A refelction on the industry from our outgoing chair, Charlie Burnham

A REFLCTION ON THE INDUSTRY FROM OUR OUTGOING CHAIR, CHARLIE BURNHAM

“Be exceptional at what you do,” Charlie Burnham, outgoing MEMA board chair and former president of Charlie Burnham Energy and Heating, said when asked what advice he had to share with the younger generation entering the industry. “If you look at the companies that are succeeding in our industry, they are offering exceptional service and are striving to hire exceptional people.”

Charlie Burnham has worked in the heating and energy industry for over thirty-two years. When he and George Gyorgy opened their Freeport-based service company, they sought to create a professional, experienced, and honest company that prioritized timely delivery and installation of heating and cooling systems with superior quality and workmanship. Before starting his own company, Charlie worked for one of the nation’s large oil companies. However, his real start was at the age of thirteen, filling propane tanks at the filling station down the road from his house.

With energy growing harder to obtain and legislation pushing for more electrification, the challenges our industry faces are overwhelming and leave our future feeling uncertain. However, Charlie firmly believes the industry will stand as people will always need heat, hot water, and motor fuels. “Energy may be more difficult to get, equipment may become more complex, but our employees will become so much more valuable because they will have to know so much more [about the industry],” Charlie explained. Our fuel supplies are diversifying as renewable energy like wind, solar, and biofuels becomes a more popular means in reducing our emissions and increasing our energy efficiency.

“We’ve got to embrace change,” expressed Charlie. “Change is a very good thing. We cannot stop change. We must become a part of it.”

Public concern over climate change has steadily grown in recent years, and studies show that two-thirds of

Americans believe the government isn’t doing enough to curb the effects. As an energy company, staying on top of your customers’ needs and wants is critical. “To succeed, you have to ensure you’re selling what your customers want,” Charlie explained. This idea is undoubtedly something he practiced in his own career, as he first explored the possibilities of solar power back in the 1970s and then geothermal in the 80s.

And later, when he started his own company, he ensured his business model never grew stagnant. “Companies should reinvent themselves every five years,” said Charlie. He continuously sought ways to improve and grow as a premier home comfort provider, delivering exceptional service to southern Maine. And one of the ways Charlie sought that growth was through his involvement with the Maine Energy Marketer’s Association. “Associating with industry leaders, politicians, and manufacturers offered so much space to grow,” he explained. Charlie has been involved with MEMA for twenty-five years, and he levels that anyone participating with the organization will walk away with a greater depth of knowledge.

As his tenure as MEMA’s board chair ends, Charlie assures us that his involvement with MEMA is nowhere near over. He’s looking forward to becoming more involved with our Education Committee and perhaps sharing his wisdom by volunteering and teaching at MTEC. His proudest accomplishment as board chair is the CDL Theory Training and Hazmat Endorsements course at MTEC, which satisfies the Entry-Level Driver Training Classroom theory training required by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). The course is offered for free to MEMA members.

MEMA AND STAFF WISH TO THANK CHARLIE BURNHAM FOR HIS LEADERSHIP OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS.