Mark Hagerty didn't run away when he saw a perfect storm coming. He ran toward it, and ended up creating Michigan Solar & Wind Power Solutions.
The Commerce Township-based firm specializes in installing and connecting alternative energy systems, such as solar panels and wind turbines. It was a perfect fit for Hagerty, who had long been involved and invested in alternative energy companies before starting Michigan Solar & Wind Power Solutions two years ago.
"I saw a perfect storm coming together from the legislation being passed to the increase in education," Hagerty says. "In every dynamic it was beginning to look like the way to go."
The company has gone from Hagerty alone to six employees and 35 independent contractors today. Most of that expansion took place in the last year. He hopes to hire a project manager soon and a few more later this year to help with the increased workload. Most of Michigan Solar & Wind Power Solutions's work revolves around tying solar panels into the electrical grid.
Hagerty is also seeing two distinct yet significantly different customers emerge.
The first group is the environmentalist crowd, while the second is the world-is-about-to-end survivalist crowd. One wants to improve the environment and the other wants to be self-sufficient if and when the worst happens. Regardless, both sides want their solar panels and wind turbines.
"I see the off-grid, stand-alone systems growing," Hagerty says. "I see storage systems like batteries growing, too."
Source: Mark Hagerty, president of the Michigan Solar & Wind Power Solutions
Writer: Jon Zemke
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