One thing I've learned in the two-and-a-half years since I took over as editor of this magazine is that engineers pay a lot of attention to their code of ethics. That being the case, the thought occurs that you readers might be the best ones to pass judgment on something that may or may not cross the line of permissible business practice.
At least one plumbing manufacturer was offended by a recent solicitation inviting his company to advertise on CD-ROMs containing master specifications for Hilton Residential SuitesT and Hilton Garden InnsR. Some 100 of the former and 200 of the latter hotels are in the development stage, representing an estimated $3.3 billion worth of construction dollars. That's quite a bit of potential business for building suppliers. Many sales and marketing executives are sharpening their pens and preparing their best pitches to go after that business.