The Guardian Glass float glass plant in DeWitt, Iowa has earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ENERGY STAR certification, which signifies that the industrial plant performs in the top 25 percent of similar facilities nationwide for energy efficiency and meets strict energy efficiency performance levels set by the EPA.

"Guardian Glass is pleased to accept EPA’s ENERGY STAR certification in recognition of our energy efficiency efforts,” says Adam Gravert, DeWitt Plant Manager, Guardian Glass. "I’m very proud of the DeWitt team’s hard work to demonstrate our commitment to environmental stewardship and to the community, while also lowering our energy costs and delivering value to our customers.”

Earning ENERGY STAR certification highlights Guardian DeWitt’s status in the top 25 percent of flat glass plants in the nation with regard to energy performance. Guardian Glass improved its energy performance by managing energy strategically across the entire organization and by making cost-effective improvements to its plant.

“Commercial buildings and industrial plants account for nearly half of the nation’s energy,” says Jean Lupinacci, Chief of the ENERGY STAR Commercial & Industrial Branch. “But through benchmarking performance and a strategic approach to energy management, it is possible for companies to save energy, save money, and protect the environment.”

Operating since 1996, the DeWitt plant completed a major capital project in 2017 that expanded glass production and added new environmental control technologies. The plant applied for certification based on 2019 data.

Guardian Glass is a major business unit of Guardian Industries, which is owned by Koch Industries, Inc. (KII). This Certification aligns with Koch’s philosophy of “being the operator of choice in the community”. Earning ENERGY STAR Plant Certification is one way to give the DeWitt community a reason to choose to have the Guardian float glass plant operate in its community.

Dewitt joins four other Koch facilities in diverse industries that have earned ENERGY STAR certification in the past 12 months. KII was awarded the prestigious ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Award in 2017.

ENERGY STAR was introduced by EPA in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. To date, tens of thousands of buildings and plants across all fifty states have earned the ENERGY STAR. For more information about ENERGY STAR Certification for Industrial Facilities, visit energystar.gov/plants.

For more information about Guardian Glass, visit guardianglass.com.