ATLANTA and MINNEAPOLIS - June 30, 2014 - Piedmont Office Realty Trust (NYSE: PDM) announced today that its U.S. Bancorp Center property in downtown Minneapolis has been awarded the International winner of the prestigious TOBY (The Outstanding Building of the Year) Award in the 500,000 - 1 million square feet category.  The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) bestowed the prestigious award upon the 929,000 square foot trophy tower at the BOMA International Conference in Orlando on June 24, 2014.

The building, owned by Atlanta-based Piedmont Office Realty Trust, Inc. and managed by Piedmont Office Management, LLC, bested various worldwide competitors, including the first-ever competitor from BOMA China.  Prior to qualifying for the international level of this competition, U.S. Bancorp Center first won "The Outstanding Building of the Year" distinction at the local level, then at the regional level.

The TOBY Awards are the most prestigious awards of their kind in the commercial real estate industry, recognizing excellence in office building management in fourteen different categories based on size and facility type.  Buildings are judged by all facets of building operations including energy management, tenant relations, community involvement, emergency preparedness and security.

"U. S. Bank congratulates Piedmont Office Realty Trust for receiving BOMA's 'The Office Building of the Year' Award for U.S. Bancorp Center.  As the largest tenant of the building, U.S. Bank is proud to have our name on this prestigious Minneapolis property," said David K. Wright, Vice President, U.S. Bank Corporate Real Estate and President of Greater Minneapolis BOMA (Buildings Owners and Managers Association).  "U.S. Bank and Piedmont have enjoyed a long-standing relationship and partnership, and we look forward to supporting Piedmont in their continuing efforts to ensure that U.S. Bancorp Center is one of the premiere properties in downtown Minneapolis," Wright concluded.


About U.S. Bancorp Center, 800 Nicollet Mall
Accommodating one of the busiest skyways and streetscapes in downtown Minneapolis, the building's onsite management team is regularly challenged to meet the expectations of tenants, as well as thousands of people who pass through or visit the building's restaurants and retail amenities, on a daily basis.  Additionally, the building has achieved the prestigious LEED Gold certification, Energy Star Certification, BOMA 360 designation, and has also won the highest performing building award in the 500,000+ square foot category of the 2013 BOMA Kilowatt Crackdown Challenge.

"We are extremely proud and honored to have earned the notable TOBY Award in the International category - BOMA's highest and most competitive level of recognition among owners/managers within our industry," said Kevin Fossum, Senior Vice President, Property Management for Piedmont.  "This achievement, like other owner/manager accomplishments across our portfolio, is largely reflective of the superior work and dedication of our property management teams, as well as demonstrates Piedmonts corporate philosophy of adhering to superior standards in providing high performing service to our tenants," added Fossum.

Fossum credited the property management team of Dave Dabson, Katie Bongard and Seth Redfield for their efforts and leadership in earning the International TOBY Award on behalf of Piedmont Office Realty Trust.  Steve Briggs, Chief Engineer of ABLE Engineering and his team, along with ABM Services, were key vendor partners who also helped in achieving this distinguished recognition.

About BOMA International
The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International is a federation of 93 BOMA U.S. associations, BOMA Canada and its 11 regional associations and 13 BOMA international affiliates. Founded in 1907, BOMA represents the owners and managers of all commercial property types including nearly 10 billion square feet of U.S. office space that supports 3.7 million jobs and contributes $205 billion to the U.S. GDP. Its mission is to advance the interests of the entire commercial real estate industry through advocacy, education, research, standards and information.  BOMA International is a primary source of information on building management and operations, development, leasing, building operating costs, energy consumption patterns, local and national building codes, legislation, occupancy statistics, technological developments and other industry trends.

About Piedmont:  Piedmont Office Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: PDM) is a fully-integrated and self-managed real estate investment trust (REIT) specializing in the ownership and management of high-quality Class A office buildings located primarily in nine of the largest U.S. office markets, including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York and Washington, D.C.  Approximately 60% of its tenants are investment grade-rated or governmental tenants, and many others are blue chip or nationally-recognized companies. The Company is headquartered in Atlanta, GA, with local management offices in each of its major markets.  Investment grade-rated by Standard & Poor's (BBB) and Moody's (Baa2), Piedmont has maintained a relatively low leverage strategy throughout its fifteen year operating history.  For more information, see www.piedmontreit.com.

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