CHICAGO, October 14, 2009 — USG Corporation (NYSE: USG), a leading building products company, announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded USG the 2009 SmartWay(SM) Excellence Award.
The EPA’s 2009 SmartWay Excellence Awards recognize companies and organizations that make significant contributions to protect the environment through their participation in the SmartWay Transport Partnership.
The Excellence Award is the second time this year that the EPA has recognized USG for its environmental efforts. Earlier this year, USG earned Logo Partner status in the EPA’s SmartWay Transport Partnership, which identifies products and services that reduce transportation related emissions to improve air quality and reduce fuel consumption, in April of this year.
As part of the program, USG committed to using SmartWay Transport Carriers for 50 percent or more of its shipping needs — resulting in more freight being transported by carriers that are taking steps to reduce fuel consumption and emissions. USG also adopted no-idling policies for trucks at shipping docks. In addition, the company uses a combination of truck and locomotive transport in the shipment of goods among other environmentally friendly actions.
USG joined the SmartWay program to better understand and evaluate its environmental performance and energy use, set improvement goals, and take measurable, concrete actions to reduce the impact of transportation on the environment and company.
Additionally, USG received NASSTRAC’s annual Shipper of the Year award for best practices in transportation and logistics. This award showcases the most innovative programs that support the business goals of companies through smart transportation.
Previous winners include Lowe’s, Dole Foods, Johnson & Johnson’s Global Transportation Organization, Best Buy Company and Big Lots.
According to Logistics Management, USG was named Shipper of the Year because it proactively managed fuel costs, improved on-time performance, reduced total freight claims, and maintained near perfect carrier acceptance rates.
“Congratulations to the Transportation team, including Craig Boroughf, director, Transportation, Building Systems; Andrea Hargrave, manager, Transportation, Building Systems; Janet Kemp, manager, Transportation, Building Systems; George Macko, manager, Transportation, Building Systems,” said Pedro Menendez, vice president, Global Supply Chain, Building Systems. “With the group’s dedication and hard work toward excellence, USG is now recognized as a leader in transportation when it comes to innovation and sustainability. We are proud of our accomplishments and will continue to lead the way with our carriers.”
The SmartWay Transport Partnership Annual Awards were presented at the American Trucking Association (ATA) Annual Conference in Las Vegas this month. In addition to USG, other SmartWay award winners were The Home Depot, Lowe’s, UPS, Knight Transportation and Transplace. The Transportation team was featured on the cover of the October 2009 issue of Logistics Management and will accept the award in Orlando next year. To view the article, visit www.logisticsmgmt.com.
USG Corporation is a manufacturer and distributor of high-performance building systems through its United States Gypsum Company, USG Interiors, Inc. and L&W Supply Corporation and other subsidiaries. Headquartered in Chicago, USG's worldwide operations serve the residential and non-residential construction markets, repair and remodel construction markets, and industrial processes. USG's wall, ceiling, flooring and roofing products provide leading-edge building solutions for customers, while L&W Supply center locations efficiently stock and deliver building materials nationwide. For additional information, visit the USG Web site at www.usg.com.
