Koch Fertilizer, a subsidiary of Koch Industries, has earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Award for 2017, in recognition of its superior energy management practices. At more than 300 manufacturing sites in the United States, Koch companies create everyday.

Koch, an ENERGY STAR Partner since January 2015, received the distinction for advancing energy management in multiple energy-intensive industries, actively participating in ENERGY STAR’s industrial network and by building a vast energy network within its own operations. The award is the highest honor bestowed by EPA, and was presented April 26, at a ceremony in Washington, D.C.

“Here at our plant in Fort Dodge, we’ve made great strides of our own to improve energy efficiency at the plant level,” said Mike Kleis, plant manager of Koch Fertilizer Fort Dodge. “Energy Intensity is core to our business and we have taken advantage of recent equipment upgrades to implement energy improvements in key parts of the manufacturing process. These energy savings contributed significantly to Koch Industries overall energy efficiency performance.”

In 2016, Koch companies maintained a high level of performance, improving energy efficiency in its chemicals and paper businesses by as much as two percent. Not only has Koch saved more than $270 million across all its businesses since 2011-including approximately $34 million in 2016 alone-it has also built an extensive energy manager network to convey best practices, provide training, inform about new technologies and enhance its businesses’ performance.

The ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Award is the latest recognition of Koch’s commitment to being a responsible corporate steward, following more than 1,200 safety and environmental awards since 2009. In 2015 and 2016, Koch invested more than $600 million in energy efficiency projects across Koch companies.

The EPA award comes as Koch companies work toward even greater energy management and efficiency practices. While its businesses have grown, Koch has experienced a 33 percent reduction in production-related waste since 2012, according to EPA’s Toxics Release Inventory Report. Of the waste produced and reported to EPA at Koch facilities in 2015, 92 percent was recycled, recovered for energy or treated-a total of 605 million pounds. In the same year, Koch was named a top-rated company by EPA for pollution prevention initiatives. Koch has received first- or second-ranking in this category for the past three years in a row.

Koch Fertilizer LLC and its affiliates own or have interests in nitrogen fertilizer plants in the United States, Canada, and Trinidad and Tobago. The companies cover global demand through state-of-the-art terminals in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, France and the United Kingdom. Koch Fertilizer LLC and its affiliates have the capability to market and distribute more than 13 million tons of fertilizer products annually. Koch Fertilizer, LLC is a subsidiary of Koch Ag & Energy Solutions, LLC.