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.
The installation of our Storm Smart hurricane protection products provided the opportunity to acquire high quality products and have them installed very professionally.
Your representative, Mike P., completed the installation in just two days, with what I would call a very diligent work ethic and commitment. Mike is truly a professional and represents you company in the same manner.
Thanks to all of your employees, with whom we have had the opportunity to interact and especially to Mike for reinforcing my belief that motivated and committed employees make the most successful companies.
Here’s to your continued success! John & Mary M. ~ Copperleaf, Bonita Springs, FL
Hurricane season 2011 has arrived and as we prepare for a possible storm, it’s vital to inspect, clean and deploy your current hurricane shutters now BEFORE you need them.
Regular maintenance of your hurricane shutters is important to assure that all parts are working smoothly and correctly. Here are some tips to help guide you:
Tip #1: Clean your shutters. It sounds very simple but this is where a lot of damage can be avoided. Use a water hose to spray them down thoroughly. Start at the top getting into the track’s channel. The channel is the space where the tracking guide or gears reside, depending on your system, which run along the shutter. Make sure to get all the dirt, leaves, spider webs, bee hives, and wasps nests out of those tracks, top and bottom. Use a soft cloth or a thin haired brush with a mild detergent, such as Dawn to gently clean the shutter from top to bottom and then spray down again to remove all the soap. IMPORTANT: Do not spray with a high-pressure system. The high pressure may be very damaging to the painted surface.
Tip #2: Lubricate. We recommend our exclusive non-drying Shutter Spray which quickly penetrates through rust and scale to loosen the mechanical and electrical components of motorized and manual storm shutters. Be sure to lubricate tracking, hinges, locks and motor drive systems to ensure free and easy movement. WARNING: Do Not Use WD-40 on your shutters. It may do more harm than good.
Tip #3: Consider a Maintenance Agreement. Regular maintenance is vital to ensuring your hurricane protection products will operate smoothly and properly when needed. We offer a 3 year Maintenance Agreement Program which will include annual inspections and service of all your shutters including checking parts for proper operation, adjust as needed, reset limits, clean the tracks and lubricate. Our Service Department will be happy to customize a plan that is just right for your home or business. For more information, please call John at 239-938-1004.
Congratulations to the Hazelton family and Storm Smart installer Matt C. for being chosen as the April “Coolest Jobs” Winners! A check for $200 was given to the Hazelton’s and our installer received a bonus for a ‘job well done!’
The Hazelton’s submitted their “Coolest Job” entry by saying:
“There are so many things to love about our new Storm Smart hurricane protection rolling screens. We are thrilled with the system for a number of reasons: They function not only as hurricane protection but also serve as great solar protection during the late afternoon sun on our lanai. We were also able to enjoy sitting on our lanai during the recent heavy rain storm. The job was performed professionally from beginning to end. From the sales representative T.J., as well as the installation group.”
Is your new Storm Smart Hurricane Protection the coolest job of the month? If so, please tell us about it! Here’s how it works~ if you would like to nominate your home for the coolest job, simply take pictures of your new Storm Smart products or video and send it to cooljobs@stormsmart.com with a short statement on why you think that your job and your installer is the “coolest job of the month!”
We will pick a winner monthly and if you win, Storm Smart will send you a check for $200.00 and we will also reward your favorite installer with a bonus!
After 16 years of building Storm Smart Industries —and its brand recognition — president Brian Rist reluctantly admitted his business had outgrown its name.
Now, however, more customers want help reducing their home energy costs, installing solar energy collectors and organizing smart home electronics to control it all, Rist said.
The Smart Companies Inc. launched this month, rebranding the company to bring all of the former Storm Smart business operations under a master company.
“We needed to reflect how much the company has grown and how much our services have expanded,” Rist said. “It wasn’t about getting rid of anything, but marrying them together.”
For example, impact-resistant windows cut energy loss through windows and storm screens can shade a sunny window, allowing the room to stay up to 7 degrees cooler.
A single 24-inch-by-10-inch solar collector can power up to seven roll-down shutters and smart home electronics can allow you to operate them all throughout the house.
Rebranding a business is not an easy decision, but more companies may consider it because they have been shaped and changed by the economy, said Chris Spiro, chief executive officer of Spiro & Associates, a marketing, advertising and public relations firm in Fort Myers.
“You can’t force a square peg into a round hole when the market is changing,” Spiro said.
Carol Conway, president of Cape Coral-based CRS Technology Consultants, said you have to listen to customers to know if your brand makes sense. In 2001, hers said it was time for a change.
“Clients were telling me that Computer Rescue Squad was cute, but limiting and it didn’t truly represent the scope of our services,” Conway said. The company’s services increasing included IT management in addition to tech support.
That resulted in a name change to CRS Technologies, which was further tweaked two years ago when Conway’s staff “held an intervention” and convinced her to update the company’s website, letterhead and logos.
“I had designed a lot of that myself and it was hard for me to admit I wasn’t as cool or contemporary as I thought I was,” Conway said. “Thousands of dollars and tons of anxiety later, it is one of the best things we ever did.”
For The Smart Companies Inc., Rist enlisted Spiro’s help to shape the new brand.
“This was customer driven because the demand for these expanded services came from an underserved marketplace,” Spiro said. “But, there is an amazing amount of equity in the Storm Smart brand.”
So those brands didn’t entirely disappear. Storm Smart Building Systems, Storm Catcher and Go Energy Smart still exist as company divisions, Rist said.
But the company still had to invest in updated signs, letterhead, business cards, fleet branding and web site redesign. By the time he factors in the cost of advertising campaign, Rist estimates the re-branding will cost close to $100,000.
“I believe for the future of this company, this was the right thing to do,” Rist said.
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