Tennant Company Receives Seven Wonders of Engineering Award for FaST(TM) Recognition by Minnesota Society of Professional Engineers another feather in Tennant's cap MINNEAPOLIS, March 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Tennant Company , the world's leadingmanufacturer of surface maintenance equipment, today announced that its revolutionary FaST (Foam-activated Scrubbing Technology) system won a 2004 Seven Wonders of Engineering Award from the Minnesota Society of Professional Engineers (MSPE). Tennant was recognized along with six other winners at the 40th Annual Engineer Week Awards and Recognition Banquet, held on Friday, February 27 at Edinburgh USA in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. The award recognizes outstanding achievements in the field of engineering. "This is great news for Tennant Company as the Seven Wonders of Engineering Award further enhances the credibility and ingenuity of the FaST system," said Bruce Field, senior research engineer for advanced products with Tennant Company. "We're honored that the engineering community recognizes the benefits the FaST system has for the marketplace and for society as a whole. And we're grateful for this opportunity to help promote the significant role engineering plays in improving the quality of ourlives." "A panel of eight industry experts selected Tennant Company as a 2004 Seven Wonders of Engineering Award winner because Tennant's FaST system has a significant impact on public safety and the environment and as such contributes to the growth and enhancement of the entire engineering community," said Mary Detloff, executive director of the Minnesota Society of Professional Engineers. The MSPE award is yet another recent award or industry recognition for Tennant's revolutionary FaST system. Last year, FaST became the first and only automated floor cleaning system to receive "High-Traction" certification from the National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI), a nonprofit organization dedicated to the prevention of slip-and-fall accidents. Also lastyear, the FaST system was named the most innovative product at the 2003 International Sanitary Supply Association (ISSA)/INTERCLEAN(R) Conference by the International Custodial Advisors Network (ICAN), a nonprofit industry association whose goal is to promote, strengthen and enhance respect for the cleaning industry. Earlier this year, NSF International approved the FaST system for use in and around food processing areas and listed the system's cleaning chemicals on its Nonfood Compounds RegistrationProgram, formerly the USDA product approval and listing program. FaST is a patented cleaning process for hard-floor surfaces that injects air into a water and detergent mixture to create a foam cleansing agent. The process results in safer, more slip-resistant floor surfaces-with 70 percent less water used than conventional automated cleaning equipment, floors dry faster after cleaning; with 90 percent less detergent used than conventional automated cleaning systems, virtually no slippery detergent residue remains after cleaning; and because self-collapsing foam activates a higher percentage of the cleaning detergent used than conventional automated cleaning systems, more existing dirt and previous conventional residue is removed. In addition, the FaST system is also proven to increase productivity by 30 percent by reducing by 70 percent the number of empty-fill cycles per use. Tennant Company For 130 years, Tennant Company has been a world leader in the surface maintenance equipment market. Its products include litter vacuums, sweepers, scrubbers, extractors, buffers, and floor coatings, and the company provides full-service equipment support. For additional information on the FaST system, the Tennant Company, or the Tennant or Nobles brands, please call 800-553-8033 or visit http://www.tennantco.com/. DATASOURCE: Tennant Company CONTACT: Patty Gibbs of Patty Gibbs & Company, +1-651-653-7302, , for Tennant Company Web site: http://www.tennantco.com/

Copyright