RHEEM WATER HEATING NEWS RELEASE For more information, please contact: Laura Butler, Marketing Communications Manager Rheem Water Heating laura.butler@rheem.com John O’Reilly, President LNC Communications 815.469.9100, ext. 302 John@LNCmail.com HAYWARD AREA DISTRIBUTOR AND CONTRACTOR PLAY KEY ROLES IN “EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION” TV SHOW As part of a community-wide effort, two Albert Lea companies donate a Rheem water heating system and its installation for hit show’s project at a local family’s new home. HAYWARD, MINNESOTA (DECEMBER 8, 2008) — A pair of trade companies from Albert Lea, Minn., were instrumental in the successful completion of a recent new-home construction project for an episode of the ABC television show “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” which aired on December 7. Electric cooperative Freeborn-Mower Cooperative Services used the opportunity to donate a domestic water heating system. Installation was done without charge by local plumbing and HVAC contractor Jim & Dude’s in the new eight-room, 3,200-square-foot home of Dirk and Susan DeVries in Hayward Township, Minn. The couple and their three children have had their share of health issues over the years, but the DeVries have been active and generous participants in their community. To help the family, the show built the DeVries a new home, giving them the chance to start a new journey in their lives. The builder – Larson Contracting, which has an office in Albert Lea – was asked by the show’s producers to head the monumental task. Having worked with Larson on design/build projects for roughly ten years, Jim & Dude’s was chosen to install the plumbing and HVAC. In preparation, Jim & Dude’s requested product donations from its various suppliers and, according to co-owner Dennis Bergstrom, most of these vendors happily contributed. Lifetime water heater: To meet the domestic hot water needs of the new three-and-a-half-bath home, Freeborn-Mower donated a 105-gallon, Rheem Marathon Electric Water Heater, which features a lifetime limited tank warranty. According to Dawn Jenson of Freeborn-Mower, “The Marathon is the most energy-efficient style we carry. Because the DeVries are a family of five, we felt this was the best option for them.” Manufactured by Rheem Water Heating in Eagan, Minn., the Rheem Marathon has a non-metallic, seamless, polybutene inner tank and a filament-wound fiberglass outer tank. As a result, the Marathon is impervious to rust and corrosion and warranted not to leak for as long as the DeVries own their home. Seven hours and out: Roughing in the plumbing and HVAC for the family’s new home began on the third day of the weeklong project, merely one day after the demolition of the old structure. With only seven hours scheduled for all plumbing and HVAC work, Jim & Dude’s installed the water heating system and the rest of the plumbing in time for the inspectors who arrived at nightfall. “Seven hours to do everything is relatively intense, but everyone had their jobs and we broke into teams,” says Bergstrom. “It was quite an organized chaos with probably 80 to 100 people working on the house at any given time.” Approximately 25 of those people were plumbers, while another 20 were HVAC technicians. Even with all the commotion, Jim & Dude’s had no problem installing the Marathon, according to Bergstrom, whose company has worked with Rheem-Ruud water heaters for approximately 20 years. “The installation was pretty straightforward. The water heater is used primarily as a storage tank for the domestic hot water, which is supplied by geothermal heat pumps. When the heat pumps are not enough, the Marathon’s electrical element kicks in for supplemental water heating.” Well ahead of schedule: The keys to the new home were turned over to the DeVries family well in advance of the allotted construction time of 106 hours — a tribute to the efforts put forth by all of the volunteers. A crowd of approximately 750 people welcomed back the shocked DeVries, who had been sent away on a vacation to Niagara Falls during the build of their beautiful new home. “This was an amazing project for the family and our community,” says Dawn Jenson of Freeborn-Mower. “So many people came forward to volunteer their time, talents and home-building materials. We were so proud to be a part of such a wonderful, successful, once-in-a-lifetime event.” “Even though it required working around a lot of other trades, the project went amazingly well,” adds Bergstrom. “Everyone had the same goal, the same heart and the same mind for it. The project was a real treat and fun to be involved with. It’s interesting to see what can be achieved when everybody comes together.” NOTE: Publication-quality photograph of the image shown in this press release can be downloaded at the following location on the web: http://www.LNCmail.com/pr08/rh0830/extrememakeover.html About Rheem Manufacturing Company Rheem Manufacturing Company (www.rheem.com) is a privately held company with headquarters in Atlanta. In its 81st year of operation, the company manufactures a full-line of high-quality residential and commercial heating and cooling systems, tank and tankless water heaters, swimming pool heaters and commercial boilers throughout North America and world markets. The premium brands of Rheem Manufacturing Company include Raypak, Ruud and Rheem. Rheem Manufacturing Company is the official heating, cooling and water heating supplier to Richard Childress Racing and Kevin Harvick Inc. as well as the major associate sponsor of the No. 29 Sprint Cup® car driven by Kevin Harvick, 2007 Daytona 500 Champion, 2007 Craftsman Truck Series Champion and 2006 Busch Series Champion. Rheem is also the primary sponsor of Kevin Harvick Inc.’s No. 33 and No. 77 cars in Nationwide® Series and sponsor of KHI’s 2 and 33 entries in The Craftsman Truck Series. # # #