GreenWerks Press

“Considering that sales for products like energy-efficient windows, doors and hot water heaters were rising already, the financial incentives are great news for entrepreneurs trying to help customers lower their energy bills. “A lot of these improvements can pay for themselves almost instantly,” says Chris Campbell, founder of GreenWerks, a Chicago remodeler. “People know energy costs are projected to continue to rise, so they know that making these investments in their homes is a good idea.” That’s not to say that it’s smooth sailing right now for green builders and remodelers. The housing market is still terrible. But while most general remodelers are focused on surviving the recession, Mr. Campbell’s two-year-old green business has increased its income every quarter since opening and is on pace to reach $1.2 million in revenue in 2009, a 300% increase over 2008.”

Read the full Crain’s Article here.

“Stimulus dollars will flow soonest to highway contractors, public housing builders, wastewater system engineers and myriad others in the stimulus plan’s mainstream. Greenwerks Inc., a six-person general contractor in Chicago specializing in energy-saving home improvements, stands to benefit from money that would finance such projects for 25,000 Chicago homeowners a year. “With this particular opportunity, we’d be able to hire 20 to 30 people,” CEO Chris Campbell says.”

Read the full Crain’s Article here.

“GreenWerks, a local green contracting service, communicates with customers through sites like Twitter, MySpace, Facebook, video sharing sites, LinkedIn groups, and Meetup.com. ”

Read the full CEC blog post here.

“To follow up on Monday’s post about the solar-ready condo development at 3045 N Clybourn Ave, I called Chris Campbell, Executive Director of GreenWerks, a Chicago-based green contractor, to get some more information about the cost of installing solar panels on private residences.
GreenWerks has a price calculator on its solar panels Web site that estimates the cost of installing solar panels on a home based on current energy use. The solar panels themselves represent about 60 percent of the total cost, Campbell says, and installation is about 30 percent.”

Read the rest of the article on Yo Chicago here.

” My first point of contact during this exercise was with a company call GreenWerks. You can check them out at greenwerkspro.com. GreenWerks is a general purpose commercial and residential contractor specializing in eco-friendly projects. I was immediately impressed when the proprietor, Chris Campbell, came to the office and walked through some low-impact ways we could accomplish our project. He explained what we could recycle, what would be difficult to recycle and how we could do what we needed to do with low-impact to our resources — both in budget and in materials. And, how we could get it all done on time without disturbing regular work flow. He then supplied the materials and personnel to do it without a hitch. His two workers, Santana and Leo, made every effort to be considerate and thorough. There were no surprises and everything turned out right — the first time.”
Read the full article here.

Richard McGinnis- Conscious Choice Magazine

” GreenWerks is a Chicago construction company with a difference. It is offers pragmatic and effective eco-friendly alternatives to businesses and home-owners through painting, renovation and handyman services. The goal of the company is to help its clients to reduce their carbon footprints and live greener lifestyles in measurable, manageable and practical ways. How do they do it?
GreenWerks offers design, remodeling, and painting and handyman services. They are one of the select “green paint” providers offering paints with low Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s) and minimal odor. Their paints and stains are Green Seal® approved, which means that they have passed stringent scientific testing in the US to show that it has less impact on the environment and human health. Did you get lost in the blizzard of green jargon? Don’t you worry; I most definitely did when I first began researching them.
Conventional manufactured synthetic paints contain high levels of VOCs which are carbon chemical compounds that evaporate easily and warm the atmosphere, hence contributing to global warming. The GreenWerks website points out that 20% of hydrocarbon pollution comes from synthetic paint. In addition, research has suggested that VOCs combined with lead-based paints could be responsible for ailments such as lung cancer, leukemia and upper respiratory failure.
GreenWerks provides handyman services because they firmly believe that even the smallest job can contribute towards living an energy efficient lifestyle. Simply replacing 3 frequently-used light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs can save a household $60 per year in electrical bills as well as reduce approximately 300 lbs. of carbon dioxide. Now that is Simply Green!”
Read the entire article on A Developed World.
Deepthi Guttikonda- A Developed World

This is an an article about our Zero Energy Home in Oak Park, 2 Point Perspective is the architects and joint partner on this project.

” A second proposal for a “zero energy” home using solar and geothermal systems was presented by the Chicago firm 2 point perspective. The house would produce more energy than it uses and any excess would be sold back to the power company.

“If we’re not looking for a solution, then we’re part of the problem,” said 2 point perspective architect Lisa Elkins, noting that the United States makes up about 5 percent of the world’s population but uses about 20 percent of its resources.

The exterior of her firm’s 2,350-square-foot, three-bedroom home is more traditional, while the interior includes an updated open floor plan. Elkins said comparable homes in the area have sold for about $690,000 and the zero-energy home would be in the same price range.”

Read the full article on Chicago Tribune.

” Chris Campbell, founder and CEO of GreenWerks, puts customers in contact with a number of environmentally friendly contractors and products. GreenWerks also sells its own line of non-toxic paint.

“We do all the research for you to pick the best product and figure out how to make your home green,” he said.

