On November 16, 2004, Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet Deputy Secretary Erwin Roberts presented the 2004 Small Business Air Quality Stewardship Award to Ag Spray Equipment of Hopkinsville, Kentucky.

"We're here today because the good people of Ag Spray Equipment made a conscious decision that their company would be a good steward of something that is too often taken for granted - the quality of the air we breathe," Roberts said.

Ag Spray Equipment owner David Barbee recently installed a powder coating system to replace the company's existing wet painting operations. The system is expected to significantly reduce air emissions, worker exposure to solvents and provide a more durable coating that the traditional wet finish.

The Air Quality Small Business Compliance Advisory Panel established the award in 1997 to recognize small businesses that have gone beyond regulatory requirements to reduce the impact of their operations on air quality.