SUNNYVALE, Calif. - Serious Materials, the leading energy-saving building materials company in the U.S., was recognized by President Obama as he addressed over 100 clean energy entrepreneurs and leading researchers at the “Investing in the Clean Energy Economy” event held March 23 in Washington, D.C.

Highlighting various Serious Materials’ successes, including the recent re-opening of a windows plant in Pennsylvania, President Obama commended Serious Materials on creating jobs that will aid the recovery of our nation while innovating and creating the technologies that will fuel America’s long-term prosperity.

“Serious Materials just reopened a manufacturing plant outside of Pittsburgh. Last year, that factory was shuttered and more than one hundred jobs were lost,” President Obama said. “The town was devastated. Today, that factory is whirring back to life, and Serious Materials is rehiring the folks who lost their jobs. And these workers will now have a new mission: producing some of the most energy-efficient windows in the world.”

Forced to close its doors last year, Serious Materials re-opened the windows manufacturing plant outside of Pittsburgh, Pa. earlier this month. This is just the sort of call to action President Obama is asking of cleantech companies. Hiring back former plant employees is a promising step towards the 3.5 million jobs the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will save or create. Serious Materials looks to do the same thing with a Chicago plant, the second it has acquired this year.

Speaking fervently about the importance of companies like Serious Materials stepping up to answer the needs of the nation, President Obama stated, “We can remain the world’s leading importer of foreign oil, or we can become the world’s leading exporter of renewable energy. We can allow climate change to wreck unnatural havoc, or we can create jobs preventing its worst effects. We can hand over the jobs of the 21st century to our competitors, or we can create those jobs right here in America.”

“Serious Materials is dedicated to reinventing the American building materials industry with a full commitment to green solutions, while reemploying today hundreds and tomorrow thousands of American workers,” said Paul Holland, a partner with Foundation Capital and a board member of Serious Materials, prior to introducing President Obama to the attendees. “Simply told, Serious Materials creates green building materials that save energy, save money and aggressively address climate change.”

“It is an honor to be recognized as a company that is helping to lead our economic recovery and push forward towards energy independence,” said Kevin Surace, CEO of Serious Materials. “Working to counteract the negative impacts of climate change and saving Americans substantial energy in their homes and offices are essential endeavors, but doing so while recovering jobs for American workers makes me proud of all of our employees beyond words.”

As Serious Materials continues its 2009 ten-fold plan for expansion, the company will continue to hire new employees as demand increases for its highly-insulated SeriousWindows and SeriousGlass.

SeriousWindows and SeriousGlass products deliver four times the energy saving performance of Energy Star window standards and reduce heating and cooling costs by up to 50 percent. With 5 percent of all U.S. energy lost through inefficient windows, the significant impact that high-performance windows have on energy use becomes clear.