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Other World Computing Named To Inc. 5000 “Fastest Growing Privately Owned Companies in America” List For Fifth Straight Year

Thursday, September 1st, 2011 | Author: OWC NewsFeed

Other World Computing announced today that it has been named to the Inc. 5000 list of “Fastest Growing Privately Owned Companies in America” for the fifth consecutive year. Out of 25,000 list honorees since the recognition program began in 2007, OWC is one of only 825 companies to be named to the list for all five years that the list has been published. Showing a three-year growth rate of 30%, the LEED Platinum certified, wind powered firm was also ranked 33rd on the Inc. 5000 “Top Computer Hardware Companies” list.

The exclusive ranking list by Inc. magazine represents a comprehensive look at America’s independent-minded entrepreneurs Article Continues…

2010 – OWC’s Year in Review

Thursday, December 30th, 2010 | Author: OWC Chris S.

As the year winds down, we take the opportunity to look back over the last 12 months or so to see just how far we’ve come and give ourselves hope for the future. Looking back at 2010, we can sum it up as  a year of innovations and advancement, both for OWC and for the Mac platform.

Obviously, the innovation from Apple that had the greatest impact on the computer industry as a whole was the introduction of the iPad. End users flocked to it; other companies tried to emulate it. Reviewers alternately praised it as the “next big thing” or derided it as being “a really big iPod Touch.” Hundreds of cases and accessories sprang into existence in to help you make the most of the new device. Whether you liked it, hated it or really didn’t care, you couldn’t deny that Apple made a big splash with the iPad.

The iPhone 4, with its high-resolution Retina Display and video chat capabilities was a huge seller, but its success was tainted somewhat by antenna problems. After receiving a lot of flak for dropping calls via the “grip of death”, Apple rectified the problem somewhat with a free “bumper” program.

That wasn’t Apple’s only stumble during the year. In November, a “mysterious” announcement sent the rumor mills into overdrive by promising a day that we’d “never forget.” The result was a somewhat anticlimactic announcement of The Beatles catalog being available on iTunes. While this was something many music fans had been looking forward to, most agreed that the amount of hype given to it was far too much.

It was a bit of a downer for a year that had started so well. OWC, on the other hand, started strong and got stronger as the year progressed. Article Continues…

It’s not easy being Green, but it sure is worth it!

Wednesday, September 29th, 2010 | Author: OWC Laura

Now, I’m going to warn you right now: I’m not going to sell you anything. I just have a lovely story that I think some of you out there will appreciate and I thought I’d share.

A couple of Fridays ago, I packed up for the night, wished the rest of the team a great weekend and headed for my car. It was beautiful out! I grew up in the deep South, so “beautiful” to me is usually nice and hot, but this afternoon we had received some much-needed rain in the form of some great thunderstorms. By the time I left, the storms had stopped and the temperature was just right. You could still smell the rain in the air, which happens to be one of my most favorite smells. So it’s Friday, it’s beautifully warm but not at all humid and it smells like rain—what a great way to start the weekend!

So I climbed into my little red Jetta, opened the sunroof and all my windows as I usually do, and I started out of the parking lot. Just as I turned out of the lot and onto Bridge Lane right there in front of me was a huge rainbow! You know the ones where you can actually pick out every single color because it’s so bright? Yeah, it was one of those.

Now I have to say that Bridge Lane on an average day is a beautiful view. As you ease up the road heading towards Harding Lane on your left is another company and on your right is a not, yet purchased or developed lot with a sign (which makes me giggle whenever I notice it) that says how many acres and that the oak trees are free. That’s very nice of them to not charge extra, as they line the back of the property, all tall and regal as only an oak tree can be. Article Continues…

Category: green, OWC Unplugged

Other World Computing Headquarters Earns Prestigious Energy Star Designation From U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Thursday, September 23rd, 2010 | Author: OWC NewsFeed

Other World Computing announced today its LEED Platinum Certified corporate headquarters was awarded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) prestigious ENERGY STAR rating, the national symbol for protecting the environment through superior energy efficiency. This designation signifies that OWC’s office building operations perform in the top 25 percent of similar facilities nationwide for energy efficiency. On a local level, this achievement places OWC’s building on a list of 634 commercial buildings and industrial plants in Illinois and the first office building in McHenry County to earn the Energy Star rating since 1999.

EPA’s ENERGY STAR energy performance scale helps organizations assess Article Continues…

Other World Computing Awarded LEED Platinum Certification For Attaining Highest Level Of Green Building Design & Operation

Thursday, April 8th, 2010 | Author: OWC NewsFeed

Other World Computing announced today its corporate campus was awarded LEED® Platinum Certification by the Green Building Certification Institute, the highest achievable level of the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) program. Out of more than 14,000 LEED projects engaged worldwide since the program’s 1998 inception, OWC is one of less than three hundred to achieve the Platinum standard. With this recognition, OWC also became the first privately owned light manufacturing/assembly firm in Illinois to obtain LEED Platinum status.

“OWC was founded with a core mission of providing customers the resources needed to maximize their technology investment. Similarly, our new headquarters utilizes leading edge technologies to maximize our own use of natural resources and provide the highest level of operational efficiency,” said Larry O’Connor, CEO, Other World Computing. “Our conserving for a greener tomorrow ensures our continued ability to be competitive in serving our customers and now is a ‘triple win’ with our LEED Platinum certification.” Article Continues…

OWC Turbine is now online and operational.

Monday, October 19th, 2009 | Author: OWC Chris S.

Turbine-1

OWC got a little greener today. Our new Vestas V39 Wind Turbine went online today and is now generating the electricity needed to run the OWC corporate facility, including its datacenter, with plenty of energy to spare, which will be sold back to the local power company.

By going the extra mile and planning to generate more than 100% of its total power needs on-site, OWC demonstrates its commitment to the future, its community and the environment.

For more information on the OWC Wind Turbine, as well as the rest of our “green” corporate headquarters, please visit: www.macsales.com/green.

Hold on to your hats, it’s windy out there.

Monday, October 5th, 2009 | Author: OWC Chris S.

Globe_windThere’s quite a bit of wind blowing around the OWC facilities here in Woodstock, and not all of it is coming out of our Marketing Department. Fortunately, we can put that wind to good use.

As part of our ongoing commitment to making our facility as “green” as possible, OWC has constructed a wind turbine, which should supply 100% of the company’s electrical requirements.

The structure, which can easily be seen towering over the surrounding countryside, was completed late last week, and is slated to pass its final inspections and go online within the next couple of days.

Once online, the turbine will generate approximately 1,250,000 kWh per year (kilowatt hours per year) – more than double the amount that the Other World Computing facility needs, or slightly more than the requirements for your average time machine. The anticipated surplus power will be sold back to local power providers to sell to other customers.

OWC’s power usage will be about 500,000 kWh per year, out of the total anticipated 1,250,000 kWh per year available from wind power generation. However, that usage already demonstrates energy savings, as the geo-thermal heating and cooling system used in the OWC facility is vastly more efficient than traditional means.

By setting our goals high and starting out “Green”, the resulting benefits will be far greater than merely financial. The payback is all around us, and with each new Green undertaking, people will see that they too, can take part in making the world “Green,” one project at a time.