News Release EPA Partnership –Page 2 of 4
For immediate release:
March 4, 2009
CertainTeed Corporation Presented with the ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year Award by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for Exceptional Energy Management
(Valley Forge, Pa.) – CertainTeed Corporation and its parent company, Saint-Gobain, are honored to be selected as a 2009 ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year for Energy Management by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This prestigious award recognizes Saint-Gobain and all of its North American businesses, including CertainTeed, for their accomplishments and leadership in reducing greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. CertainTeed, a leading North American manufacturer of building products, is the first-ever manufacturer of fiberglass insulation to win the award.
“This award is proof that CertainTeed is proactive in its approach to sustainability through our commitment to energy efficiency and our partnership with ENERGY STAR,” says Peter Dachowski, President and CEO for CertainTeed Corporation. “CertainTeed will continue its commitment to sustainable manufacturing and in developing new products that enhance the energy-efficiency of homes and buildings and their impact on the environment.”
Well known for the manufacture of sustainable building products, environmental responsibility also plays a leading role in CertainTeed’s daily operations. For example, the company’s insulation facility in Chowchilla, Calif., was able to leverage its investment in metering and controls to reduce energy use in its manufacturing process. The advanced metering systems provided the information to operators that allowed them to make more informed decisions, which led to improved consistency and energy savings.CertainTeed’s insulation plant in Athens, Ga., reduced energy consumption by 7 percent in 2008, while the Mountaintop, Pa., insulation plant reduced consumption by 6.11 percent per unit. The company’s roofing plant in Shreveport, La., reduced its use of natural gas by 15 percent and received a 2008 Save Energy Now award from the U.S. Department of Energy.
CertainTeed is not only a leader in resourceful manufacturing operations, but also in the manufacture of products that help create more comfortable and healthy homes and buildings. CertainTeed manufactures a variety of energy-efficient products, including fiberglass insulation batts and rolls; fiberglass blow-in insulation; polyurethane spray foam; smart vapor retarders; Landmark™ Solaris Solar Reflective Roofing Shingles; CedarBoards™ Insulated Siding; and the T-Roc™ Thermal Insulation System, along with many others that are ENERGY STAR certified. Many of these products can also help homeowners earn energy efficiency federal tax credits included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
CertainTeed products have also been used in a variety of energy-efficient green building projects, such as the Comcast Center in Philadelphia, the tallest LEED® Gold certified building in the United States; 7 World Trade Center in New York and the world’s first LEED Platinum home remodeling project in Minnetonka, Minn.
ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year award winners include Fortune 500 companies and small business, all dedicated in reaching annual goals to shrink energy use. Introduced by the EPA in 1992, ENERGY STAR works with more than 12,000 organizations to improve the energy efficiency of products, homes and businesses. ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year award winners were selected from the organizations that participate in the ENERGY STAR program.
For more information about ENERGY STAR, visit www.energystar.gov. To learn more about CertainTeed and energy efficiency products, visit the newly redesigned www.certainteed.com.
About ENERGY STAR
ENERGY STAR was introduced by EPA in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. Today, the ENERGY STAR label can be found on more than 50 different kinds of products, new homes, and commercial and industrial buildings. Products and buildings that have earned the ENERGY STAR designation prevent greenhouse gas emissions by meeting strict energy-efficiency specifications set by the government. In 2007, Americans, with the help of ENERGY STAR, saved about $16 billion on their energy bills while reducing the greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of 27 million vehicles.
About CertainTeed
Through innovation and creative product design, CertainTeed has helped shape the building products industry for more than 100 years. Founded in 1904 as General Roofing Manufacturing Company, the firm made its slogan "Quality Made Certain, Satisfaction Guaranteed," which quickly inspired the name CertainTeed. Today, CertainTeed® is North America’s leading brand of exterior and interior building products, including roofing, siding, windows, fence, decking, railing, trim, foundations, pipe, insulation, gypsum, ceilings and access covers.
Headquartered in Valley Forge, Pa., CertainTeed and its affiliates have more than 6,000 employees and more than 65 manufacturing facilities throughout the United States and Canada. In 2008 the group had total sales of more than $3 billion. www.certainteed.com
CertainTeed is a subsidiary of Saint-Gobain, the world’s largest supplier of building materials. Founded in 1665 and headquartered in Paris, Saint-Gobain had worldwide sales of $64.4 billion in 2008 and employs approximately 209,000 people.
In addition to CertainTeed, Saint-Gobainbusinesses include Norandex Building Materials Distribution (Hudson, Ohio); Saint-Gobain Crystals (Hiram, Ohio); Saint-Gobain Containers (Muncie, Indiana); Saint-Gobain Technical Fabrics (Grand Island, New York); and Saint-Gobain Abrasives (Worcester, Massachusetts).
In the United States and Canada, Saint-Gobain employs approximately 22,000 people, with approximately160manufacturing plantsand more than 150distribution outlets. The company reportedNorth American sales of approximately $8.1 billion in 2008.
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