Archive for the ‘General’ Category

Community Involvement

Wednesday, April 4th, 2012

Community Involvement:

Hurricane season is rapidly approaching and we are prepared for any storm that comes our way. The question is; are you or the community that you live in ready?  We are truly grateful to each of our customers for keeping us first and foremost in your mind when you think of storm protection and energy conservation. The Smart Companies has found a way to thank each of our loyal Home Owner Associations & Condo Associations by offering a complimentary Wine & Cheese Event Catered just for your community and most of all, YOU!

This is a great way for everyone in your community to come together and socialize, possibly meeting new members and getting the opportunity to ask questions about the latest technology in storm protection. Last week we had an amazing turnout at Jonathan’s Bay in South Fort Myers with about 40 people in attendance. We gathered around the Pool Clubhouse at Sunset; spoke for a few minutes and answered many questions.  Some of the attendees were new to the SW Florida area and appreciated the literature and information about hurricane awareness and preparation that was provided to them, as well as the free gifts and door prize.  All in all, it was a ton of fun!

Best of all, because we had such a great turnout, we offered a discount community rate so every person will get the same great deal! We know that building relationships and really getting involved in the communities that we do business in, gives our customers the ability to meet our company’s representatives and build a trust, knowing that we will be there when they need us.

If your Community is interested in setting up a Complimentary FREE Wine & Cheese Event provided by The Smart Companies, please do not hesitate to contact Vikki Sheaf, Sales Coordinator at 239-938-1015 so that she can book you at the earliest convenience. We look forward to seeing everyone, very soon.

January Coolest Job

Tuesday, April 3rd, 2012

January Coolest Jobs

Every month we spotlight that one job that makes everything worthwhile for us. For the month of January this Consists of our best-seller the “Storm Catcher” Manual Roll down Screen, which spreads across the Vanderbilt’s back lanai?  At a mere cost the value is priceless to the Vanderbilt’s.
The Installer was a young man by the name of Tyler Nagy. He is a very talented man that has only been with our company for about 8 months. He has been an installer in the shutter industry for 6-7 years and does amazing work. We are very proud to have him on the Smart Companies team. Listen to what the Vanderbilt’s had to say about Tyler:

Actual Customer Email:
This is in reference to our experience with Storm Smart. Out installer was Tyler and he was so informative and explained how easy the maintenance was going to be on our new roll down screen.  He had a great personality. It was like socializing with a good friend. He continued to work and did not mind all the questions we had. It was a pleasure having Storm Smart at our home upgrading and improving our hurricane protection.

Thank you.
William and Martha Vanderbilt

We want to thank the Vanderbilt’s for their business and welcome them to the almost 60,000 satisfied Storm Smart customers.

Some of the changes to the Florida Building Codes effective March 15th 2012

Monday, March 5th, 2012

We want to ALERT everyone that the Florida Building Codes (FBC) are changing for all new construction & major remodeling in Florida. These changes will take effect March 15th 2012. So if you are planning on doing any type of major remodeling (Greater than 30% of the assessed value) or building a new home and have bids that are already in place or are currently looking for bids for your existing home. YOU ARE RUNNING OUT OF TIME!! If you do not get your permits submitted by March 14th 2012 midnight you could be spending thousands of dollars you may not have planned for.

One of the reasons why we have been so successful within our industry is because of our never ending pursuit of training and continued education. CEO Brian Rist has been diligently learning every aspect of the new FBC & Residential Energy Efficiency codes. The new codes were just released in print about a month ago and they can be a game changer!

For example if you’re building a new home and have already chosen aluminum windows you may not pass Plan Review. New windows must have a “Solar Heat Gain Coefficient” , SHGC, of at least 30 or better & most plain aluminum laminated windows do not meet this standard & therefore cannot be installed on a new homes. There are several other calculations that must be met as well, but for those answers you will need to talk with one of our Window Consultants to help you with the best fit for your investment.

Brian is in Germany now attending R+T the largest window and door expo in the world. While there he is meeting with a select group of suppliers worldwide at an Energy Conference, to discuss alternative ways to make our home less energy demanding. It’s interesting to note that French law calls for all homes in France to be zero energy consumers by 2020. This is one of the ways we stay ahead of the pack! Not only is he going there to promote our Storm Catcher Wind Abatement Screen systems, but he is also going to learn about the latest and greatest in Windows, Doors and Shutter protections for our homes & better ways to save money on our energy costs.

We look forward to 2012! We have some GREAT new products that we will start offering that will not only make our lives safer, but help save energy at the same time. To keep up with our new products and offers all you have to do is log onto our Facebook page and click “Like” or “Follow” us on Twitter.

Toys for Tots

Monday, December 5th, 2011

The Smart Companies will proudly be participation in this years Marine Toys for Tots program. The Smart Companies has been involved in the program for the past 5 years and has been an official drop of location for the last 2 and has always been near to our hearts.This year The Smart Companies will have two drop off locations, one being our main showroom located at 11040 Plantation Rd in Fort Myers and the other is at our showroom located in the Miromar Outlets at 10801 Corkscrew Rd Suite #351 (it’s by the water ski lake).

The Marine Toys for Tots foundation was started back in 1947 by Major Bill Hendricks and has grown ever since. In 1995 the Secretary of Defence approved the Toys for Tots as an official activity of the U. S. Marine Corps and an official mission of the Marine Corps Reserve. Since the inception of the Toys for Tots program, they have distributed more than 400 million toys to more that 188 million needy children. Click here for more history about the of this program.

Brian Rist stated ” We are excited to be a part of such an honorable and noble program and look forward to supporting the Marines efforts for years to come.”

Zoomers to open soon!!!

Friday, December 2nd, 2011

The Smart Companies is proud to be providing Hurricane Protection to Zoomer of Fort Myers. Zoomers was an unfortunate victim of the construction crash and was never completed. Now, a Fort Myers Beach businessman has purchased the property and plans to have the park opened by early 2012. They have already hired a project manager, Alan Fluke, a Raleigh N.C. based amusement park consultant, to oversee the completion of the park. Fluke stated that $4 million has been budgeted to complete the park.

Brian Rist, President of The Smart Companies said “It was a shame to see someone’s dream fail due to the construction crash a few years back and we wish him the very best in the future. We are also excited to see this project come to completion after so many years. We are proud to be a part of this project and look forward to the opening next year. The completion of Zoomers is more than just another tourist attraction, the completion also means additional jobs for locals, a boost to the local economy and a place for families to spent time together.”

The Smart Companies will be providing Hurricane Protection for the entire complex. Manufacturing of the shutters will begin in December and the installation will begin in early January.