The Bilco Co. announced a new partnership with Colt Group, a United Kingdom-based manufacturer of smoke and natural ventilation products for commercial buildings. Beginning in January 2014, Bilco will serve as a distributor of the Colt Group’s line of ventilation products in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Natural ventilation is becoming an increasingly important design strategy for commercial buildings, particularly in GREEN building design. With careful design, buildings can be cheaper to maintain and operate and the addition of fresh air and natural daylight creates a more pleasant and productive working environment for building occupants. The Colt Group’s products provide an innovative and attractive solution for design professionals and building owners.

“We aim to serve the fast-growing North American market for green buildings through a manufacturing and distribution partnership with The Bilco Company,” said Bradley Smith, overseas operations manager for the Colt Group. “Together we will meet the evolving demand for natural, low energy ventilation in green buildings, and fill the gap in the North American market for high-quality products that provide passive, natural ventilation solutions.”

Bilco will initially focus its marketing efforts on the Colt Group’s controllable ventilators, specifically the Coltlite and Firelight product lines. Coltlite, a natural louvered ventilator that installs easily in the facade of a building, is offered with glazed or insulated aluminum panels that complement any architectural design. Firelight is a glazed natural ventilator that can be installed in a glass atrium or directly onto the roof of a building.

Each of these ventilators provide both day to day and smoke ventilation and are available with several options for automated climate control. Colt ventilation products provide highly energy-efficient solutions to maintain comfortable internal climates and to control smoke in an emergency situation with extremely low operating and maintenance costs.

“Studies have shown that commercial properties and buildings that have natural ventilation and daylighting are a much more pleasant and healthy environments in which to work,” said Tom Crowley, vice president of sales and marketing for The Bilco Company. “Our partnership with Colt allows us to take the next step in enhancing our green product line. The fact that these products so nicely complement our existing line of smoke and heat vents allows us to offer a larger portfolio of solutions to architects and building owners.”