DP&L Recognizes Five Area Organizations as Energy Leaders.

DAYTON, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 28, 1998--Five area businesses and organizations were recognized by Dayton Power and Light as 1998 Way To Go Energy Leaders for their leadership and innovation in implementing energy efficiency initiatives in their companies and communities.

These organizations were honored yesterday at a ceremony held at DP&L's Energy Resource Center.

"This is our sixth Way To Go Energy Leaders event, and we continue to be impressed with West Central Ohio businesses' commitment to energy efficiency," said Neil Costello, managing director, DP&L. "Over the past six years hundreds of thousands of business and residential customers have taken advantage of our Way To Go programs, saving them millions of dollars. The companies we recognized today have shown true leadership in making their operations more efficient."

The organizations recognized as DP&L's 1998 Energy Leaders are:

- F&P America Manufacturing Inc., Troy;

- Bank One, PLCS Facility, Kettering;

- Kettering City Schools, Kettering;

- Garden of Eaton Inc., Dayton;

- Wayne Hospital, Greenville.

DP&L's 1998 Way To Go Energy Leaders are:

Industrial Category: F&P America Manufacturing Inc.

F&P America Manufacturing Inc., located in Troy, Ohio, is a supplier of suspension and structural components for the automotive industry. F&P has done extensive power quality and reliability work within their facility, much of which was accomplished by partnering with Dayton Power and Light. In particular, an adaptive var compensator was designed to meet specific demand needs for this business that depends on resistance-type welding. F&P employs more than 400 people and participates in such community activities as the Chamber of Commerce. F&P is part of DP&L's Partners in Business Plus program, through which they have earned more than $106,000 in energy credits.

Commercial Category: Bank One, PLCS Facility

Bank One has long been a premier financial institution. And Bank One Private Label Credit Services (PLCS) continues the winning tradition, serving more than 40 regional and national clients issuing credit through Bank One, NA. More than 1,000 employees work at the new Kettering facility, part of the transformed Defense Electronics Supply Center, providing service to nearly 7 million credit card holders throughout the United States. Bank One renovated the former DESC complex and made many efficiency upgrades. These include variable speed drives, high efficiency lighting throughout the facility, a Landis & Gyr Energy Management System, which controls energy usage through the management of lighting, heating and cooling systems and HVAC economizers. Bank One PLCS also has an extensive preventative maintenance program that includes cleaning HVAC coils and replacing HVAC filters as well as regular flue gas and infrared testing. Bank One is a DP&L Partners in Business Plus customer, earning energy credits of almost $35,000 in 3 months alone.

Education Category: Kettering City Schools

Kettering City Schools, responsible for educating more than 7,500 of the area's young people each year, has been a leader in energy efficiency as well. In April, the school system approved a $1.6 million project for efficiency upgrades, which included placing energy-efficient lighting in every building, replacing boilers in four school buildings and installing an energy management system. Kettering City Schools have participated extensively in DP&L's lighting rebate program as well as DP&L's workshops to train their maintenance staff. Teachers and students have learned about energy conservation through DP&L's In Concert with the Environment program and other school programs. The school system also signed a 5-year natural gas service contract to ensure their heating costs remain stable. Kettering City Schools' 800 employees are involved not only in the growth and development of Kettering's children, but also in a variety of community activities.

Small Business Category: Garden of Eaton Inc.

The Garden of Eaton is an agricultural operation that grows high-quality produce. The company, which is a year old, is already leading the way in energy efficiency. They have installed more than 230 high-pressure sodium fixtures and have used lighting to grow tomatoes in the off-peak hours. They also have a 170 kW generator to provide back-up power in the event of loss of heat. The Garden of Eaton is a Partners in Business Plus customer, earning more than $4,000 in just a few short months. The 30 employees who work at the company are innovative thinkers as well. They will open a store for the convenience of the public, where people in the local area may sell their produce, honey and other products along with the Garden of Eaton.

Community Category: Wayne Hospital

Wayne Hospital, located in Greenville, has been serving Darke County since 1922 and currently employs more than 500 full time employees. The hospital has recently installed a Novar Energy Management System. This system will reduce the overall energy costs of Wayne Hospital by digitally controlling the heating and air conditioning systems. It is estimated Wayne Hospital will exceed $50,000 in savings per year through the use of this system. The hospital will also complete approximately $19,000 worth of lighting retrofits by the end of the year. Wayne Hospital has had many additions and renovations over the years to keep pace with the ever-changing needs of health care. These expansions have included a new Emergency Department, Ambulatory Care, Convenient Care Center and Special Beginning Birthing Center which is celebrating 10 years this month. Now, Wayne Hospital has just announced another expansion and renovation project that will represent $4.6 million in construction costs. The project will include the renovation and expansion of several departments, as well as the renovation of an off-site location at the corner of Birt and Sweitzer streets to become an Outpatient Therapy and Rehabilitation Center. Wayne Hospital is built on the belief of meeting the needs of the community by providing compassionate quality care in a cost-conscious manner. The active approach of Wayne Hospital to become a DP&L Partners in Business Plus customer is one way in which the hospital is fulfilling this mission. Wayne Hospital has earned more than $2,700 in energy credits from the Partners in Business Plus program with DP&L.

For more information about DP&L's Way To Go Energy Leaders initiative or any other DP&L energy- and money-saving programs, just call 1-800-Way-ToGo. That's 1-800-929-8646. Or visit the company's web site at www.waytogo.com.

DP&L, a subsidiary of DPL Inc., provides electricity, natural gas and other energy services to 500,000 customers in the Ohio region. Widely recognized as an industry leader in productivity and efficiency, DP&L was named the Utility of the Year in 1994 and received the Governor's Award for Excellence in Energy Efficiency in 1996. The company's combined rates for electricity and gas services are consistently among the lowest in Ohio.