P1. Power Up Christmas
P2. Outreach for East Coast States
P2. Welcoming Troy Strong
P4-P5. Franchise Spotlight
P6. Mission Statement Application
P6. Houston Training Week
P7. Northern Utah Trade Show Efforts
P7. Safety Announcement
P7. Career Plug Blast
Christmas is just around the corner, and we're thrilled to share that Power Up Christmas boxes are live on the HUB. This year we have three tiers of Power Up Boxes available for you to choose from. To ensure delivery by December 1st,Power-Up boxes will be available for you to order thru Monday November 11th at 5pm (link below)
https://shop.generatorsupercenter.com/products.asp?cat=4
In addition to the Power Up boxes; at Corporate, we're set to enhance the spirit of giving by hosting a Toy Drive for Entrusted Houston and decorating the lobby with a beautiful tree. This year, our Christmas tree will be decorated with an array of incredible deals for customers that we will exchange for a small act of kindness. Customers can bring in an unwrapped toy for the drive and unlock access to one of these great offers.
We extend a heartfelt invitation to each and every one of you to join in the joy of giving. We encourage you to seek out a local charity and join forces with them in a similar fashion. Together, we can Power Up the lives of children in need and make this holiday season truly magical!
This fall, the East Coast faced a one-two punch of intense hurricanes that left devastation across several states. Hurricane Helene, the first of the two storms, made landfall in Sarasota, Florida, on September 26, sweeping through Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, andtheCarolinas withpowerful winds and heavy rains. Just two weeks later, Hurricane Milton cut straight through central Florida bringing even more destruction to the region.
Generator Supercenter rapidly mobilized to provide assistance to affected areas. The company’s corporate office quickly dispatched teams from GSC locations in Houston and Nashville to support recovery efforts in Fort Myers, Tampa, Orlando, Tallahassee, and Greenville. The Greenville franchise, positioned near Asheville, NC a city hit particularly hard by Hurricane Helene was among the primary hubs for relief operations.
Special recognition goes to the GSC team from San Antonio, who demonstrated remarkable foresight by arriving in Tampa before landfall. They were equipped with portable generators, a Starlink internet system, and a full load of critical parts and supplies. With internet and phone access via Starlink, GSC of Tampa could continue operations and helping customers despite the widespread outages. The team worked tirelessly before and during the storm, providing support and supplies to aid Tampa’s recovery.
Welcoming our newest team member:
We are excited to introduce Troy Strong into our newly created role, Vice President of Finance! With 20 years of experience in financial leadership and a track record of driving strategic growth, he brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to our team. Troy is a CPA and holds an MBA from the University of Wisconsin. He spent the last 11 years working with Generac before comingonboardwithGSC.Troyisknownfor strategy development, team leadership, process improvement, and identifying paths to improve both top and bottom lines
As partof hisinitiatives he willbe working on items including: finding paths of PEP savings, Assisting the Franchise team to improve Franchisee Profitability, and developing key financial metrics for both Corporate and Franchised Generator Supercenter locations.
Residing in Wisconsin with his children, Finley and Parker, Troy enjoys participating in marathons, traveling, and rooting on the Green Bay Packers.
Troy will be operating out of both the Wisconsin and Tomball offices, and we are confident he will play a significant role in advancing GSC’s goals and supporting our continued success. Please join us in welcoming Troy to the team!
Generator Supercenter of Midland is our Featured Franchise for the Month of November. Opening earlier this year, we have already seen outstanding accomplisments coming from this Franchise.
GSC of Midland is owned and operated by Brad and Jeanette Swift. Brad and Jeanette have been married for 22 years and have been working side by side in their other business ventures for the last 6 years. They have two beautiful daughters: Briley, an Architect major at Texas A&M University, and Neeley, a high school senior.
Read on to learn more about the Swifts and their inspiring journey with Generator Supercenter.
Q. How did you 1st hear about Generator Supercenter?
A. We were looking for a new venture or something new to add to our other business and came across GSC/Doug and Samira.
Q. When did you knowyou wanted to be part of the Generator Supercenter family?
A. After coming to Houston and meeting with GSC for Discovery day, we were hooked.
Q. Which leadership skills do you find most beneficial operating a successful GSC?
A. Understanding the importance of customer service and being honest and friendly is so important. People do business with people they LIKE!!
Q.Whatdoyoufeelismostimportantthingyoucan do everyday to ensure success in your Franchise?
A. Communicate. We start everyday with good communition with our staff and continue strong communication throughout the day with our customers.
Q. What was the biggest obstacle you faced getting your Franchises up and running? And how did you overcome it?
A. Finding the location was the most difficult hurdle. Locating a place that would accommodate the showroom, office, and warehouse that also would allow 18 wheeler access was pretty tough. After looking at quite a few places, we found the perfect spot.
Q. Do you have any “getting started” tips or lessons learned you wish to share to help Franchisees who are still in the Opening process?
A. Obtain as much operating capital as possible right from the start and remember that you will need more than you think. Learn the “lead time game” with inventory early on. Remember the importance of having customers leave positive reviews. (Continued)
Q. What does GSC of Midland do differently that might be helpful for other franchises to incorporate into their operations?
A. We strive to create a personal friendly relationship with our customers before, during and after the sale/installation process. We mail out handwritten Thank You cards post install. We alwaysfollowupwithcustomersfollowingtheirfirst power failure to confirm everything operated as designed and thank them once again. At that point we encourage them to leave us a google review if it has not already been done.
