Vice President Joe Biden Visits Serious Materials’ Chicago Windows Plant; Sees Immediate Green Job Creation with Energy-Saving
Building Materials.

Calls out SeriousWindows as the most energy-efficient in the world and commends creation of new green jobs

CHICAGO, IL — Serious Materials, the leading energy-saving building materials company in the U.S., today welcomed United States Vice President Joe Biden along with United States Senators Dick Durbin and Roland Burris and Mayor Richard Daley to its most recently acquired windows manufacturing plant in Chicago.  Vice President Biden, whose support played a pivotal role in the passing of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), visited the high-performance window manufacturing plant to demonstrate his support for the creation of new green jobs through the American manufacturing of energy-saving building materials like  SeriousWindows™ and SeriousGlass™.

“This is a story about how we inspire a better tomorrow.  You're making some of the most energy-efficient windows in the world, I would argue, the most energy-efficient windows in the world,” said Vice President Joe Biden. Speaking to Serious Materials’ employees, Vice President Biden continues, “And you're not just providing for your family with the income you're making here; but by lowering energy bills, you're saving the families in Delaware, California, Mississippi, Maine -- you're saving all of them. You're saving people in public housing which are investing in weatherization. You're saving people on the bottom line of how much money they will have to care for their families.” Biden continues, “Kevin, thank you and Serious for your faith in the people here at this factory, your faith in the country, your willingness to invest here in America.”

"Today, because of the hard work and determination of many people, this factory is once again providing jobs for people at the very time jobs are most needed in our country,” said Mayor Richard Daley.  “And, in part because of new federal tax credits for buyers of energy-efficient products such as the ones Serious makes, the future looks bright for the company, its employees and this community."

Republic Windows and Doors garnered national attention in December 2008 when it suddenly closed its doors, declared bankruptcy, and left over 260 people unemployed just before Christmas 2008. At the end of February, Serious Materials acquired the assets of the former Republic Windows and Doors. The Company has since began to rehire former-Republic union workers and is quickly installing new equipment for the manufacturing of its SeriousWindows products and commercial glass, SeriousGlass. With this new plant, Serious Materials will be able to meet the increased demand for its super-insulating windows accelerated by funding made available through the ARRA for energy-efficient building projects. The Company intends to formally re-open the factory within the next sixty days, creating more green manufacturing jobs.

“It is a great honor to host Vice President Biden at our Serious Materials Chicago factory. Vice President Biden understands how devastating it can be to a community when factories close and jobs leave,” said Kevin Surace, CEO of Serious Materials. “That is why I’m so proud to lead Serious Materials – a company that is re-opening factories, and creating the green-collar jobs that are the key to our economic future.”

With the upcoming reopening of former Republic Windows and last month’s reopening of former Kensington Windows in Vandergrift, Pennsylvania, Serious Materials is on track to accelerate production for its SeriousWindows and SeriousGlass product lines by tenfold this year. Replacement of existing windows with SeriousWindows and SeriousGlass could reduce the U.S. total energy use and carbon emissions by 200 million metric tons of C02 per year. Super-insulating, full-frame R-5 to R-11 windows exceed Energy Star® requirements by up to four times and can reduce heating and cooling up to 50%, resulting in a 5% savings in national energy use. SeriousWindows and SeriousGlass support energy efficiency programs as outlined under The American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA) including: Weatherization (WAP), Green Federal Buildings, State Energy Program (SEP), Energy Efficiency Block Grants, Energy Tax Credit for Consumers, and Tax Deductions for Commercial Buildings. 

Just last month, Serious Materials was commended by President Obama for the work it is doing to create thousands of American green jobs. On March 23, President Obama commented, “Serious Materials just reopened a manufacturing plant outside of Pittsburgh. Last year, that factory was shuttered and more than one hundred jobs were lost. The town was devastated. Today, that factory is whirring back to life, and Serious Materials is rehiring the folks who lost their jobs. And these workers will now have a new mission: producing some of the most energy efficient windows in the world.”

ABOUT Serious Materials
Serious Materials develops and manufactures sustainable green building materials that save energy, save money, improve comfort and aggressively address climate change.  The company was voted #1 at Cleantech Forum XII, won Global Gypsum Product of the Year 2008, won the first Aspen Institute award for innovation in Energy Conservation, and was awarded Green Product of the Year by Popular Science.  It has also been recognized by TIME/CNN, Fortune, and Business Week as one of the top green technology companies. SeriousWindows™ and SeriousGlass™ reduce heating and cooling energy costs by up to 50% and improve occupant comfort. QuietRock® soundproof drywall and QuietGlass® reduce material use, enhance livability, and support dense sustainable urban construction.  EcoRock™ uses 80% less energy in its core production and has the potential to save billions of pounds of CO2 annually making it the only true green alternative to gypsum drywall and five times more environmentally friendly. SeriousWindows, SeriousGlass and super-insulating ThermaRock™ drywall support energy efficiency funding programs as outlined under The American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA) including Weatherization (WAP), Green Federal Buildings, State Energy Program (SEP), Energy Efficiency Block Grants, Energy Tax Credit for Consumers, and Tax Deductions for Commercial Buildings. The company was commended by President Obama for the work it is doing to create thousands of American green jobs.
For more information visit www.SeriousMaterials.com.

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Press Contact For Serious Materials:
Tory Klaubo
Vantage Communications
+1-202-558-9826
tklaubo@pr-vantage.com

Valerie Jenkins, Serious Materials
+1-408-636-6329
vjenkins@seriousmaterials.com

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