The Rheem Water Heating division once again paid special tribute to several of its suppliers at its annual Supplier Awards Ceremony, held July 29 at Wynlakes Golf & Country Club in Montgomery.

Alan Kessler, Corporate Vice President of Research & Development; Ken Jarosz, Corporate Vice President of Strategic Sourcing; C.E. Murrell, Montgomery Plant Manager; and Bill Kennedy, Supplier Development Manager, presented a “Supplier-Partner of the Year” award to the top-performing supplier for 2008 in each of six different commodity groupings:

• Manufactured Components: Central United Corp. (Newburg, WI)
• Plastic/Rubber Components: Mercury Plastics, Inc. (Middlefield, OH)
• Electrical-Mechanical Components: Quality Networks (Wetumpka, AL)
• Printed/Packaging/Insulation Components: CM Associates (Tinley Park, IL)
• Distribution: Store Room Fasteners (Montgomery, AL)

• Beckett Gas (North Ridgeville, OH)
• Combined Metals (Chicago, IL)
• Newcomb Spring  (Lithonia, GA)
• Central United Corp (Newburg, WI)
• HB Fuller (Covington, GA)
• ICA Corp (Montgomery, AL)
• Multi-Matix (Centerville, AR)
• Nomaco (Zebulon, NC)
• US Silica (Pacific, MO)
• Valspar (Covington, GA)

“Strong, mutually productive supplier relationships are a vital part of our success at Rheem,” Ken Jarosz comments. “These awards are an expression of the high value Rheem places on working closely with our suppliers to maintain the quality standards that our customers have come to expect.”

NOTE: Publication-quality photographs of the award presentations can be downloaded at the following location on the web:  http://www.LNCmail.com/pr08/rh0830/supplierawards.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.