BENTON HARBOR, Mich. (March 12, 2008) Maytag® Commercial Laundry awarded Service Directions Inc. (SDI), with this year's Red Carpet Service(R) Excellence Award. A longstanding tradition, the award is presented to a company that best exemplifies the service and dependability characterized by Maytag(R) Commercial Laundry. The SDI team received the award during the 2007 Maytag Commercial Laundry 50th Annual Meeting in Scottsdale, Ariz.

"The Red Carpet Service Excellence Award represents the highest commitment to customer service in the commercial laundry industry, and SDI continually goes beyond the call of duty to provide the very best service to its customers," said Craig Kirchner, director of global commercial laundry at Whirlpool Corporation. "The company's long-standing motto 'Caring about laundry is our business, caring about people is our passion' is deeply reflected in their commitment to 24/7 service, 365 days a year."

Fred Maytag, who wanted customers to feel as if a red carpet of royalty had been rolled out in their honor, developed the award in the 1950s. Award criterion is based on service response time, customer comments, customer loyalty, customer service etiquette and a commitment by the company to continually engage in Red Carpet Service training courses. Other factors include having a full parts inventory on hand at all times and conducting ongoing product and service training.

Founded in 1952 and headquartered in Yonkers, NY, SDI is an award-winning provider of laundry room design and management services throughout the New York tri-state area. A Maytag distributor since 1969, the company provides Maytag Commercial Laundry products within the coin store, multiple-housing and on-premises laundry markets.

"We're extremely proud to be recognized for outstanding customer service, across each and every department within SDI. With the dedication and commitment that each employee at SDI displays every day, this achievement is truly a team award," said Barry Heller, vice president of marketing and customer service at SDI. Including Heller, SDI team members on hand during the award ceremony included Ron Garfunkel, president and chief executive officer; Steve Jagde, chief operating officer; Andy Tegan, vice president of customer support services; and Neal Melandovich, service manager.

In addition to receiving the Red Carpet Service Excellence Award for the fifth time, SDI received the Maytag Star Performer Award and is a past recipient of the Maytag Outstanding Service Award and Marketing Excellence Award. SDI is also the first company to offer "Internet Revaluing," a new technology allowing laundry users to add value to their Smart Card using the SDI Web site via their home computer or telephone. This highly publicized feature, offered from the SDI Web site, continues to grow in popularity. For more information on SDI, visit www.servicedirections.com or call 800-945-WASH (9274).

About Maytag Commercial Laundry

Maytag Commercial Laundry offers a full range of commercial washers and dryers to the coin, multiple-housing and on-premises markets through a nationwide network of independent commercial laundry distributors. Maytag is dedicated to energy-efficient solutions, with a focus on producing innovative and dependable products for the commercial laundry market.

Known for its rich and long-standing heritage, Maytag brand celebrated 100 years in the laundry business in October 2007. Another milestone takes place in 2008, when the brand celebrates the unprecedented 50-year anniversary of its entry in the commercial laundry business.