Business Development Meeting Recap

Business Development Panel Kicks off NECA 2014 Chicago!

On Saturday morning, two-panels of member contractors and industry professionals shared their insights on business development, kicking off NECA 204 Chicago.

The panels represented various sized companies from across the country.

Moderated by Skip Perley, NECA District 7 Vice President and Business Development Task Force Chairman, the first panel included: Dan Henrich, President, Total Energy Solutions (PDE Inc.), Santa Fe Springs, CA; Otto Kirchheiner, Vice President, Tri-City Electric Company Inc., Miami, FL; David Peterson, Senior Vice President of Business Development and Marketing, ERMCO Inc., Indianapolis, MN; and Elise Bourgeois, Oneida Electrical Contractors Inc., Unita, NY.

Perley said his company – and the industry as a whole – struggles to go out and develop new business. Last year, he enlisted a new staffer in that area. “It has been really fun.”

“Business development is an excellent avenue for a future leader to come in and make their mark in a company and in the industry,” Bourgeois added. She also said she can add a different perspective because she’s not from the industry.

Peterson said everyone in his office does business development. It’s generational, he said, adding “You have to position yourself well and educate your clients.”

Henrich said the industry is in a paradigm shift in the United States and that the grid is changing from centralized to decentralized. It’s important for a company to get out of its comfort zone, he added.

Henrich also said finding new business means talking to utilities and establishing new relationships by going to conferences, for example. Also, it is important to get involved with NECA and its committees.

The second panel covered how to utilize tools in business development. Panelists included Tony Frantal, Graybar; Bob Eaton, Day & Night Solar; Gerard Darville, Lutron; and Caitlin Gross, Manager of Business Development, NECA.

Frantal said one of the toughest things a company is faced with is building trust with customers but that it can be overcome.

Eaton said that devoting time to business development has helped his company become a leader in the solar space.

“At the end of the day, we’re all here to make money and grow our businesses,” Eaton said.

Gross closed the meeting by spending a few minutes on NECA’s Energy Conservation and Performance Platform (ECAP). The program removes the obstacles to the implementation of a company’s energy projects by integrating the inclusion of best practices into its project development process.

“The whole idea is to create new opportunities for NECA contractors,” Gross said.

For more information on ECAP, go to www.NECAECAP.com.