NW Natural Recognized as a J.D. Power 2011 Customer Service Champion

PORTLAND, OR--(Marketwire - February 17, 2011) - NW Natural (NYSE: NWN) was recognized at the J.D. Power and Associates Customer Service Roundtable in Las Vegas as a J.D. Power 2011 Customer Service Champion -- one of only 40 companies to have earned this distinction this year. To qualify for inclusion on this elite list, companies must not only excel within their own industries, but also must stand out among leading brands in 20 major industries evaluated by J.D. Power. NW Natural was one of two utilities on the list.

To identify the J.D. Power 2011 Customer Service Champions, J.D. Power evaluated more than 800 brands by measuring five key customer "touch points," including people, presentation, process, product, and price. Companies were identified based on customer feedback, opinions, and perceptions gathered primarily from J.D. Power's syndicated research as well as additional supplemental research. This group of 40 represents the highest-performing companies that deliver service excellence to U.S. customers -- both within their respective industries and across all industries measured.

According to Gregg Kantor, President and CEO of NW Natural, "We are honored to receive this distinction and to be included in this elite group of companies that focus on customer service excellence. It is a tribute to the commitment and hard work of our employees, who passionately believe that what we do each day is akin to public service."

In 2010, NW Natural was also recognized by J.D. Power for receiving the highest score in the nation in its Gas Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Study.

About NW Natural
NW Natural is headquartered in Portland, Ore., and serves about 667,000 customers in Oregon and Southwest Washington. It is the largest independent natural gas utility in the Pacific Northwest. For more information about NW Natural, please visit nwnatural.com. 

Contact Information:

Media Contact:
Kim Heiting
503-220-2366
kah@nwnatural.com