He said anyone can make small changes like buying compact fluorescent light bulbs and using non-toxic paint. According to Campbell, conventional paints carry high levels of volatile organic compounds that evaporate and contribute to global warming.

Campbell also hawked a brand of bamboo flooring and cabinets that are 100 times harder than oak and have a 50-year finish.

“It has a non-toxic finish and contains no formaldehyde and no VOCs,” he said, noting that it costs about 5 to 10 percent more than conventional flooring.”

Read the full article here.

” There is a waking emergence of green contractors, professional builders, remodelers, painters and handymen who use materials that are non-volatile.

Chicago’s Green Werks is a professional painting and repair company that specializes in green remodeling and retrofitting solutions for the global warming age.

Chicago residents have caught the bug and are looking toward thier contractor services for the new environmental standard. Consumers are familiar with and are demanding green products, from non-carbon house paints to construction equipment powered by organic-diesel.

It is a community dedicated to becoming a world leader in the fight against global warming, while supporting a growing industry that actually profits from green applications.”

Read the full article here.

“GreenWerks is a contracting service that provides design, remodeling, painting, and repair services. They use low-VOC paints and energy-efficient systems and their designers are accredited with certifications including ALA, LEED ap, AIA and nCARB. GreenWerks will take on both large and small-scale projects, from an entire green remodel to simply installing shelving or painting a room. We contacted them for a quote on a painting job and, although we decided to go the DIY route, they responded right away and were very helpful and well-informed. ”

Read the full article here.

” Green Werks specializes in green renovation, such as using (renewable resources) like Bamboo for your flooring needs. Bamboo is a more eco fiendly option, than regular wood materials.

They conduct full on remodeling, but also painting and general handy man work. If you live in the Chicago area, and are wanting to green up your home, give Green Works Pro a call or visit them on Monroe Street.

They will give you a consultation and let you know which materials are green, and how to best proceed in a sustainable fashion. ”

Read the full article here.

” Chris Campbell, already a business owner at 22, also has his eye on that dual prize: making money while doing good. Campbell, a marketing and public relations major at DePaul University, just launched a business, GreenWerks, Inc., providing ecofriendly contractor and remodeling services in the Chicago area. “I really think going green is going to be the next industrial revolution for the U.S. economy, as it’s begun to be in the [United Kingdom],” he said. Campbell says he’s a born entrepreneur. Ever since a young age, I have always been the one mowing the neighbor’s lawn or having the lemonade stand,” he said. He credits his studies, including ethics and a class in sustainable lifestyles, with helping to sharpen his focus to a business aimed at creating solutions “that are cost-effective and for the greater good. ”

Read the full article here.

” Breaking a sweat over (gulp) renovations? Give your handy-andy a rest and chill out with the dream team at GreenWerks, a local group of green contractors and LEED-accredited architects ready to tackle fixer-upper projects big and small, whether you need a simple nontox paint job or a full-on retrofit. (These guys’ll give you the why too. We asked: What makes bamboo flooring better? It’s renewable, yes, but can also be 100 times stronger than oak with a 50-year finish.) Still anxious? Think how your lungs (and wallet) will feel: an eco-smart remodel gets you better indoor air quality and lower gas-electric bills. (Draft-free double-pane windows coming soon to our loft apartment.) Now, no need to fret.

Wanna Try?
GreenWerks, 79 W. Monroe St. b/t Clark and Dearborn Sts. (877-449-3757). Free consultations include project review and proposal preparation. Bamboo flooring, strand woven, $9/square foot. ”

Read the full article here.

” The Duct Tape Marketing blog has an inspiring podcast about Brown Lures, a company using social media in the low-tech fishing industry to sell their products. It’s a must listen for anyone in the plumbing, contracting or lawyering trades.

Even so, I bet there’s a lot of nay sayers who doubt the value of this new media. For those of you who fall in this category, let me ask you two questions. Are you looking for a better way to build relationships with your customers? Yes. Is your personality an important ingredient in attracting and retaining customers? Yes. Then consider social media. When you strip away the technological jargon it’s simply about putting yourself out there, with the goal of creating a meaningful, two way dialogue with your customers. You’re already doing this when you talk to a person over the phone or in person. Social media allows you to present your voice in the word of mouth conversations people are already having about your business online.

The real power of the medium is evident when it’s coupled with a clearly differentiated company, in an industry that has been slow to adopt the technology. Case in point, Greenwerks, a Chicago based contractor. Their niche is green design, construction and retrofitting. To enhance their position as eco-conscious the company website includes a blog providing examples of how the company minimizes their carbon footprint, in addition to presenting simple ways for you to lead an environmentally friendly life. The strategy is augmented with traditional avenues such as email marketing, attending green trade shows and events. Far from just presenting themselves as an environmentally conscious, the people at Greenwerks run their business true to that purpose. A crucial part of the mix, social media allows Greenwerks to lay bare their consistent actions, showing their authentic self and influencing the creation of a ‘green’ meme (association) tagged to their business.

Compared to other “green” contractors, Greenwerks has a well defined position that places it well ahead on the curve of eco-responsible companies.”

Read the full article here.