Engine For Green Jobs: Premier Power CEO Dean Marks (Part 7)

SM: What is the impact of President Obama’s stimulus package going to be on a company like yours? DM: First it is about the green-collar jobs. We feel we can ramp up very quickly. A lot of other companies have laid people off, but we have held our own while we built up our pipeline.

Read Full Article »

Engine For Green Jobs: Premier Power CEO Dean Marks (Part 6)

SM: Which exchange are you listed on? DM: We are about to go on NASDAQ. We are over the counter right now. We have filed everything, and we have a board of directors that includes former California senator Kevin Murray, who authored the SB 1, a solar bill.

Engine For Green Jobs: Premier Power CEO Dean Marks (Part 5)

SM: Talk about your competitive landscape. Are there hundreds of companies like yours out there right now? DM: There used to be about 350 companies. I have not looked recently, but the way things have been consolidating I would expect around 175.

Engine For Green Jobs: Premier Power CEO Dean Marks (Part 4)

SM: What is the employment makeup of a typical team for one of your jobs? DM: For residential it will take a team of four 2-3 days to do. SM: What are the roles of those four people? DM: There is typically a lead who is an electrician.

Engine For Green Jobs: Premier Power CEO Dean Marks (Part 3)

SM: What type of wineries did you have as customers? DM: They were high-end wineries. Shafer Vinyards, Chateau Montelena, and Spottswoode Vineyard and Winery are a few examples.

Engine For Green Jobs: Premier Power CEO Dean Marks (Part 2)

SM: How did you fund your business? Did you get financing or did you bootstrap? DM: It was all bootstrapping. The way we sold it, we would get progressive payments for a residential system. Whether it was retrofit or new construction we would get payments as modules were delivered.

Engine For Green Jobs: Premier Power CEO Dean Marks (Part 1)

SM: Let’s start where your story begins. Where did you grow up, and what is your background? DM: I was born in Nebraska and moved around quite a bit. I lived in North Dakota, Illinois and New York, and I ended up going to college in Alabama. I joined the Boy Scouts along the way. My

Read Full Article »

Green Grants To Xunlight: CEO Xunming Deng (Part 7)

SM: I am assuming that you are doing your manufacturing in Toledo because of your ties with the university? XD: It is where our company has grown up. We have had the governor and lieutenant governor over at our facilities. We have also had our senators and congresswoman come visit.