Locally-owned contracting company, Evergreen Home Performance, LLC, ( a registered Efficiency Maine vendor) announces resumption of its comfort, energy efficiency, and indoor air quality services with professional energy audits, air sealing and insulation, basement moisture encapsulation, and window and door replacement upgrades.

Due to the in-home nature of its business, Evergreen suspended its operations when the pandemic first emerged in Maine in mid-March. During the eight-week downtime, Evergreen invested in a complete safety review of every aspect of its business and developed and delivered training to the entire staff on COVID-safe procedures, according to Evergreen, in a news release. Additionally, Evergreen hired a building science trainer to deliver custom-made building science and best practice training to its five teams of installation technicians and project managers, and advanced analytics to the company’s team of five energy advisors.

Besides careful fiscal management in response to the pandemic and building on the solid financial health after experiencing its best sales year ever, Evergreen was able to withstand the two-month interruption of revenue generation thanks to early approvals for the federal Payroll Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loan, a loan replenishment from Coastal Enterprises Inc., and adjusted terms by landlords and lenders.

“We immediately rolled up our sleeves to work through the ever-changing requirements of the PPP and EIDL applications,” said Richard Burbank, president and partner, in the release. “We were thrilled when we received notification that we had been approved for the maximum loan for both programs. I was also really impressed with the customer service both Camden National Bank and CEI provided to us. As the PPP lender, Camden National, worked tirelessly to move our application through quickly, and CEI offered to reinstate a business start-up loan we were close to retiring.”  

Elise Brown, executive vice president and partner, said: “We were truly impressed by the level of generosity exhibited by our lenders and landlords. From local landlords forgiving a month or two of rent to national banks adjusting terms on our truck loans, we are thankful for the ‘one-for-all and all-for-one’ spirit we experienced as we worked to position ourselves to survive the incredible challenge of temporarily shutting down.”   

A Hungry Market

Ever since coronavirus shelter-in-place orders first emerged in mid-March, Maine residents have been spending more time at home and are noticing opportunities for improvements to make them more comfortable and energy efficient. And with many Mainers coming to terms with the likelihood of continued episodes of work-from-home, children learning from home, or sheltering in place, homeowners are investing in their homes to optimize their situations.

“Customers who formerly tolerated hot upstairs rooms are calling us because their spare bedroom is now their home office,” said Brian Robinson, partner and vice president of sales. “Folks call because they can’t open their original single pane or warped vinyl replacement windows. Other customers call because their damp basements are causing allergy concerns, and others call because they realize the cold drafts wafting around their ankles this past March would likely lead to high fuel costs next winter if they are home all day and keeping the thermostat at higher temperatures.” 

Additionally, currents of “urban flight” are super-charging some Maine real estate markets, with out-of-state buyers snapping up homes in order to escape coronavirus hotspots, according to Evergreen. These buyers often invest in extensive renovations, including energy efficiency and comfort upgrades.

To address the growing demand for its services, Evergreen has teamed up with the National Energy Improvement Fund (a certified B-Corp recognized for socially-responsible practices) to expand its financing options to make home improvements affordable with monthly payments and easy loan qualification steps. Interest for project financing has increased, possibly in part due to the economic turmoil associated with the pandemic, and consumer priorities to safeguard cash assets.

“We’re excited to promote our new loan options to enable our customers to make the significant improvements to their home’s performance that they seek, with affordable monthly payments,” said Brian Schortz, general manager. “It’s win-win for everyone: the environment gains when Mainers invest in home efficiency, the customer wins when they can start enjoying improved comfort and lower fuel bills, and the local economy benefits when Maine businesses can put their folks to work – now.”  

To help customers re-emerge from their own economic dormancy, Evergreen is offering customers a “No Payment Until 2021” plan for customers qualifying for Efficiency Maine’s Home Energy or NEIF’s Energy Plus loans. And for customers paying cash, the company is currently offering discounts of up to -$1000 for qualifying projects.

Contact: Elise Brown, 207-594-2244 x 3 or elise@evergreenyourhome.com

Evergreen Home Performance – serving the Maine Coast corridor from Bar Harbor to Kittery, with offices in Rockland and Portland.