Willdan Wins $3.8 Million Energy Savings Performance Contract for The Evergreen State College in WA

ANAHEIM, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Willdan Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: WLDN) announced today that it has been selected to deliver a $3.8 million energy savings performance contract for The Evergreen State College. As part of this 16-month contract to upgrade Lab II, Willdan will design, provide, and install new laboratory-grade HVAC control valves, direct digital control platform integration with advanced energy-saving strategies, and will refurbish 50-year-old HVAC systems. Willdan will also improve fume hood safety and operation, helping avoid classroom disruptions related to indoor air quality. To provide maximum benefit while meeting the college’s budget requirements, the improvements prioritize the repair and rebuilding of existing equipment and use electric and gas bill savings to offset some costs.

This is Willdan’s third project with Evergreen. Most recently, Willdan implemented upgrades to Lab I and the Central Steam Plant, successfully reducing gas consumption by 25%. The goal of reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions with every facilities improvement project demonstrates Evergreen’s commitment to social responsibility. This level of commitment extends to Evergreen’s students and was formally recognized this year when the college was ranked number one in the nation for master’s universities contributing to public good by Washington Monthly.

“Our labs act as a training ground for tomorrow’s chemists, biologists, doctors, and engineers,” said William Ward, Chief Administrative Officer at Evergreen. “These upgrades help us avoid costly mechanical failures while also ensuring our students’ continued safety as they learn and pursue their futures. We look forward to working with Willdan again, as their engineering and project management made the upgrades at our other laboratory go smoothly.”

About The Evergreen State College

The Evergreen State College is a progressive, public liberal arts and sciences college located in Olympia, Washington. Since opening their doors in 1971, Evergreen has established a national reputation for leadership in developing innovative interdisciplinary, collaborative, and team-taught academic programs. Evergreen has been a leader in environmental education from the beginning and is now stepping up their commitment to sustainability to reach beyond the classroom and even the campus. Evergreen values a student-centered learning environment, a link between theory and practice, and a multicultural community of diverse faculty, students and staff working together. For more information, visit http://www.evergreen.edu.

About Willdan

Willdan is a nationwide provider of professional, technical, and consulting services to utilities, government agencies, and private industry. Willdan’s service offerings span a broad set of complementary disciplines that include electric grid solutions, energy efficiency and sustainability, engineering and planning, and municipal financial consulting. For additional information, visit Willdan's website at www.willdan.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this press release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. It is important to note that Willdan’s actual results could differ materially from those in any such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, but are not limited to, the risk factors listed from time to time in Willdan’s reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to, the Annual Report on Form 10-K filed for the year ended December 31, 2021. Willdan cautions investors not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Willdan disclaims any obligation to, and does not undertake to, update or revise any forward-looking statements in this press release.