Franklin County Times

Saint-Gobain, the world’s largest manufacturer of building products and a leading producer of innovative materials, has been awarded the ENERGY STAR® Sustained Excellence Award by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the third consecutive year.
The award recognizes Saint-Gobain’s outstanding leadership in energy management and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
Through its U.S. subsidiaries, the company continues to be the only manufacturer of glass containers or fiberglass insulation ever to receive the award.
“At Saint-Gobain, we feel a responsibility to lead by example as North American businesses come together to face the urgent need to improve energy efficiency,” said John Crowe, president and CEO of Saint-Gobain and its largest North American subsidiary, CertainTeed Corporation.
“Our 350-year history is rooted in the innovation and manufacturing of construction materials that enable people across the globe to live efficiently and comfortably in a healthy environment – and that includes protecting our natural resources here in North America in the 265 communities in which we operate and in which our 19,000 employees live.”
Saint-Gobain employs more than 150 people in the state of Alabama and more than 45 people at its Saint-Gobain ADFORS plant in Russellville where its contributions to energy-efficiency are part of the reason Saint-Gobain has been awarded this ENERGY STAR award.
Through energy efficiency technologies and techniques, the Russellville plant achieved a 10.33 percent reduction in energy on a per-unit basis.
The 2013 Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence Awards are given to a select group of organizations that have exhibited outstanding leadership year after year.
These winners have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by setting and achieving aggressive goals, and employing innovative energy efficiency approaches.
This is the fifth consecutive year that Saint-Gobain and its North American subsidiaries have been recognized by the EPA with an ENERGY STAR Award. Saint-Gobain was first awarded the ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Award in 2009 and 2010, and then attained the prestigious level of Sustained Excellence in 2011, 2012 and 2013.
Saint-Gobain’s accomplishments will be recognized at an EPA awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., on March 26, where it will be the sole Sustained Excellence Award winner from Pennsylvania.
“EPA is recognizing Saint-Gobain for earning EPA’s highest ENERGY STAR award – the 2013 Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence Award,” said Bob Perciasepe, acting administrator of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
“Saint-Gobain leads the field with their commitment to energy efficiency and demonstrates how all Americans can save energy, save money, and create a healthier environment.”
The EPA is recognizing Saint-Gobain for its leadership in implementing a wide range of process improvements and energy management practices over several years.
Since 2008, the company has improved energy intensity by 14.9 percent. In 2012, Saint-Gobain businesses in North America were able to reduce their energy intensity (the amount of energy used to produce a unit of product) by 3.0 percent – equivalent to the amount of energy needed to make shingles for new roofs on  more than  1 million typical U.S. homes or enough fiberglass insulation for more than 147,000 typical U.S. homes.
In addition, the energy savings achieved by the Company equate to avoiding more than 90,503 tons of carbon dioxide emissions last year.
“We are honored ENERGY STAR has again recognized Saint-Gobain’s contributions because it represents the collective impact made by our family of companies and all employees,” Crowe said. “More importantly, this honor reminds us of our responsibility to lead by example – today and for the next 350 years.”