What a FINtastic 2023

It has been an action-packed year for the team at J2 Innovations. As we look towards another year of growing and evolving, it's time to reflect on the great successes and memories from 2023. Follow along as we walk down memory lane to share our highlights.

Events

We started our global events schedule at the AHR Expo in Atlanta, US, where we stressed the opportunity for HVAC equipment manufacturers to leverage FIN Framework and offer a sustainable solution for the industry. Later in the year, we attended the Smart Buildings Show in London to showcase products powered by FIN Framework, where we collaborated with our industry partners: Coster, Innon, and Siemens. Throughout the year, we also joined Siemens at ISH Frankfurt, CIIBE in China, and the Smart Buildings Expo in Italy, where we presented FIN Framework technology. 

Exciting contributions to Project Haystack

This July, the Project Haystack community celebrated 10 years of Haystack Connect in Nashville, Tennessee. It was also the first time back in person since Covid. Haystack is more than just a data model. It is a data standard, an open source connectivity framework, and most importantly a community.  It was energizing for our team to reconnect, engage, and collaborate with other professionals.

The main plenary session was presented by our CEO, Alex Rohweder, and the co-executive board: Richard McElhinney and Nick Gayeski. Jeremy Wolfe, VP Sales Americas at J2 Innovations walked us through the multiple stakeholders that contribute to specifying and implementing Haystack. Gareth Johnson, Chief Software Architect of J2 Innovations, presented updates to Haystack Core, Haystack Lib, and RDF.

New HQ Office

This year, we also announced a new HQ office location designed to elevate our work experience to new heights! Our new HQ boasts cutting-edge technology and amenities, making it a hub for innovation and productivity. It provides easy access to transportation, dining options, and a beach for those lunchtime strolls! We also love the inspiring co-working areas for remote workers, fostering team building, collaboration, and creativity.

Awards and accolades

 J2 Innovations was selected as a finalist in two categories at the Building Controls Industry Association (BCIA) Awards earlier this year! The BCIA Awards is a way to spotlight excellence within the controls and BEMS industry, recognizing innovative product development, project delivery, and excellent training in our sector. Here's a look at the two categories we were named as finalists.

FIN Stack was a finalist for the Technical Innovation of the Year - Products Award. Our FIN Framework technology used by Specialist Controls Installations in a project for the London College of Fashion was chosen as a finalist for the Technical Innovation of the Year - Projects Award. Read all about it on the blog.

Celebrating OEM partners 

J2 Innovations joins forces with ecosystem partners to accelerate the design, build, and delivery of their own smarter products and services by leveraging our FIN™ Framework. This year, we welcomed new OEMs Innon and Satel Iberia, who are proud to have products "Powered by FIN Framework."

Innon's Link Edge energy monitoring product features Plug&Play capabilities, streamlining the installation and setup process. Satel Iberia's SenNet BMS is an Edge controller that offers monitoring and control solutions to simplify small-to-mid market applications.

We also collaborated on the next-gen tech with our industry partners: Coster, Blackstone Energy, Lennox EMEA, Enlighted, Panasonic, and more. Follow us for more announcements coming soon!

FIN Training

This year, we held 15 FIN Technicians classes, one Advanced Topics class, and two FIN Stack Roadshows (at M&M Controls in Timonium, Maryland, and Yorkland Controls in Toronto, Canada).  We also held a great Lunch and Learn at Waketech College.

FINactivated Challenge

This year, we encouraged J2 employees to have a more active lifestyle, inspire each other, challenge ourselves, and help improve overall wellness as a company through two fun activity challenges. During the Summer, we competed in a FINactivated challenge: Be (F)IN,  to win! This Winter, we competed in Be FIN (FIT) for the Holidays,' challenging each other to create our best "Strava art." Everyone loved following colleagues on Strava in our FINactivated club, seeing photos, impressive feats of strength and endurance, and increased activity.