Appleton, Wis.

Fleet Farm Wins Award from Focus on Energy

Appleton, Wis. -- For Fleet Farm, working on projects with FOCUS ON ENERGY® serves two purposes: creating a bright, comfortable shopping environment for its customers and saving energy and money.

The Wisconsin-based retail chain was honored Tuesday with one of Focus on Energy’s 2019 Energy Efficiency Excellence Awards, which recognize businesses and other groups that have made a commitment to reducing energy waste.

“It’s important for us to have an efficient operation. And with [Focus on Energy’s] help, with the projects we’ve done, they’ve helped us achieve that,” said Fleet Farm Store Facilities Service Coordinator Tim Geisen after accepting the award. “Long-term, that helps us as a company … and with the money saved, we can put that toward other projects and goals we have.”

Fleet Farm prides itself on being a full-service provider of dependable products for life, work, home, farm and outdoor recreation. The goal of creating an inviting space for all those varied customers led the company, starting in 2017, to work with Focus on Energy on upgrades to energy-efficient LED lighting at all of its 18 existing Wisconsin stores.

Fleet Farm’s new distribution center, which opened in Chippewa Falls in 2018, was built with LED lighting and energy-efficient heating and cooling equipment. The four new retail stores the company opened in 2018 – in DeForest, Delavan, Eau Claire and Oconomowoc – also included energy-efficient heating, cooling and lighting equipment.

State Senator Roger Roth came to Tuesday’s award presentation and presented Fleet Farm with a Legislative Citation recognizing the company’s contribution and positive impact on the communities it serves.

“Fleet Farm is one of those great success stories in the entire state, particularly here in the Appleton area. And we know how great you are as a corporate citizen; you sponsor so many events around my district and around the state of Wisconsin,” noted Sen. Roth, the President of the Wisconsin Senate. “And then to see what you are doing with Focus on Energy… making your buildings more energy efficient and looking out for the future and for tomorrow, that’s a wonderful thing, too.”

“They’re just very good-hearted, kind people,” said Focus on Energy’s Darin Tappy, who worked on the energy efficiency projects with Giesen and others at Fleet Farm. “Brightening up the store for the customers, making those products pop on the shelf and being able to save energy at the same time was… important to them.”

Energy savings at the Eau Claire location alone will reach more than 14-million kilowatt hours of electricity over the life of the equipment. One would have to burn more than 11-million pounds of coal to create that much electricity. Fleet Farm will also save around $1.5 million in energy costs over the life of the equipment in the Eau Claire store, compared to baseline lights and HVAC.

“We can’t do that ourselves. We need communities, businesses; we need all of the above on board. So, really, the success of the program is attributable to you,” said Maria Redmond of the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin before presenting the award to Giesen and Fleet Farm Store Services Manager Dennis Paisar.

Focus on Energy partners with 107 Wisconsin utilities, and customers of those utilities are eligible for the energy expertise and financial incentives Focus on Energy provides.

A recent third-party evaluation noted Focus on Energy runs the most-cost-effective energy efficiency programs in the nation. It also found every $1 invested in Focus on Energy generates more than $5 in benefits for the state of Wisconsin, including economic benefits, reduced energy costs and reduced pollution.

About Focus on Energy
Focus on Energy is Wisconsin utilities' statewide energy efficiency and renewable resource program funded by the state's investor-owned energy utilities and participating municipal and electric cooperative utilities. Focus on Energy works with eligible Wisconsin residents and businesses to install cost-effective energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. Focus on Energy information, resources and financial incentives help to implement projects that otherwise would not be completed. Its efforts help Wisconsin residents and businesses manage rising energy costs, promote in-state economic development, protect our environment and control Wisconsin's growing demand for electricity and natural gas. For more information call 800.762.7077 or visit focusonenergy.com.