Corporate Social Responsibility

News

6.24.2008 - 02:08pm ET

CSR News from:	Pella Windows and Doors
News Categories:	Socially Responsible Investing
	Environment

Pella earns EPA SmartWay(SM) Transport Partner status

Window and door manufacturer commits to reducing carbon footprint

(CSRwire) PELLA, Iowa,. - June 24, 2008 - Pella(R) Windows & Doors is now recognized as a member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's(EPA) SmartWay Transport Partnership program. Pella received the accreditation for its responsible management of transportation partners and private fleet and committing to improve the environmental performance of freight operations.

"This is a natural fit and affiliation for Pella," said Steve Bowers, corporate logistics manager, Pella. "We have a deep history of being good stewards of the environment. And with our commitment to achieving greenhouse gas reduction goals, we’ll carry on that proud tradition."

"I am pleased to welcome Pella(R)Windows & Doors to the SmartWay Transport Partnership," said Margo T. Oge, Director of EPA's Office of Transportation and Air Quality. "We welcome their participation in the SmartWay Partnership and congratulate them on their commitment to improving their freight-related environmental performance and fuel efficiency."

Pella's goals as a new SmartWay Partner include:

Seeking and contracting truck loads with SmartWay Partners.
Communicating to those in the transportation industry Pella's status as a SmartWay Partner.
Developing a "no idling" policy for carriers parking at Pella sites.
Incorporating an internal SmartWay Partner educational program for Pella's more than 50 logistics employees around the country.

Pella also earned the U.S. Department of Energy's ENERGY STAR(R) Partner of the Year award for windows in 2007 and 2008 for its leadership in manufacturing energy-efficient windows and educating consumers about them.

SmartWay Partners

The SmartWay Transport Partnership is an innovative collaboration between EPA and the freight industry to increase energy efficiency while striving to reduce greenhouse gases and air pollution.

Because of three-year commitments to upgrade their trucks with auxiliary power units, energy-efficient tires, enhanced trailer aerodynamics, and other improvements, the EPA estimates SmartWay partners are saving 600 million gallons of diesel fuel ─ a cost benefit of almost $2 billion ─and eliminating nearly seven million metric tons of carbon-dioxide emissions that can contribute to global warming.

EPA launched SmartWay in 2004 to address the environmental and economic challenges surrounding growth in the freight industry. Through the program, EPA is now working with more than 600 businesses to improve both their bottom line and the environment by offering technical assistance, tools for evaluating opportunities to lower fuel use and emissions, and help in locating financing for the purchase of fuel-saving equipment and technology.

About Pella

Pella Corporation is a leader in designing, testing, manufacturing and installing quality windows and doors for new construction and renovation projects. Pella earned the 2007 J.D. Power and Associates award for "Highest in Customer Satisfaction among Window and Door Manufacturers."

As a family-owned and professionally managed privately-held company, Pella is known for its 83-year history of innovation, making great products, providing quality service and delivering on customer satisfaction. Headquartered in Pella, Iowa, the company is committed to incorporating new technologies, increasing productivity, and practicing environmental stewardship to create satisfied customers. Providing careers for about 9,800 team members, Pella is recognized as the "Global Top Company for Leaders" in the small-to mid-sized category by FORTUNE magazine.

The company manufactures quality windows, patio doors and entry door systems sold through a Direct Sales Network operating Pella(R)Window & Door Showrooms across the United States and Canada and select building materials retailers, including Lowe's(R), which features the Pella Design Center, a "store-within-a-store."For more information, call 888-84-PELLA or visit www.pella.com.

For more information please contact:

Sara Opie, PR Account Supervisor
Integer Midwest
515-247-2822

Whitney Warne, PR Account Coordinator
Integer Midwest
515-247-2896

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