Energy Expo power source for sales

Good ?Energy: Caldwell & Johnson Vice President David Caldwell Jr., left, says that his firm is purchasing a booth at the expo this year.
Good ?Energy: Caldwell & Johnson Vice President David Caldwell Jr., left, says that his firm is purchasing a booth at the expo this year. "Just getting a little exposure at the expo got customers chasing us down," he said. At right is Superintendent Jim Sguegla. / PBN PHOTO/?RUPERT ?WHITELEY

RHODE Island’s Energy Expo, part of the Home Show slated for March 5-8, promotes energy education, but a valuable byproduct has been its attraction to consumers who, some businesses say, turn into clients.

While that attraction isn’t easily quantifiable, some of last year’s participants and one organizer say the experience has made an appearance at a booth this year worthwhile.

Caldwell & Johnson of North Kingstown, which has completed more than 500 custom-residential, new construction and remodeling projects in Rhode Island since 1968, has about 15 clients a year, said Vice President David Caldwell Jr. Last year, its involvement in organizing the expo led to three new clients, a development that led this year to the firm purchasing its own booth.

“As a result of all of the interest, just in the opportunities I had to meet people at the expo last year, we felt it was a good idea to have a presence this year at a booth,” Caldwell told Providence Business News. “Just getting a little exposure at the expo got customers chasing us down.”

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Now in its second year, the energy expo had long been a vision of Marion Gold, commissioner of the R.I. Office of Energy Resources. She recently asked Bob Yoffe, an event planner for the home show sponsored by the Rhode Island Builders Association, to help put a “green” expo together, Yoffe said.

A standalone expo was too expensive an endeavor, but Yoffe got approval to incorporate an energy expo into the home show for 2014, he said.

Many of the exhibitors for the home show at the R.I. Convention Center wanted to be part of the expo, and can participate even though, while a few booths are in one spot, most are spread throughout the show, said Rachel Sholly, chief of program development for the Office of Energy Resources.

“We felt we already had a solid base of companies participating in the home show,” explained Yoffe. “We were now going to put more focus on the energy side and sell more space to big and small vendors.”

So far, about 75 businesses are signed up for this year’s expo, after 95 participated last year, and Sholly is still looking for more, she said.

“Through our surveys from the consumer side, [last year’s expo] was a huge success [with a] 92 percent approval rating,” Yoffe said. “People really want to know how to save money and be green and make their house more energy efficient. And in the state of Rhode Island, there are a lot of … homes that are older and need revamping.”

The second year is a building year, but one that, with an improving economy, signals that the expo is “a good vehicle” for companies to engage new customers, Yoffe said.

Forty-five of the businesses that have signed up this year participated last year, said Sholly. They range from the expected firms that sell energy-efficient lighting and windows and doors, to appliance companies promoting Energy Star appliances and even home-security companies, according to the list she provided.

Most are from Rhode Island, with a few from Massachusetts and Connecticut. National Grid, Cox and Verizon also participate.

One repeat vendor is Gil’s TV and Appliance, in Bristol, co-owned by Lisa Sienkiewicz and Gail Parella. Many brands the firm sells of front-loading washers and Energy Star refrigerators prove popular with consumers, who are more energy conscious and cost conscious today, said Parella, who noted the firm has “definitely made a lot of contacts.

“The show itself has boosted business because [customers] are asking questions and feel you’re knowledgeable,” she said. “They are going to come back to the store, because you can only show so much at the show. That way they can really compare the different models and brands. We meet a good variety of people and answer questions in our booth.”

Arthur Dwyer, a sales manager at Wood’s Heating Services in East Providence, says his firm is making a return appearance because customers approach the company with intelligent questions about how to save on energy costs. Still operated by the Wood family, the firm is now owned by Star Gas Limited Partners of Port Washington, N.Y., Dwyer said.

Wood’s supplies propane and oil and also services heating equipment, he said. The firm also installs natural gas and other systems, as well as high-efficiency, ductless systems that are a popular way to provide both air conditioning and heating, he said.

While the home show always had an energy component, said John Marcantonio, executive director of the Rhode Island Builders Association, the “show within a show” is growing.

“When you’re building a house, your choice of heating is a major decision,” Marcantonio said. “Remodeling, too. It made common sense for us to put these things together. Experts on the contractors’ side and educational side are there for you, too. Folks who put National Grid [rebate] programs together and the state, which promotes those programs – they’re all in the same building. It’s all in one place.” n

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  1. I completely agree with this, while building the company or any firm, it is essential to see that there must be an energy-efficient lighting and windows and doors, appliance, companies promoting Energy Star appliances etc. It is important that proper resources must be provided. Get more details at http://www.airdexinc.com