TORRANCE, Calif., June 18, 2002 (PRIMEZONE) -- (WITH PHOTO) Virco Mfg. Corporation (AMEX:VIR):
In response to the 1988 Executive Order issued by then-President George W. Bush for federal agencies to give purchasing/specification preference to green products and services, the General Services Administration (GSA) created the "Evergreen Award." The purpose of the award is to recognize furniture, carpet and equipment suppliers who have made significant contributions to waste reduction and recycling, thus contributing to the government's effort to buy from environmentally conscious suppliers.
Mr. Jack Williams, Assistant Regional Commissioner of GSA's Northeast Region, and Ms. Donna Bennett, Commissioner of the Federal Supply Service, presented a 2002 Evergreen Award to Virco Mfg. Corporation. The presentation was made during the National Furniture Center's Quality Partnership Council meeting, held in conjunction with GSA's Annual Expo, which took place from May 21-23 in San Diego, California.
On hand to receive the award was Doug Virtue, Virco's Executive Vice President. He complimented GSA for its progressive approach to incentivizing environmental awareness and also recognized previous award winners, including Steelcase, Herman Miller, Interface, Milliken, Refinishing Touch and Haworth.
Mr. Virtue cited Sierra Club founder John Muir's observation that in nature there is no waste, and concluded his remarks by saying that sustainability "is the natural state of things, and the state towards which all business must evolve." The full text of Mr. Virtue's comments is available on the company's website at www.virco.com.
A brief list of Virco's waste reduction and recycling accomplishments includes:
2001 - WasteWise Program Champion presented by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 2001 - Waste Reduction Awards Program recognition presented by the California Integrated Waste Management Board 2000 - WasteWise Partner of the Year for Large Businesses awarded by the EPA 2000 - Corporate Recycler of the Year awarded by the Arkansas Recycling Coalition 1999 - WasteWise Program Champion awarded by the EPA 1998 - WasteWise Program Champion awarded by the EPA
Information on how to apply for next year's Evergreen Award can be found on GSA's website at fss.gsa.gov/furniture. Please note that award applicants must have a multiple award schedule contract with GSA for furniture products.
For your information, GSA also publishes guidelines on what to look for when "buying green." You can contact GSA by phone at 703-305-6636.
PHOTO NOTE: This photo is available on PrimeZone's Website at http://images.primezone.com/ps/virco/virco_gsa.html