ITW Food Equipment Group Receives Highest Honor With 2011 ENERGY STAR® Sustained Excellence Award

TROY, Ohio, March 17, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced that ITW Food Equipment Group–North America (ITW FEG) has been honored with a 2011 ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence award. This is the second consecutive year for ITW FEG to receive ENERGY STAR's highest honor, after earning back-to-back ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year awards in 2008 and 2009. The Sustained Excellence award is given to a select group of organizations that have consistently exhibited leadership across the ENERGY STAR program. ITW FEG's accomplishments are to be recognized at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., on April 12.

ITW FEG is the first and only commercial foodservice equipment manufacturer that has received the Sustained Excellence award. With 368 ENERGY STAR qualified units, Hobart, Traulsen, Stero, Vulcan, Wittco and Wolf are among the ITW FEG companies that support the sustainable initiatives of customers and end-users with new products and technologies that directly address their concerns about operations and the environment.

"ITW FEG believes that helping our customers design and operate sustainable operations that are more efficient, productive and environmentally sound isn't only better for the environment but better for our customers' bottom line as well," said Chris O'Herlihy, executive vice president, ITW FEG Worldwide. "Through our strategic partnership with ENERGY STAR, as well as customer education and product-focused initiatives, ITW FEG companies will continue to lead sustainability efforts across the commercial foodservice industry."

ITW FEG is committed to supporting customers in their drive to cut costs, consume less water and electricity, and decrease waste. The ITW FEG SustainableFoodEquipment.com Web site launched in 2010 offers best practices and highlights emerging technologies for creating a more sustainable operation. In addition, the site features an ENERGY STAR calculator to see how much customers can save by switching to ENERGY STAR qualified equipment.

ENERGY STAR estimates that qualified products can save up to up to 50 percent over their conventional counterparts on electric, gas, water and sewer bills. According to the Food Service Technology Center, facilities with commercial kitchens are estimated to use five times more energy per square foot than the rest of the building combined. In addition, more than half of the commercial foodservice's $10 billion annual energy bill is wasted due to inefficient appliances, refrigeration, hot-water heating, lighting, and heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems.

Commercial foodservice equipment that are currently eligible for the ENERGY STAR qualification include commercial fryers, commercial griddles, commercial hot-food holding cabinets, commercial solid- and glass-door refrigerators and freezers, commercial steam cookers, commercial dishwashers, commercial ovens and commercial ice-makers. Energy-efficient equipment in a product category that does not presently have an ENERGY STAR standard can also be included in the kitchen to save energy and water and reduce waste.

"ITW Food Equipment Group–North America has earned EPA's highest ENERGY STAR award – the 2011 Sustained Excellence Award," said Elizabeth Craig, Acting Director of EPA's Office of Atmospheric Programs.  "ITW FEG's long term leadership and commitment to energy efficiency demonstrates the types of accomplishments that we can all achieve in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and protecting our global environment. We look forward to their continued partnership and leadership."

The 2011 Sustained Excellence awards are given to a select group of organizations and recognize ongoing leadership across the ENERGY STAR program that encompasses energy-efficient products, services, and new homes and buildings in the commercial, industrial and public sectors. Award winners are selected from more than 20,000 organizations that participate in the ENERGY STAR program.

About ITW Food Equipment Group–North America

An  ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence award recipient in 2010 and 2011 and an ENERGY STAR partner since 2008, ITW Food Equipment Group–North America is the parent organization of independent companies such as Hobart (www.hobartcorp.com), Traulsen (www.traulsen.com), Stero (www.stero.com), Vulcan (www.vulcanhart.com), Wittco (www.wittco.com) and Wolf (www.wolfappliance.com), all of which design and manufacture commercial food equipment for foodservice and food retail customers.

About ENERGY STAR

ENERGY STAR was introduced by EPA in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants associated with energy use. Today, the ENERGY STAR label can be found on more than 60 kinds of products as well as new homes and buildings. Last year alone, Americans, with the help of ENERGY STAR, saved $18 billion on their utility bills and prevented greenhouse gas equivalent to those of 34 million cars. Products, homes and buildings that have earned the ENERGY STAR prevent emissions by meeting strict energy-efficiency specifications set by the EPA.  For more information, go to energystar.gov.

SOURCE ITW Food Equipment Group-North America