Issue link: http://digital.nexsitepublishing.com/i/833937
Homegrown Happiness Here's another story. In 1957, Ballard-born H. "Vern" Olson had a vision. That vision was Northwest Water Heater Exchange, which at the time was a small family business powered by superior customer service. When the company saw the opportunity to purchase Washington Energy Services and become an all-in-one entity offering product ownership, installation, and that same superior customer service, they took it. It's what they called the "all in one call" business model, and it worked. They still do everything in house, including permits. Washington Energy is also still family owned, just a bit bigger in company size, client scope, and, I'm assuming, warehouse square footage. There are many items getting ready to ship out inside the warehouse on the day of my visit, among them some beautifully crafted wood doors—made of both real and engineered wood. How do you decide which one? It's whichever one works best for you. They'll let you know. They do tailored windows and doors, along with HVAC and plumbing, often working with historic homes to seamlessly match the original components while creating a custom seal for all of the perfectly replicated traditional charm with none of the traditional problems of living in an old house. Home Energy Audits: Know Them, Love Them, Live Them New or old—pardon, historic—Washington Energy wants to make your home great. When you call them up for whatever services you need, one of the first things they'll say they'd like to do is to perform a Home Energy Audit; the capitalization means you should pay attention. These Home Energy Audits are pretty advanced, using terms like depressurize, infrared imaging, and computerized analysis. Basically, one of their experts tests your home for potential health and safety issues, including air leaks, heat loss (or gain), and basement and crawlspace oddities. The whole point is to pinpoint exactly where you're losing money or suffering from potential health hazards so that these things can be fixed and you can live in comfort in a home that has been made (or remade) for you. The audits are extremely thorough and the auditors know exactly what they're talking about and how to answer every question. Refreshing. On the business side of things, a Home Energy Audit acts as a kind of incentive for companies who may want to do business with WES. For example, real estate agents may give the gift of an audit to a client as a thank you. Multifamily complexes, HOAs, and condo associations find flexibility in the rebates they receive and know homeowners will like the new, lighter look and feel of their bills. Whatever need you present, whatever want you aspire to see come to light, Washington Energy Services has a department—or dedicated individual— whose sole job is to make sure you get exactly that. The community relations team, for example, doesn't throw out a 1-800 number. They want you to call them directly for all your single-family and multifamily home energy needs—so do that, and be happy. When you want windows, trust comes from knowing your Washington Energy craftsman is going to have an answer, the right answer, to any question you have—even if it's not the answer you want to hear at the time. They're looking after you and your home's long-term care. 38 master builder SUMMER 2017