Today we’d like to introduce you to Craig Anderson.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Craig. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
After a 25 year career with Enterprise Holdings (the company operating Enterprise, Alamo and National Car Rental brands) that took me and my family from LA to Seattle and then Wisconsin, it was time to return home to the West Coast. I was able to parlay my experience at Enterprise into a CEO role with a Mexico City-based start up electric bike company here in LA. About two years into this role, building then selling the franchise model and opening 3 LA stores, I met David Murray, CEO and co-founder of Greenspire.
I was intrigued and inspired by the Greenspire story and mission. Behind this great story was a team of highly motivated men and women driven to scale this young, growing company. I was hooked immediately. The opportunity as Chief Revenue Officer, to lead the sales, marketing and talent acquisition efforts in such an exciting environment was too much to pass up.
The rest is history. Since joining the team, we have become a fully integrated EPC company handling every aspect of the experience from customer acquisition to post-installation services, climbed to #9 on the Inc5000 fastest growing companies list and just launched our Home Performance programs to round out our customer offerings with a full suite of energy efficiency tools to make homes smarter and more efficient using technology and automation.
Has it been a smooth road?
Success is never the easiest road traveled! While we have had our share of bumps and bruises it is the dedication and drives to stay mission focused that has delivered us from the difficult times. Our core values center around great people doing great things together, having fun at work and creating an outstanding brand experience.
Our CEO, David Murray, has been a beacon of consistency when it comes to taking decisive action, especially in the face of adversity. His ability to lead through chaotic times coupled with the dedication of the many men and women that make up Greenspire has allowed Greenspire to flourish and even grow where most fail.
Believe it or not, one of the biggest challenges we have faced recently has been handling our exponential growth year after year and doing so in a manner that is responsible to both the organization and our employees. In some cases, we essentially “out kicked our coverage”. Trying to build and scale a team that cannot only keep up with booming sales on the front end and the downstream effects in operations presented many challenges for us, creating a potential disaster in both customer and employee retention. However, through much collaboration our VP of Talent, Lindsie Garrison and our VP of Operations, Ryan Step was up to the challenge and along with our executive team, quickly brought in the right people to create a best in the class team that boasts some of the best results in the industry today.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Greenspire story. Tell us more about the business.
As mentioned earlier, Greenspire is a sustainable energy company: a fully integrated Home Services Technology company driven to lower the cost of living for homeowners all across California. We are focused on creating home savings programs for our customers consisting of solar energy, energy efficiency & automation as well as battery storage and EV charging.
I am most proud of my team. The culture at Greenspire is outstanding. We work hard and reward that hard work! Greenspire has been recognized as a Best Place to Work by both Inc. & Glassdoor the last two years in a row… fingers crossed for a 3-peat! Additionally, we were ranked #9 by Inc Magazine and #3 by LA Business Journal as a Fastest Growing Company. None of this would be possible without the tireless work and dedication of our team.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
With solar technology improving daily, prices should continue to drop for consumers making it one of the least expensive options for new power generation, lower than the cost of most fossil fuel-powered generators, enabling solar installed capacity to expand faster than any other fuel source.
Regardless of the many pitfalls that may await the industry, I believe the outlook to be bright over the next decade. Dependence on electricity will increase both domestically and abroad, especially with the rapid demand and advancement in electric vehicles. This increased demand will put pressure on pricing as well as the utility providers. With a dilapidated infrastructure not capable of handling either the increased production or demand, utility companies will possess an ever-increasing need for cheaper energy production and much-improved energy storage solutions to service these needs. A homeowners ability to control production, storage and usage will be critical as well.
Today, many people like to simply talk about sustainability, but we firmly believe we will be forced to take action and “walk the walk” in the next few years. We see the future rife with opportunities for those willing and able to pivot quickly and efficiently in the sustainable energy space. Greenspire is built to do just that… we are bullish about the future of sustainable energy in the US, especially in California.
Contact Info:
- Address: 3130 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 200
Santa Monica CA, 90403 - Website: www.greenspire.com
- Phone: 310.477.7686
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greenspirellc
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/greenspirellc
- Other: https://www.inc.com/profile/greenspire
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