has been a long-time proponent of energy conservation and green technologies. Now, Navarra is taking that message to the streets — literally. Navarra, vice-president and manager of BC Express, an HVAC company in New Jersey, recently painted his first vehicle green, the remaining 18 to follow shortly. The vehicles, which will also bear the Energy Star, BPI, and Carrier logos, are just one way Navarra hopes to get his message out. “Be green — that's what we're all about,” said Navarra. But the vehicle fleet isn't the only thing changing at BC Express, according to Navarra. Given the current economic environment, he has sought out, and found, a way to maximize his business and help customers become more energy efficient in the process — the Home Performance with Energy Star Program. “Carrier® InfinityTM and Carrier Infinity Hybrid HeatTM systems are moving now more than ever because of the Energy Star rebate,” said Navarra. “Every sales call that comes in is turned into an Energy Star sale, and as a result, we're seeing a 100 percent closure ratio.” Navarra explained that his company, which was certified last year by the Building Performance Institute, looks at
the customer's whole house, not just the HVAC system. What this means is that, rather than simply working on the customer's HVAC system, the company looks at an entire list of factors. “We're checking on issues like heat loss and heat gain, health and safety issues, and fresh air exchange,” said Navarra. “By us looking at the whole house, we're helping our customers big time.” Navarra said that often, improvements can be made to the home to increase energy efficiency, such as blown-in insulation in the attic, and dome covers installed on attic stairs. But BC Express doesn't just stop at making recommendations to customers regarding these factors. “We have a turn-key system in place that provides homeowners with a complete job, done 100 percent correctly,” Navarra said. He went on to explain that BC Express hires subcontractors, secures the necessary permits, completes all paperwork for the client, and audits the final inspection. Perhaps the most important factor in Navarra's success, though, is the many rebate programs available. Because of the numerous programs he has researched and now offers to his customers, Navarra has been able to maintain his company's security and help clients save money. Navarra said that aside from the Carrier rebate, there are also Energy Star, air sealing, and HVAC upgrade rebates, as well as an income tax credit, audit credit, and grants available to homeowners. Combined, these rebates total thousands of dollars and help homeowners install optimal efficiency systems. Additionally,




BC Express offers 12 months, zero percent interest financing on the rebate systems they install, so customers have the opportunity to wait until the rebate checks come in to make payments. “People don't know about this if we don't offer it — and that's why we offer it to every customer,” Navarra said. What has this meant for BC Express? “Our company is growing and thriving like you wouldn't believe. We've hired five people recently, and are looking to hire five more within the coming months. And the phone calls for new jobs just keep coming in.” Navarra said that his company currently has 60 jobs in the works, with more rolling in weekly. “What's important to me is that I'm doing a great job for the people,” Navarra said. “I'm being green, and I'm doing what everyone should be doing for their customers — providing them with a higher efficiency, Energy Star system in their house and lowering their utility bills. It's just fantastic!”

View in PDF format: Being Green




TOTALINE® DEALER SPOTLIGHT: BC EXPRESS, INC.

Last month, celebrated his fourth anniversary with BC EXPRESS, Inc., in New Jersey. When he joined the company as vice president and general manager, one of the first things he did was establish a mission statement: “To provide Better Comfort, EXPRESS service, with the highest level of professionalism, to our customers.” The mission is on the website and on back of their business cards. “You'd be surprised by how many people really read it,” Navarra said.

BC EXPRESS, which has been in the HVAC/R business for 16 years, has lived up to that mission statement. Growing from six employees to 24 in the past four years, the company is a leader in providing high-efficiency heating, air conditioning and comfort solutions such as the Carrier® InfinityTM systems and Hybrid Heat™ dual fuel systems, for mostly residential and some commercial clients. “In this economy and in any business, you have to be able to change. You have to be able to change constantly,” said Navarra, who runs the company with the owner's brother. “I'm pretty excited about where we've gone and what we've done over the last four years.”

Focused on cutting high utility bills, Navarra and the team at BC EXPRESS approach each job as a way to help the customer in more than just HVAC/R. “I want to be green, go green and help the people get there,” Navarra said. When called to most potential customers' homes, the first thing he hears from those customers is that they want high efficiency from their systems. But many dealers out there are not providing those customers with the most efficient system choices, he said. “We ask the people what they want and when we hear high efficiency, we go right to the Infinity system,” Navarra said. “I put it in my own house. We talk it and we know it and we operate on it, so it's very easy to sell. And it works — it can save people 50, 60 percent on their utility bills.”

In fact, Navarra is so committed to saving energy that if a customer isn't interested in a high-efficiency system, Navarra might just politely decline a potential job. “When they say they want high efficiency but don't want to install a high-efficiency product, I say ‘I'm sorry but I can't help you. I'm not saving you energy.'”

His honest, money-saving approach works. BC EXPRESS has now saved many New Jersey clients energy, and the word has spread. “When we're done with the job, the customers are telling people, ‘Hey, I cut my bills by 40 percent,' and other people are knocking on our door saying ‘I want what my neighbor got.'” Along with the high-efficiency units, the company offers a free 10-year parts and labor program, which establishes a long-term relationship with the customer and takes the fear out of buying a new product. BC EXPRESS also provides complete turnkey service. “We do it all, soup to nuts,” Navarra said.

The whole goal of BC EXPRESS is to help the customer, making it easier for them to save energy, Navarra said. The company has a great team of employees who people can trust to do the job right. Eight phone lines make service to customers available day and night. People can even request service or quotes via e-mail, directly from the BC EXPRESS website. “The Internet is a big thing, e-mail is a big thing, because people can communicate with you any time,” Navarra said. “I take at least five to 10 hours a week out of my 100-hour-a-week job to keep my website up and going. I constantly change the website.” The BC EXPRESS website includes letters of reference and pictures of jobs completed so that potential customers can feel comfortable with their work. Logos indicating that the company participates in the New Jersey Clean Energy Program, is a Carrier Factory Authorized Dealer, and that it received the Carrier 2008 President's Award, appear right on the homepage.

“We want to save energy, give customers better comfort, and do the right job for them,” Navarra said. “And when I'm done, I want to be their friend. I want to be able to walk through a store and see them and say, ‘Hi, how are you?' and have them come over to me saying, ‘Thank you. I can't believe how much my utility bills are down.' I get pretty excited about the whole thing. I love what I do.”

See the article at totaline.com...


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