A.O. Smith

State, local dignitaries honor project that will protect the city from natural flooding disasters

A. O. Smith Corporation (NYSE: AOS), a leader in water heating and water treatment, will host a celebration on Thursday, Aug. 25, at 9 a.m. CDT, marking the completion of a nearly 7,000-foot earthen berm, flood gates and pumping
stations surrounding the A. O. Smith Ashland City manufacturing plant, the city’s water treatment facility and the Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation substation. The 20-month project is the culmination of a 12-year collaboration among the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, the State of Tennessee, Tennessee Department of Transportation, Cheatham County, town of Ashland City and A. O. Smith.

Local government officials, along with the Company’s leadership team, will gather for a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the reopening of a portion of the road that has been closed for more than a year and runs adjacent to the A.O. Smith plant. Tennessee Deputy Governor Butch Eley; Ashland City Mayor J. T. Smith; and Stan Settles, representing Senator Bill Hagerty’s office, will be in attendance.

“I couldn’t be more pleased to witness the progress and completion of this project,” said Mayor Smith. “It was truly a team effort and one that would not be possible without the commitment of A. O. Smith. These improvements will help keep our local businesses, residents and homes safe from future flooding disasters.”

In May 2010, a record 13.57 inches of rain fell in a 36-hour period over Middle Tennessee, causing the Cumberland River to crest 52 feet. Roughly 1,700 feet east of the river’s banks, A. O. Smith’s Ashland City plant was inundated, shutting down operations for four weeks and costing the Company $66 million to fully recover. The project will ensure Ashland City, its water treatment facility, the local power utility’s substation, and A. O. Smith operations will be safe from the next 500-year flood.

The $16.6 million project was funded by a combination of public and private entities. “This project is a prime example of one of our company’s values in action – ‘A. O. Smith will be a good citizen’ – working to protect the people who live and work in the city we’ve called home since 1961,” said Dave Warren, president and general manager of the Company’s North America Water Heating business, headquartered in Ashland City. “This project was vital to the community and our long-term sustainability in this town.”

A. O. Smith Corporation (NYSE: AOS), a leader in water heating and water treatment, today announced the appointment of Noelle Brigham, P. E., Env. SP. as the Company’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Director. Brigham will lead and drive all aspects of the ESG initiatives while developing a long-term strategy for the Company’s global commitments and strategy in this field.

Brigham is a licensed Professional Engineer and Envision Sustainability Professional with more than 20 years of experience in sustainability and environmental engineering in the consumer products and consulting industries. In her sustainability role at S. C. Johnson & Son, Inc., Brigham created global strategies and led international implementation plans for research, development and engineering for consumer product formulation and packaging. As an Instructor, Professor of Practice in the Opus College of Engineering at Marquette University, she developed a new sustainability management executive education program.

“Noelle’s extensive experience in the ESG space will prove invaluable as we continue A. O. Smith’s efforts to blend our business and sustainability goals,” said Chuck Lauber, A. O. Smith executive vice president and chief financial officer. “Underpinning our corporate values is a commitment to sustainability and we are proud to welcome Noelle to lead this critical initiative as her singular focus.”

Noelle is completing her PhD in environmental engineering at Marquette University. She received her master’s in environmental engineering and Bachelor of Science in civil and environmental engineering from Marquette University as well. She is a member of the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) and Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Exam Development committee member, in addition to participating in the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources air management study group.

Now Available for Suite of Condensing Gas Tankless Water Heaters

A. O. Smith, an expert in water heating and treatment, announces the addition of X3^® Scale Prevention Technology to its full line of residential condensing gas tankless water heaters. Designed with both consumers and contractors in mind, X3 Technology prevents scale buildup in a tankless unit, eliminating the need for routine descaling maintenance, tripling the expected lifetime of a unit and enabling it to run at like-new performance and efficiency.

“We continuously hear from technicians and homeowners that scale buildup is the number one issue with tankless water heaters. This buildup can shorten a unit’s lifespan, increase unnecessary repairs and maintenance costs, and decrease efficiency,” said Robert Aldrich, residential segment development leader at A. O. Smith. “After years of in-depth research and testing, we’re proud to be the first water technology company in the industry to offer its tankless water heaters with scale prevention technology.”

X3 Technology means you never have to descale a tankless water heater again – alleviating maintenance time for contractors and reducing ownership costs for homeowners. Units featuring X3 Technology work especially well in homes with hard water where damaging scale and mineral deposits are more common. The units use up to 199,000 BTU/hr of natural gas to deliver a continuous supply of hot water to residential applications.

Available on A. O. Smith’s suite of condensing gas tankless products (240, 340 and 540 indoor and outdoor, natural gas and propane models), units with X3 Technology offer customers an array of sizes to fit a variety of application needs. These products are also backed by the industry’s only limited warranty with no exclusions for scale-related failures.

Contractors interested in learning more can visit A. O. Smith University, https://university.hotwater.com/. Our online training portal currently offers tankless courses to ensure professionals are educated on the installation and maintenance of A. O. Smith tankless units.

To celebrate the launch of this industry-first technology, A. O. Smith presents “3X the Summer Heat with X3 Technology” promotion. Running May 1 through Aug. 31, 2022, Contractor Rewards^™ members who purchase A. O. Smith tankless units featuring X3 Scale Prevention Technology will receive three times the Contractor Rewards points and will be entered into a sweepstakes to win a beach vacation of their choice in Miami or Cancun, Mexico; or a Bahamas cruise. For more information and complete contest rules, visit www.contractorrewards.com.

AOS_3XSummerHeat_TanklessPromo_Mar2022

For more information on A. O. Smith tankless water heaters with X3 Scale Prevention Technology, visit https://www.hotwater.com/.

A.O. Smith, a leading water heater manufacturer, has donated 200 water heaters for Waverly, Tenn. flood relief efforts. The units will be provided to flood victims who are still rebuilding eight months after storms ripped through the town on Aug. 21, 2021.

“At A. O. Smith, we are deeply committed to supporting our local communities,” said David Chisolm, vice president of marketing and customer experience. “Hot water is such a basic life necessity. We hope the donation of these units will allow this community to rebuild more quickly while lessening the financial burden. We also hope that this will inspire other companies to step forward with additional donations to assist in rebuilding the Waverly community.”

In August 2021, treacherous storms swept through the Waverly community claiming 20 lives, including several children. Hundreds of homes were damaged, and some residents have even had to purchase trailers and RVs to live in while their homes are being repaired. Of the homes that were destroyed or severely damaged, 80% of them are owned by people ages 70 or older, and most of those homeowners are living on social security wages.

“The past eight months since the flood have been incredibly difficult, but Waverly is a resilient town,” said Waverly resident, Susan Hodges. “When our family began rebuilding, we had no idea how long the process would take or just how expensive it would be. We’re grateful for the money we’ve saved by not having to purchase a water heater, but the impact of A. O. Smith’s donation goes beyond that—it’s a huge step toward making our home livable once again, and it’s raised our spirits along the way.”

FEMA helped support the community at the beginning of its redevelopment phase immediately after the flooding, but the extensive damage has continued to put pressure on homeowners. Community members have worked relentlessly to help their neighbors, friends and family in the area recover from the devastation. Hodges has two adult children living in Waverly whose houses were destroyed by the flood. She has spent the last eight months assisting them in their complete home renovations.

“The Waverly community has worked tirelessly to help neighbors and friends rebuild from this tragedy. We are so thankful for the water heater donation from A. O. Smith,” said Kaye Thomas of First Baptist Church Relief Efforts. “Water heaters are an essential item that many of our homeowners could not afford without the help from A. O. Smith. This donation truly gave the Waverly community a renewed sense of hope in what continues to be a long road to recovery. It will allow our community to continue to push forward in recovery efforts as we rebuild.”

The units were delivered to the First Baptist Church in Waverly earlier this year, and roughly 100 units have already been distributed to families in need. Distribution and installation will continue in the coming months.