The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the recipients of its Partner of the Year awards, and that included three door and window companies—all receiving designations in Sustained Excellence. Program officials say Energy Star’s awards are designed to recognize companies that made “outstanding contributions to protecting the environment through superior energy efficiency achievements.” Award-winning partners, “are showing the world that delivering real climate solutions makes good business sense and promotes job growth,” added EPA administrator Michael S. Regan. “Many of them have been doing it for years, inspiring all of us who are committed to tackling the climate crisis and leading the way to a clean energy economy.”

Andersen Corp. received its seventh Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence Award, marking the twelfth time the Bayport, Minn.-based company has been recognized. Sugarcreek, Ohio-based ProVia received the same award, marking its 14th recognition, officials said. Meanwhile, Soft-Lite Windows and Doors netted its eighth award, including six consecutive designations for Sustained Excellence. The achievement marks, “the pinnacle of success for us,” said Mark Hobbs, Soft-Lite’s vice president of sales.

Companies receiving awards in Sustained Excellence, “are essential to meeting the challenge of climate change and enabling a transition to a clean energy economy,” EPA officials said.

Among the achievements cited for Andersen Corp. are the company’s marketing efforts. Despite the impacts of COVID-19, the door and window manufacturer generated more than 1.3 billion impressions across its Energy Star-related marketing and consumer education efforts, EPA officials said, including more than 35 virtual and in-person events, drawing the attendance of more than 500,000. The company also educated homeowners on Energy Star-rated products, program officials said, through more than 410,000 in-home and virtual appointments and a four-week educational campaign on social media that gathered nearly 680,000 impressions.

Other key accomplishments for Andersen in 2020 included the launch of a new option for thin triple insulating glass, which officials noted for maintaining the original thickness of sash designs for double-pane windows while improving efficiency.

“Andersen has a longstanding commitment to producing sustainable products and reducing our environmental impact in the communities in which we live and work,” said Jay Lund, the company’s chairman and CEO.

In 2020, 100% of ProVia’s door and window products included Energy Star-certified options, EPA officials pointed out, making up nearly 90% of its sales for doors and 95% for windows.

“At ProVia, we consistently raise the bar in our engineering and manufacturing processes to bring top-performing products to market, as evidenced by this, our 14th Energy Star award,” said president and CEO Brian Miller. “We’re honored to help American families and businesses save energy and money every day.”

Miller’s company was further noted for its efforts to improve and promote an energy-efficiency calculator for replacement windows, designed to help homeowners estimate energy savings from Energy Star-rated products, as well as a variety of sales and training tools and the company designed to for its employees and 95% of its distributors. ProVia also completed construction of a 366,000-square-foot manufacturing facility, that EPA officials noted for its energy efficient features, and a 29,000-square-foot office that includes Energy Star-certified HVAC systems and Energy Star Most Efficient-rated windows, as well as certified ceiling fans, lighting systems and energy-efficient insulation.

Soft-Lite was also noted for enhancing its training programs “to educate nearly 900 individuals across 250 dealer and retailer locations about the Energy Star program,” program officials said. Meanwhile, the company produced nearly 195,000 Energy Star-certified window and patio door products, they pointed out, marking an 11% increase from the prior year, while launching three “new and improved” certified products with a variety of glass, spacer and low-E options combinations to match climate zones. Soft-Lite also promoted the Energy Star program, officials said, through its participation in Earth Day and tax credit and Energy Star Day promotions over social media and other web-based platforms. The company expanded its intranet site and product marketing collection for dealers and retailers.

Vice president of sales Mark Hobbs thanked the entire Soft-Lite team for the company’s accomplishments, while adding a special thanks for marketing manager Michele Linton and marketing director Alexis Isham, “for the hard work they put in from a marketing standpoint in making this program successful.”