GH Opens Triad Offices

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts:
Brad King
336.306.9219
Martin Armes
919.608.7260

Green Horizon Creates
One-Stop-Shop for Energy Efficient Homes

By making specific hires to fit targeted niches, expanding its services and opening a new Triad operation, Green Horizon transforms itself into a one-stop shop for improved energy efficiency.

Durham, N.C. (January, 2009) - Significant economic downturn nationally has not slowed the growth of Durham-based Green Horizon (GH), a 2-year-old company designed to provide environmentally responsible building solutions for both residential and commercial properties.

GH co-owners Bobby Ferrel and Walker Harris say they recognize that the concept of green building can be confusing to consumers, adding that their ability to answer questions and clear up this confusion has led GH toward its recent growth, including a merger with Raleigh-based energy and conservation specialist Eco-Anthracite.

“Everybody wants to help the environment and everybody wants to lower their energy bills,” Ferrel said. “But we have seen a lot of companies out there trying to sell different elements of the equation. Some will tell you the problem is the HVAC, or that you need to add more insulation, or change your windows and doors. But that’s not the end result. That’s just a way of getting there. What you want is a home that performs properly. You can’t do that by taking snapshots of the individual components."

“We believe people will do themselves and the occupants of their home or business a big favor if they look at everything, not just one individual component.”

The growing necessity for specialized services - such as building diagnostic energy audits, as well as the education of clients, training employees and performing quality control and re-testing - led to GH’s merger with Eco-Anthracite and the hiring of Bill Klotz, who now serves as the GH Director of Building Science.
A licensed General Contractor in North Carolina, Klotz helped grow Eco-Anthracite into one of the state’s most respected energy audit businesses while also consulting and teaching classes for some of the largest builders and manufacturers in the nation, and making presentations at national conferences. A Master Certified Contractor, Klotz is a Certified Home Energy Rater, a Level I Thermographer, and he was on the committee that formed the NC Green Builder Task Force and is the credited co-editor of Principles of Building Science.

“[Green Horizon and Eco-Anthracite] shared the same vision and like-mindedness in regard to doing the right thing, making an impact and worrying about success coming later,” said Klotz. “We believe that if you do the right thing and stick to our environment and what is going to help other people, the bottom line will take care of itself. It made absolute sense to combine our forces.”

Said Ferrel: “We have someone on site now who knows how buildings operate and perform, who can diagnose problems, and can give you an overall performance rating of your home and come up with a way to fix it.”

In addition, to better service its growing clientele, GH has hired an operations manager and opened a new operation in the North Carolina Triad.

Green Horizon hired David Wallhauser as its Construction Operations Manager. Wallhauser brings 30 years experience in residential and commercial construction including permit applications process through final walk-through, estimating, design and drafting. “As we grow our business, we saw the need for consistent, experienced management of our people and resources,” said Ferrel. “David’s job will be to assure that we are operating at the highest level of efficiency and quality.”

Finally, Greensboro native David Sanderson, a member of the Home Builders Association who has worked in the building materials industry for 14 years, will service the Triad market for Green Horizon. ”The goal in any growth business is finding the right people,” said Ferrel. “David’s passion for our industry and the environment make him a perfect fit as we expand our footprint into the Triad.”

Among Green Horizon recent projects are a total Energy Remodel project on a historic home in the Oakwood area of downtown Raleigh; a similar Energy Remodel on the five-building Town Hall complex of historic buildings for the Town of Hillsborough; and two rainwater harvesting projects for the City of Durham.

Doug Townsend, founder and CFO of Triangle-based pharmaceutical automation company Parata Systems, hired GH to perform an Energy Remodel on his home, located along the eighth hole of Durham’s Hope Valley Country Club, for two reasons: To make his home more energy efficient and help ensure it maintained its value.

Mission accomplished, according to Townsend and his wife, Elizabeth. A recent appraisal confirmed that their home has managed to keep the same value it enjoyed during the real estate market heyday.

“With us having an older home, the consultants at Sustainable felt that an Energy Remodel was the only way to keep our home up to date and provide us with a healthier living environment that we would be able to enjoy for years,” said Elizabeth Townsend. “It worked and it’s made all the difference in the world. We are operating like it’s a brand-new home. Needless to say, we are very happy that we called GH. I’m a big believer.”

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About Green Horizon
Green Horizon (GH) offers energy audits and contractor services to create healthier, greener, more comfortable buildings. GH works with homeowners and businesses to identify the most cost-effective path to lower bills and fewer emissions. Offering a full range of efficiency and green-building services, GH is not tied to any one technology or solution. The company's "Whole House Promise" guarantees its customers will always be offered the right solution. GH is based in Durham, NC.