’s mission to improve human health, support economies and protect the […]
Ryan Goewert Passes PE Exam
Congratulations to Ryan Geowert for passing his Professional Engineers (PE) Exam. PE licensure is the engineering profession’s highest standard of competence, a symbol of achievement and assurance of quality. Ryan joined our team in August of 2016 as a project engineer and has been a big part of the sustained growth and success of our […]
Blog – Temperature Considerations
To avoid costly emergency service calls and uncomfortable buildings or lost time incidents, there are a few steps to take now and some items to take note of for offseason repair or replacement. Be Sure to Change Your Filters Dirty filters can clog a system, decreasing energy efficiency and Indoor Air Quality. Consider using pleated […]
IFS Virtual Food Drive
Integrated Facility Services is proud to be a supporter of the Saint Louis Community for over 50 years. With the hardships that have hit our area, we find it important to continue our support of our community, now more than ever. Please join us in raising funds for the St. Louis Area Foodbank. Integrated Facility […]
Water & Air Safety Guidelines for Reopening Your Building
The Director of Public Health in St. Louis County has issued a set of guidelines for Social Distancing and Re-Opening of businesses effective on Monday 5/18/2020. The details of this order can be found on St. Louis County’s website. The CDC and ASHRAE have issued associated Guidance for Reopening Buildings After Prolonged Shutdown or Reduced […]
Re-Opening of Buildings Safely
To Our Valued Customer: First, I would like to thank you for being a loyal customer of Integrated Facility Services. Second and most important, we at IFS hope that you, your family, and your employees are safe and healthy during these difficult times. We are reaching out to all our customers to make them aware […]
IFS HVAC Recommendations To Mitigate SARS-CoV-2 Transmissions in light of COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has raised concerns for many building owners regarding the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 pathogen, particularly with their mechanical systems. Being that the pathogen is known to spread through airborne means, owners have expressed concerns in regards to the mitigation of spread in their buildings. Our experts have worked to compile recommendations in […]
ASHRAE Issues Statements on Relationship Between COVID-19 and HVAC in Buildings
ATLANTA (April 20, 2020) – ASHRAE has published two statements to define guidance on managing the spread of SARS–CoV–2, the virus that causes COVID-19 disease (Coronavirus) with respect to the operation and maintenance of heating, ventilating and air-conditioning systems in buildings. “In light of the current global pandemic, it’s critically important that ASHRAE responds with guidance on mitigating […]
IFS Completes HVAC work for Emergency Triage at Mercy Hospital.
Our Service Technicians recently completed Emergency Triage spaces for Mercy Jefferson in Crystal City. Featuring full heating and cooling capabilities, along with HEPA Filters and Negative Pressure balancing, these spaces are designed to protect the health and safety of employees and those in need of medical treatment. We are honored to help our area Hospitals […]
IMPORTANT INFORMATION: COVID-19 Preventative Measures
IMPORTANT INFORMATION: COVID-19 Preventative Measures March 19, 2020 In consideration of the continued spread of COVID-19, Integrated Facility Services (IFS) would like to outline our procedures to reassure our customers of the steps that we are taking to prevent the potential of community spread. IFS has put into place new policies and procedures with regards […]
Leveraging Building Automation to Work Toward Net-Zero
Net-Zero Energy (NZE) buildings are a fast growing trend around the country. At their simplest form, the total amount of energy used by a NZE building is roughly equal to the amount of renewable energy created. Renewable energy is a key part in the success of these buildings; however, without extensive effort on the conservation […]
How Metals Affect Your Building’s Water Quality
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set a maximum contaminant level (MCL) for metals in drinking water. Usually, the water treatment process can monitor and maintain these levels and prevent the levels of metals from becoming dangerous. Once the water supply enters a buildings system, the monitoring and treatment stops. There are many contaminants that […]
Improving Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)
Indoor air quality (IAQ) is a major concern that is often overlooked. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “Most Americans spend up to 90% of their time indoors and many spend most of their working hours in an office environment.” [1] It is hard to believe that people spend so much time inside, but […]
IFS Named Among “Industry Giants” by Contractor Magazine
IFS is proud to be named among the “Industry Giants” by Contractor Magazine for the second year in a row. IFS placed in the top 100 contractors in the nation! Thanks to all of the hardworking men and women in our offices and in the field. Your unending dedication to the success of our company […]
Understanding Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs)
VFD is an acronym that is thrown around a lot when discussing energy savings and HVAC equipment. But what exactly is a VFD? How does it work? Why does it save energy? Hopefully this quick blog will answer these, and some of your other questions concerning VFDs. A Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) is an electro-mechanical drive that is used […]
IFS among Top 100 Contractors in the country
IFS was named one of the Top 100 Contractors in the country in the Contractor Magazine Book of Giants. Click here to view the full list Below is an excerpt from their article titled, “Giants 2018: More money, more problems” “It has been another strong year for the nation’s largest mechanical contractors. Combined, the companies […]
IFS Opens Stainless Steel Fabrication Facility
Integrated Facility Services is pleased to announce opening of our newly renovated, state of the art, stainless steel fabrication facility. Our existing facility was upgraded in an effort to support the growing needs of our industrial clients. This facility was established to assure cleanliness of piping assemblies and to avoid carbon steel contamination of the […]
IFS Receives Outstanding Mechanical Installation Award
