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NORTHBROOK, IL — ������ý, the worldwide cleaning industry association, presented the inaugural Distributor Efficiency Analytics & Learning Awards (DEAL Awards) September 14, during    in Las Vegas, NV.

The DEAL Awards recognize the outstanding performance, contributions, and leadership of ������ý-member organizations that participate in the DEAL program.

“We developed DEAL with our partner, Sustainability Dashboard Tools, LLC, to help participating members uncover savings and gaps in efficiency,” said ������ý Executive Director John Barrett. “After the first year, we see participants on the path toward continuous improvement, and we’re gratified to recognize them for it.

“All members can benefit from this program. Distributors and some manufacturers benefit directly while in-house service providers, building service contractors, and residential cleaners enjoy better, more efficient services from their vendors.”

Meet the 2017 DEAL Award Winners

A champagne toast with representatives from the award-winning organizations complemented the awards presentation on the trade show floor, and each award winner received a plaque and promotional materials to publicize its achievement. Below are this year’s winners.

DEAL Awards of Distinction—Distributors:

• Energy Excellence Award—EBP Supply Solutions (Milford, CT, distribution center) and Nichols achieved the highest ENERGY STAR^® score (90 out of 100) of all DEAL participants.
• Energy Improvement Award—North American Corp. achieved the most improved ENERGY STAR score—improving from 72 to 82 (a 14 percent increase)—of all DEAL participants.
• Transportation Excellence Award—Sikes Paper Co. achieved the largest percentage increase in terms of miles per gallon (mpg), increasing by 3 percent.
• Water Excellence Award—Dalco Enterprises, Inc. achieved the highest percentage decrease in water consumption (22 percent).
• Waste Diversion Excellence Award—EBP Supply Solutions (Tewksbury, MA, distribution center) achieved the largest percentage decrease in waste produced, increasing its waste diversion rate by 30 percent.
• Core Contributor Award—Alliance Paper & Food Service co-hosted a learning session on waste-related initiatives.
• Industry Transformation Award—Waxie Sanitary Supply added alternative-fuel vehicles to its transportation fleet to increase profits while reducing its environmental impact.
• Communities and Products Excellence Award—Iowa Des Moines Supply supplied compostable flatware to local arts and music festivals to reduce waste generated at community events.

DEAL Awards of Distinction—Manufacturers:

• Energy Excellence Award—Solaris Paper, Inc. reduced energy consumption per product tonnage by 7 percent, the largest percentage decrease in energy consumed per product produced.
• Engagement and Awareness Award—Nyco Products Co. introduced DEAL to its distributors and participated in a case study outlining its DEAL-related successes.

DEAL Leadership Awards

• Outstanding Performing Organization Award—EBP Supply Solutions. EBP has enrolled 100 percent of its facilities in the DEAL program. Its facility operations, upper management, and sales and marketing team members attend learning sessions regularly. It has promoted DEAL on its website and to its sales team. It employed facility and fleet operations improvements to achieve significant operating cost savings. All its distribution centers participated in the DEAL annual performance reviews and all are ENERGY STAR-certified with scores of 80 and higher.
• Outstanding Performing Individual Award—Renae Hesselink, vice president of sustainability, Nichols. Hesselink was honored for leading her facility to earn U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)’s Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design for Existing Buildings (LEED-EB) version 4 Gold certification with a waste diversion rate of 91 percent and an ENERGY STAR score of 90. Additionally, Hesselink attends DEAL learning sessions regularly, participated in the annual performance review, employed facility and fleet operations improvements to achieve significant operating cost savings, and wrote DEAL-related blog posts and shared DEAL performance materials online. She also fulfils the award’s criteria by devoting time to community engagement and volunteer efforts.

DEAL Partnership Award

Outstanding Partner Award—Penske Truck Leasing, SmartWay, and ENERGY STAR. These partners participated in and hosted more than one learning session while providing additional support and resources to DEAL participants.

The DEAL awards are determined based on the metrics in the DEAL Data Portal and are third-party verified by the data experts at Sustainability Dashboard Tools, LLC. is a comprehensive program that incorporates learning, analytics, and recognition to help distributors, wholesalers, and manufacturers benchmark their performance, streamline their operations, and realize significant savings in warehousing and fleet expenses.

In addition to its three core components, the DEAL program also conducts semiannual performance reviews, during which DEAL consultants provide one-on-one discourse. The reviews quantify the effect of each participant’s involvement in the DEAL program in terms of money saved, expenditures averted, and environmental impact.

The DEAL program isn’t a one-and-done certification; it is an ongoing process focused on continuous improvement. After nearly one year of learning and analytics, members had the opportunity to enjoy the recognition part of the program.

For more information on DEAL, visit