DeForest Plant Celebrates Earth Day, Environmental RecognitionFirestone Building Products’ facility accepted into prestigious EPA program

DEFOREST, Wisc. (April 22, 2008) – The Firestone Building Products Company, LLC (FSBP) DeForest, Wisc., facility doesn’t just produce exceptional energy efficient roofing insulation, it’s also an environmental leader. The company’s diligent environmental efforts have earned the plant acceptance into the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) prestigious National Environmental Performance Track program.

FSBP DeForest Plant Manager Tim Berry and his team hosted several local leaders and members of the Wisconsin environmental community at the DeForest plant today, Earth Day, for a recognition ceremony, plant tour and ceremonial tree planting.

“The DeForest team is honored to be recognized as a leader among U.S. facilities in protecting the environment,” said Berry. “Ensuring an environmentally sound future is a value all of our teammates embrace and strive to uphold daily. Our record of quality and excellence in both production and protecting the environment is something only achievable through such a strong team effort.”

The EPA created the voluntary Performance Track program to reward and recognize companies that show a commitment to environmental performance that goes above and beyond current requirements and that have a proven track record of improving environmental performance over time. The program encourages facilities to work continuously on improving environmental performance and to work closely with their community and employees.

In order to qualify for the Performance Track program, the DeForest facility fulfilled a number of requirements, including: a successful Environmental Management System that enables the facility to reduce its environmental impacts daily and in case of emergencies; a good record of compliance with environmental regulations; a public commitment and record of achieving specific environmental performance goals; and a commitment to remain involved and active in the community. DeForest is one of four FSBP facilities to be accepted into this EPA program. Only seven facilities in the state of Wisconsin have received this recognition.

The DeForest facility committed itself to extensively increasing recycling and reducing chemical consumption, and the results are striking. The facility more than doubled recycling between 2006 and 2007, in addition to reducing consumption of liquid mold release by 7 percent in the same time period.

“I congratulate and welcome the DeForest facility to this elite program,” said Dan Fiorino, Director of Performance Track. “Earning acceptance into this program is a daunting task successfully completed by few facilities. The DeForest Firestone Building Products team’s acceptance shows their exceptional commitment to the environmental protection of their community and beyond.”     

The DeForest facility produces polyisocyanurate (polyiso) insulation, a rigid foam roofing insulation material. With its superior energy efficiency, greater cost effectiveness and proven fire safety, Firestone polyiso is the insulation trusted most by roofing professionals. Polyiso rigid foam board insulation is used in approximately 60 percent of all new commercial construction applications. All Firestone polyiso insulations use EPA-approved blowing agents.