IFS is pleased to announce that we have earned the MCA – Eastern Missouri Outstanding Mechanical Installation Award based on our work on the St. Louis County ROOS Building cooling tower project. Accepting the award on behalf of IFS were Gary Tidwell (Project Manager), Jeff Ridenour (Foreman), Josh Foland (CAD Engineer), and John Rundquist (IFS […]
Hot Weather Safety Tips
With the hot weather upon us this week, we wanted to share some quick tips for working outside when the temperatures are high. This tips will help keep you safe and can even save your life! It can take your body a whole week to acclimate to the temperature change. Be extremely careful when returning […]
Core Values
Innovation. Integrity. Safety. Stewardship. Teamwork. These are the core values of IFS. Over the years, we have seen examples of these values from each and every one of our team. This past weekend, at the annual IFS Anniversary Dinner, 5 employees were recognized for being outstanding examples of these core values., Innovation: Adam Grossman was […]
IFS Ranked in Top 50
Every year, Engineering News-Record releases its lists of top contractors in various trades. This year, IFS was ranked number 40 in the Midwest for specialty contractors. This is the 3rd year in a row that IFS has cracked the top 50 list. We are proud of this achievement and all of our employees who work […]
Heat Stress
Temperatures are on the rise, so we wanted to share some information on an important topic, heat stress. The white paper below discusses signs and symptoms of heat related illnesses and most noteworthy, preventative measures to ensure we stay hydrated. Take a few minutes to educate yourself on the warning signs of heat stress, it […]
Community Outreach – Lift for Life Gym
As part of our commitment to BOMA, IFS employees and BOMA Outreach Committee members, Rich Kasznel and Christina Schafer signed up to volunteer at Lift of Life Gym on Tuesday, June 6th. They were joined by fellow IFS employees, Joscelyn Riegert, Ben Moore, Kevin O’Meara and Brian Karcher who also volunteered their time. Our volunteers […]
National Safety Stand Down-Ladders
This week is National Safety Stand Down Week and we will be highlighting some safety tips in regards to fall hazards. Today we are going to focus on a tool that most field employees use multiple times a day, and that is ladders. Step Ladders Because we use them so often, it is extremely easy […]
National Safety Stand Down-Roofs/Skylights
This week is National Safety Stand Down Week and we will be highlighting some safety tips in regards to fall hazards. Today we are specifically talking about fall hazards associated with roofs. Many field employees in the construction industry are required to work on roofs. Every roof is different and every roof presents different challenges […]
Jeremy Welch Receives Ameren Trade Ally Award
This past week, IFS representatives attended the Ameren Trade Ally Awards Ceremony. Awards were presented for several categories of work completed in 2016 in connection with the Ameren BizSavers Program. The BizSavers program gives incentives to our customers for energy saving projects such as control upgrades, lighting, VFDs for all types of equipment including chillers, […]
Plumbing Maintenance Programs
We take for granted our water heaters, toilets, faucets, sinks, drains, ice makers and water coolers until they stop working. Then comes the panicked call to the service company, and a repair job that always ends up costing more than we expect. Regular care and preventative maintenance can forestall most of these breakdowns at a […]
Spring Clean and Check
Spring is in the air! In St. Louis that means two things; Cardinals Baseball is almost here, and it’s time to get your home air conditioner ready for summer. Your system has been sitting idle for 6 months, but it won’t be long until you are relying on it around the clock. Checking your air […]
Winter HVAC Preventive Maintenance Tips
The winter season is here, which can only mean one thing; now is the perfect time to start preparing your commercial building for the harsh, frigid winter season. Is your heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) system ready for the cold weather? As a property manager or building owner, it is better to find out […]
Safe Driving Month – Distracted Driving
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Safe Driving – Distracted Driving”][vc_column_text]This week’s post for our Safe Driving Month is Distracted Driving. Distraction.gov defines distracted driving as “Distracted driving is any activity that could divert a person’s attention away from the primary task of driving. All distractions endanger driver, passenger, and bystander safety.” Traffic safety experts classify distractions into three main […]
Safe Driving Month – Seat Belts
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Safe Driving Month – Seat Belts”][vc_column_text]As our Safe Driving Month rolls on, this week we are discussing the importance of wearing seat belts. Wearing a seat belt properly can reduce our risk of serious injury or death in motor vehicle crashes by 50%. According to the CDC; from 2003 to 2012 there were 8,073 […]
Safe Driving Month – Speeding
This month we will be posting weekly blogs concerning safe driving. This campaign has a goal to raise awareness and educate our reader to help prevent automobile accidents. This week we are discussing Speeding. According to the National Safety council more than 38,000 people died in motor vehicle crashes in 2105, and speeding was a […]
IFS Job Featured in CNR St. Louis
We are very excited to once again be featured in St. Louis Construction News and Review Magazine. This time, due to our involvement in a project at the Robert A. Young Building. Robert A Young Federal Building To Get Innovative Seismic Retrofit Constructed in 1933, the 20-story, concrete-framed RAY building was originally a warehouse for […]
IFS Featured in CNR St. Louis
IFS is once again be featured in St Louis Construction News and Review Magazine. This time, for our Chiller Optimization Package, an energy saving retrofit option for chillers. Featured Article: Building Certification Is Down, But Energy Efficiency Is Not Out “…IFS pride themselves on their ability to retrofit chillers in existing buildings to make them […]
Why does my air conditioner (fill in the blank) ?
Hot summer days here in St. Louis probably means that your air conditioner is getting a lot of use. As with any piece of machinery, things may not always function as intended. We took to Google to see what people were searching for the most in terms of their air conditioner, and answered the top […]