EPA and DOE Name Maytag Corporation Energy Star(R) 2004 Award Winner For Energy-Efficient Product Promotion

EPA and DOE Name Maytag Corporation Energy Star(R) 2004 Award Winner For Energy-Efficient Product Promotion

		MAYTAG LOGO Maytag Corporation is a leading producer of home and commercial appliances. Its products are sold to customers throughout North America and in international markets. (PRNewsFoto)[TC] NEWTON, IA USA

Maytag Earns Product Campaign Award for Protecting the Environment Through Energy Efficiency Promotions and Programs NEWTON, Iowa, Feb. 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy (DOE) have named Maytag Corporation (NYSE: MYG) a leader in energy efficiency by honoring the company with a Product Campaign Award. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000505/MYGLOGO ) As a partner in the ENERGY STAR program, Maytag will be recognized for its accomplishments with ENERGY STAR's national product campaigns during an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., on March 2, 2004. Maytag, a partner in the program since 1997, is receiving the Product Campaign Award for its efforts to raise awareness about the ENERGY STAR program by actively bringing government-initiated national campaign messages to its customers, calling on Americans to make energy-efficient product choices for their homes. With this year's honor, Maytag is now a six-time ENERGY STAR award winner, including four ENERGY STAR Partner Awards. In the past year, Maytag continued to demonstrate its commitment and efforts to the ENERGY STAR program by successfully using the 2003 ENERGY STAR Appliance Promotion to promote its qualifying washing machines. As an adjunct to the promotion, Maytag launched an efficiency-environmental educational effort targeted to elementary school children. From April to July 2003, Maytag Appliances was one of the leading participants in the DOE-sponsored National ENERGY STAR Appliance Promotion. As part of the promotion, Maytag made it possible for consumers to save $100 or more during the "Double Your Savings" Campaign. In addition, Maytag initiated its own national "Star Performer" promotion on all Maytag Neptune washers and promoted this offer nationally on television and in newspapers. Maytag also increased the number of its ENERGY STAR qualified residential washer models by 250 percent in 2003. In total, 42 percent of all Maytag Corporation appliances, which include the Maytag(R), Amana(R), Jenn-Air(R) and Magic Chef(R) brands, qualify for the ENERGY STAR label. To complement these product and promotion efforts, Maytag partnered with The National Theatre for Children to sponsor a live theatre program for elementary school children on energy and water conservation. The program includes classroom and at-home activities that help children learn about the small, simple things they can do to make a big difference in conserving energy and water. Ol' Lonely and the Apprentice - the famous Maytag Repairmen - both participate in the program. During the 2003-2004 school year, they will visit 20 elementary schools, reaching more than 14,000 kids across the United States. By the end of 2003, more than 6,300 kids had seen the program. Maytag also launched the Maytag Junior Apprentice Club to further promote energy and water conservation. Kids who join the Club receive a letter from the Maytag Apprentice and tips on how they can help save energy and water. Children are also invited to send their ideas for saving energy and water and visit the new ENERGY STAR microsite. "We're proud to offer our customers the ENERGY STAR qualified products that have all the latest features, save money on utility bills, and are good for the environment," said Maytag Chairman and CEO Ralph F. Hake. "For our customers, ENERGY STAR is a win-win." The Product Campaign Award is given to a variety of organizations who have taken creative advantage of the national ENERGY STAR product campaigns to educate consumers about how to improve the energy efficiency of their home one product choice at a time while also reducing pollution and saving money. Award winners are selected from hundreds of organizations that participate in the national product campaigns initiated by the EPA and DOE. "ENERGY STAR's partnership with Maytag on the ENERGY STAR national product campaign demonstrates how we can all work together to help consumers save money and the environment at the same time," said Kathleen Hogan, director of EPA's Climate Protection Partnerships Division. "We are fortunate to have Maytag on the ENERGY STAR team." About Maytag Corporation Maytag Corporation is a leading producer of home and commercial appliances. Its products are sold to customers throughout North America and in international markets. The corporation's principal brands include Maytag, Amana, Jenn-Air, Jade, Hoover and Dixie-Narco. Approximately 90 percent of all manufacturing across the entire corporation takes place in the United States. About ENERGY STAR ENERGY STAR was introduced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 as a voluntary market-based partnership to reduce air pollution through increased energy efficiency. Today, with assistance from the Department of Energy, the ENERGY STAR program offers businesses and consumers energy- efficient solutions to save energy, money and help protect the environment for future generations. More than 7,000 organizations have become ENERGY STAR partners and are committed to improving the energy efficiency of products, homes and businesses. For more information about ENERGY STAR, visit http://www.energystar.gov or call toll-free 1-888-STAR-YES (1-888-782-7937). For further information, contact: Lynne Dragomier, Maytag Corporation, 641-787-7711 Maria Vargas, EPA, 202-343-9451