Today we’d like to introduce you to Jamie Johnson.
Jamie, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
While serving as a firefighter on the north shore of Chicago, I saw how much energy was wasted by leaving the lights on overnight in the firehouse. I ran calculations and aspired to find a way to both save energy and reduce costs. Shortly thereafter, Verde was born.
Verde began as an iPad app that showed how much a business could save when upgrading to energy efficiency. After a few years of struggling to generate revenue, we went door to door and interviewed customers on what they were looking for. We discovered that small business owners lacked the time, energy and resources to properly invest in energy efficiency, so we built a model that serviced those needs.
Today, Verde exists to help your organization find, implement, and maintain energy-efficient solutions that make a measurable impact on the bottom line. Since 2010, Verde has been saving Chicagoland companies and organizations thousands of dollars every year by replacing outdated, inefficient methods and hardware with modern, efficient solutions.
Our well-trained eyes can spot all the budget-draining inefficiencies that lurk in office buildings, restaurants, warehouses and beyond. Not only can our team identify energy-saving opportunities that may go otherwise unnoticed, we have the people, brains, and expertise to actually come and fix them for you.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Verde has not been without its challenges; Verde hasn’t always been the growing, trusted company it is today. In its early days, I did all the work myself – from sales to customer service to installation and maintenance. Back then, I could be found driving my family station wagon from client to client site – often hauling a heap of hundreds of high-efficiency LED light bulbs in the back.
In the evenings, long after client visits were over and the kids were in bed, I completed and filed clients’ rebate paperwork. to this day, I am proud to say that I installed Verde’s first thousand lightbulbs with my own two hands.
Please tell us about Verde: Energy Efficiency Experts.
Our energy efficiency professionals do the necessary swaps, tweaks and in some cases, complete overhauls to bring your costs way down and your savings way up. We know how to save you money – and we know what it takes to make the most of all of those energy rebate programs. In fact, we guarantee that no one can find more rebates off your project than Verde.
We are most proud of winning the Comed Trade Ally Partner of the Year in 2017 – winning the trust of both large and small customers in Chicago.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I would have appreciated the early days more – in hindsight, I truly appreciated and valued the exploration of interviewing and refining the business model to what it is today. There was so much angst that I and my family experienced in giving up a great job and benefits to chase my dreams.
I often was unable to enjoy that time as I worried about making ends meet. If I knew then what I know now, that the model was solid and could support growth to a successful business, I would have been able to enjoy the time more.
Pricing:
- Utility rebates cover up to 75% of project costs
Contact Info:
- Address: 1801 W Berteau, Suite 202
- Website: www.verde.expert
- Phone: 7734139587
- Email: info@verde.expert
- Instagram: Verde: Energy Efficiency Experts
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Verde.Expert/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/verdeL3C
Image Credit:
Megan Cody
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