Viega donates products to Greensburg victims

On May 4, 2007, a devastating EF-5 tornado destroyed 95 percent of the buildings in Greensburg. Viega has announce it will help with rebuilding efforts by donating a MANABLOC homerun water distribution system for every home being rebuilt in Greensburg and the surrounding area.

Presented to residents of Kiowa County through the Greensburg GreenTown Initiative, residents who sustained losses in Kiowa County can sign up for a free MANABLOC homerun water distribution system at the Green Sustainability Visitor Center in Greensburg, Kan.

Viega CEO Dan Schmierer, along with Viega Executive Committee Members and employees of the company were eager to help. "When asked if we could help ... immediately our answer was, 'YES,'" said Dan Schmierer.

Why was Viega so willing to help? There were several reasons. One of the most compelling, Greensburg is practically in Viega's back yard. Viega's national headquarters is located in Wichita, Kan., and this fall Viega is opening a new 439,000 square-foot manufacturing and logistics facility in McPherson, Kan.

Another convincing factor was the fact that Greensburg residents wanted to Build Green.

"We can all learn from the people of Greensburg," added Schmierer. "It makes me proud to help rebuild a town that will serve as a symbol of what sustainable living in our country can look like when we all work together."

The Viega donation of nearly $278,000 of plumbing products to tornado-ravaged Kiowa County residents will supply hot and cold water for a typical 1,200 square-foot home. The entire package includes:

* A 24-port ViegaPEX Press MANABLOC

* 1/2", 3/8" and 3/4" ViegaPEX tubing (in red and blue)

* All the Viega fittings required to make the system operate

During the past year, Viega has also donated $7,500 in products to build the Business Incubator Project and $7,000 in products to rebuild the Kiowa County Courthouse. Viega donated ViegaPEX Barrier tubing to heat the new Bucklin Tractor Implement (BTI) John Deere Place (dealership) in Greensburg, Kan. This new facility will serve as a model for other dealerships throughout the country.