Contractors Corner: Vivint Solar, Provo, Utah
Greg Butterfield, CEO of Vivint Solar
In fewer than three years Vivint Solar has become one of the largest residential solar providers in the country and a member of the Solar Power World Top Solar Contractors list. According to Greg Butterfield, CEO of Vivint Solar, the key to the company’s success has been its personal touch.
“We’ve been successful because Todd Pederson, Vivint’s founder, is very focused on the customer,” says Butterfield. “One of our core values is having a ‘customer obsession,’ and it’s an advantage for us.”
The advantage is proving to be a profitable one. Launched in May 2011 with only a dozen employees, Vivint Solar now employs more than 1,600 people. Operating in seven states, Butterfield says the company intends to open a new office every 10 days for the next two to three years.
“We put a warehouse in a 40-mile radius to make sure that we have people that are actually working and selling and deploying with people that are in their communities,” says Butterfield.
The company tries to recruit salespeople from the communities where they will work. The common roots between customer and salesperson lead to increased solar adoption, says Butterfield, and loyal customers.
“What we’re finding is that each customer deploying a Vivint Solar solution gives three to five referrals,” he says.
Word of Vivint’s commitment is spreading quickly and so the company’s referral-based strategy is working. Presently servicing more than 17,000 energy customers, Vivint Solar is installing approximately 8 MW per month. The company also has a long-term customer relationship, beginning at initial contact and carrying through financing, installation, monitoring and maintenance.
“I’ve been fortunate to have the opportunity to be involved in several companies that have strong value propositions,” Butterfield says. “I’ve never been in an industry where the value proposition is so strong. When someone’s willing to give a family member’s name or a referral to a neighbor, that means you’re hopefully doing some things right.”
Butterfield says Vivint Solar is thinking about moving into the small commercial installation market. By the end of next quarter, he says, customers can at least expect Vivint to announce new products and business strategies .
“Personally, I find great satisfaction in the social value we’re providing to the community,” Butterfield says. “I think that we have an opportunity to change the way the world buys power.”
Listen to the full interview with Vivint Solar in this podcast.