Presidential candidate Barack Obamatalked about a Seattle member of the Mechanical Contractors Association of America recently.

A member of the Mechanical Contractors Association of America was mentioned in a recent interview and television appearance by U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama as a “model for the nation.”

The Democrat Illinois senator made the comments about Seattle’s McKinstry Co., a large mechanical contractor that works on projects across the country.

Obama mentioned the company in an interview with Time magazine columnist Joe Klein and in a nationwide political television special.

In the October special, Obama said McKinstry was “retrofitting schools and office buildings to make them energy efficient … As president, I’ll use companies like McKinstry as a model for the nation.”

The mention was gratifying, said company CEO Dean Allen.

“This national recognition validates the great work we do here at McKinstry,” Allen said. “We take great pride in our contributions as a leader in the green economy, and our efforts to have a positive impact on the environment.”