Amy Norquist had a successful career in the environmental non-profit world before she founded Greensulate, a small business specializing in design, engineering, installation, and maintenance of green roofs. For 20+ years, Amy served in over half a dozen organizations dedicated to solving environmental issues. Then in 2003, she was hired as Deputy Director of the Beacon Institute for Rivers and Institute in New York, a multi-million dollar research institute overseeing green initiatives. It was at Beacon Institute that Amy learned the essentials and requirements of green roofing and green walling.
The year 2007 was a turning point in Amy’s career. The seed of idea for her business came to her while trying to green roof her home. Green roofs provide a lot of advantages to the environment as well as the homeowner. They can absorb carbon emissions in the air and reduce urban heat. They act as insulators, making your house cooler in summer and warmer in winter. Thus, green roof systems significantly reduce cooling and heating costs. There is one issue: green roofing a home is a tedious process. “Hellish” was Amy’s adjective for it. And that was when she knew what her next step was – to make green roofing more readily available to property owners by offering them her services.
Germinating the Seed of Business Idea
In 2007, Amy Norquist resigned from Beacon to devote her time learning how to green roof. Six months later, she emerged with her business plan for Greensulate, LLC.
The company grew rapidly. In a short time, it was able to establish itself as leader in design, installation, and maintenance of green roof systems. Gradually but steadily, the company transformed New York rooftops into miniature meadows. Greensulate’s green roofs continue to transform New York’s environmental and economic landscape by providing insulation to properties, reducing pollution, and reducing urban heat.
For the first two years of operation, Amy funded the business out of her own pockets. Then she realized that in order for the business to grow, she had to expand. She reached out to SeedCo Financial for a loan of $300,000. In 2010, Greensulate expanded to the West Coast.
Since it opened in 2007, the company had been featured in numerous magazines including The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. This helped boost Greensulate’s brand further as a mission-oriented company dedicated in reducing energy bill and improving air quality in New York.
Measure of Success
Green roofing is expensive. One of the challenges the company had to face was to convince people that the investment was worth it. In a world where more and more people are taking active role in caring for the environment, Greensulate was able to grow its business successfully. The need to shift to green solutions was even felt in New York, where pollution, urban heat, and flood backup from storm water runoffs are perennial problems. Green roofing provides relief from all of these.
By 2010, the company had insulated over 100,000 square feet of rooftop with sedum, native grasses, and lavender. It had grown by 400%.
Building the Community
Amy Norquist is emotionally invested in the idea that she could resolve some environmental issues one roof at a time. While her credentials immediately establish her as an expert in the eyes of potential customers, her team is another matter. Amy had to make her brand consistent. She has to make sure that her team offers the same quality of service and expertise that she would give to customers. Part of the investment of Greensulate goes into the training of employees and making sure each has a Green Roof Professional certification. This is what differentiates Greensulate from competition. Other contractors have installers who are not certified.
Staying On Top of the Line
Amy’s training and experience in the non-profit sector certainly did give her advantages, particularly in the human management aspects of running an organization. One difference that she pointed out is that working for-profit gives her more control over how projects are managed.
As CEO and founder of Greensulate, Amy had to face new challenges. As she demonstrated, one can successfully rise above the challenges through a combination of hard work, tenacity to pursue one’s vision, and courage to take accountability for everyone in the organization in resolving issues and creating solutions, regardless of who created the problems.
Surrounding yourself with amazing people, and making sure they’re happy and self-fulfilled in your organization, is also crucial. That’s what Amy Norquist strives to achieve from day to day.
