For more than a century, the headquarters of Andersen Windows & Doors, the largest window and door manufacturer in North America, has been situated on the scenic St. Croix River in Bayport, Minnesota. The original Andersen house, where the family put down their roots, is still used as the company’s boardroom. Theirs is a legacy forged in commitment to excellence and adaptability.

“Sustainability is built in the DNA of Andersen,” said George Bandy, Jr., the company’s chief sustainability officer. “The way the company was founded nearly 125 years ago . . . we're always connected to community, people who work here, the loyalty, the leverage, the durability. The way that [we] focus on product and performance is critically important to who we are as a company.”

Safety, quality, sustainability and continuous improvement are foundational to how Andersen operates.

“Our employees come with the perception of, ‘How do we get better every day, and how do we do things right?’” said Bandy.

That sustainability mindset is also found in Andersen’s longtime subscription to clean energy programs like Renewable*Connect, an Xcel Energy clean energy option that allows businesses to utilize up to 100% renewable energy through local clean energy generation and Renewable Energy Credits.

“When I think about [our] history with Xcel Energy, the Renewable*Connect program is an important step for Andersen,” said Steve Plachinski, manager of Energy Efficiency at Andersen.

Now, five of Andersen’s 30 facilities across the country are sourcing 100% renewable electricity. Through the Renewable*Connect subscription, Andersen is avoiding 8,154 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions each year.

Beyond using renewable energy, Andersen has made facility upgrades to enhance energy efficiency. By transitioning the company’s largest manufacturing plant in Bayport, Minnesota, from older lighting to LEDs, the company will annually avoid about 1,300 metric tons of CO2 emissions.

This partnership with Xcel Energy has led to a better focus on using clean, regional energy, and they’ve delivered the highest quality products along the way.

“I'm excited about the current clean energy partnership that we have, but it is really part of a long history of energy management and energy efficiency programs that Xcel [Energy] offers to customers like Andersen,” said Plachinski, “And I'm really excited to see what we can come up with next.”