May 03, 2009 (Atlanta, Georgia) Rheem Manufacturing, head-quartered in Atlanta, GA, handed out the Zero Defect Award to OCC Group’s Nuevo Laredo Plant. The Zero Defect Award was given in recognition of the 100% commitment to quality, excellence and the pursuit of continuous improvement with zero defects in the final goods delivered to Rheem’s Air Conditioning plant located in Nuevo Laredo. The plant currently produces between 4 to 5,000 units per day. Greg Hall, President of the OCC Group’s Packaging Division, David Ortiz, Senior VP Sales & Marketing, and Rene Trevino, General Manager of the Nuevo Laredo facility were presented the award at Rheem’s annual Supplier Conference. The award was personally handed out by Rheem’s, Chief Operating Officer, Chris Peele. Mr. Hall declared, “This award represents who we are and the kind of core values we have; furthermore, it demonstrates that our most precious resource…. our employees, are committed to excellence….this award belongs to them.” Dave Ortiz had this to say…. “Congratulations to all Nuevo Laredo employees and managers for their fine efforts and good work in providing successful and quality products to our Customers.” Rene Trevino, who spearheaded the Nuevo Laredo plant start up stated, “I am honored and humbled to be part of this fine team and Group.” OCC Group’s Nuevo Laredo facility initiated operations early last year and has over 150 employees and 180,000 square feet of manufacturing and warehouse space. The location was chosen primarily to satisfy OCC Group’s growing customer base in the region. Nuevo Laredo is serving as a stepping stone into new markets such as Monterrey, Reynosa, and Matamoros.