“People do business with people they LIKE!!”
Q. People are by far our greatest resource and we wouldn’t be anywhere with out our teams. Please tell us about the team you have built in Midland.
A. One thing we can definitely say is that we are truly blessed when it comes to our team. Brad & I have been surrounded by our family who have supported us in every way in this venture, starting from day 1. Our team has also become like family to us, and we love them! We have a fabulous Office Manager, Kasey Marquez. Kasey comes in every day with a smile onherface andtreats our businessas herown, knowing that you have someone that “has your back” in your business is the key to success for sure! Our Operations Manager/Generac Tech, Matt Mills, is the employee with a “library” in his office and will always figure things out when others cannot. Matt is the employee that all customers love, even the cranky ones!! Alonzo Contreras is our Master Electrician and is always cracking jokes with everyone. Alonzo is a perfectionist with his work and often creates what we call “art,” I have personally never looked at wiring and conduit and thought “Wow that’s beautiful,” before seeing his work.
Having a wonderful team is ultimately what makes companies great, and we certainly do!
Q. What is your fondest memory from your time spent with the GSC family?
A.We lovedgetting to go to aHoustonAstros game with the team where we even scored and got a World Series Ring while we were there. We have such great memories of dinner gatherings and getting to know all corporate team members……lots of laughs!!!
Q. Marketing in an area like West Texas is much different than marketing generators near the coast. Are you utilizing any different type of marketing to peak interest for customers in your region?
A. We currently market ourselves through Radio, TV and social media; educating the consumer of the unreliablegrid,andpopulationincrease. Wealsotry to send a strong message about our service activities on existing generators. We like to stay involved with our community by being present at community activities and donating to organizations that help those in need.
Q. How does GSC of Midland plan to fulfill the GSC Mission Statement in the Midland/Odessa community?
A. While we are in our first year of business and working out kinks, our ultimate goal is to be able to pick a community organization that helps others in need and donating a generator for their use.
In 2023, the Mission Statement Award applications were filled with stories of kindness and humanity.They touched out hearts and after reading numerous applications, GDC of Broward, Florida emerged as the deserving winner. Now, the anticipation builds as we seek to discover this year's recipient of this coveted honor!
Participation is easy: click on the link below to access the application form and share the differences your Franchise has made in your community. Once completed, send your submissions to Stephanie Lundy. slundy@generatorsupercenter.com.
We're eagerly looking forward to diving into the remarkable stories of your accomplishments this year!
(We will accept submissions until Dec. 15th 2024) https://hub.generatorsupercenter.com/mission-statement-application-2/
The week of October 7th, we welcomed our new Franchise Owners for their Initial week of training to our new building in Tomball. In attendance were Hudson Valley owners Jessica Figueroa and Robert Colon, alongside Lake Country owner Mark Allen. Training week focuses on critical areas of Franchiseoperations, includingsales training,administrative duties, operational and marketing information.
Participants benefited from insights provided by presenters from our vendors: Southern Fried, ThinkBright, and Graybar, as well as our GSC Corporate and Franchise partners. Key topics covered included Showroom Requirements, marketing strategies, Powerplay, Razorsync, Salesforce, sales techniques, and service protocols. A highlight of the weekwas adedicateddayfor installation,whereparticipants watched the morning dispatch, attended a live installation and learned how to perform a file review. In addition to the informative sessions, attendees enjoyed delicious meals featuring authentic Texas cuisine, including BBQ, kolaches, and breakfast tacos.
The first week of training is designed to equip Franchisees with a thorough understanding of Generator Supercenter Franchise operations and sales dynamics while fostering connections among new members of the GSC family. It was a successful week, and we had great feedback from our participants and presenters!
Welcome to the family Hudson Valley and Lake Country!
Strong Marketing Efforts coming from Northern Utah
Generator Supercenter of Northern Utah has been making a strong impact on the local Trade Show circuit, showcasing an impressive Generator Supercenter booth. The setup looks exceptional, and the team’s efforts are clearly paying off. Keep up the outstanding work!
reminder
Service & Install
To ensure safety and prevent the risk of electrocution, aluminum ladders are prohibited on all Generator Supercenter Install and Service Vehicles. Please verify that all ladders on your vehicles are either fiberglass or wooden. Thank you for your cooperation in maintaining a safe work environment.
OSHAcode1915.72(a)(5)states:Portable metalladdersshallnotbeusednearelectrical conductorsnorforelectricarcwelding operations.
CareerPlug is one of our newest vendors, offering an innovative, streamlined hiring platform that simplifiestherecruitmentprocessfrom start to finish. This powerful tool is designed to make hiring easy and efficient by allowing you to post job openingswithjustoneclick.CareerPlug also automatically distributes job listings across major job boards, manages interview scheduling, and offersarangeofadditionalfeaturesthat help you find and secure top talent quickly. Many of our franchisees are already experiencing significant cost savings and improvements in their hiring processes by using CareerPlug andyoucan,too!
To learn more about the impact CareerPlug can have on reducing turnover,checkoutthisinsightfularticle from the Career Plug blog: https://www.careerplug.com/blog /prevent-turnover-withoutraising-pay/
If you’re interested in getting started with CareerPlug, please contact our Onboarding Manager, Ken Devine, at kdevine@generatorsupercenter.com formoreinformation.
