September 2008
Going Green With Infrared
By Andrea McGovern

The colors on this infrared camera show if a building is leaking heat, has proper insulation, or if there are hot spots in electrical wiring. Mike Giardini, owner of Infrared Inspection Technologies in Mentor, is checking the building of one of his clients, Jennifer and Co. Photo by Rick McPeak

One evening 18 months ago, Mark Giardini was doing something he did frequently – surfing the Internet for ideas. What he saw sparked a concept in Giardini’s entrepreneurial brain. Infrared technology, which has been long used by the military for surveillance purposes and by fire departments to locate hot spots in buildings, could be useful in fighting rising energy costs.

After 28 years in energy management in large commercial buildings, Giardini was interested in beginning a part-time business that would eventually lead to a second career when he retires from the large engineering firm where he has been employed for much of his career.

“Mark has a lot of ideas,” said his wife Joan, who is business manager of the couple’s start-up business, Infrared Inspection Technologies, which they currently operate from their Mentor home. “This one really grabbed me when he told me about it.”

Within a year, the Giardinis had developed a business plan, created a Web site and marketing strategy, purchased and been trained on the use of an infrared camera, and begun helping area homeowners discover those energy leaks that cost an increasing number of dollars as energy costs rise.

“All the things I do are trying to reduce energy costs,” Giardini said. “With infrared you can look at a building envelope and see exactly where energy is being lost.” He said when a building is losing heat, even the best heating and cooling system will not be efficient.

The convergence of concern over both the cost of energy and the effects of climate change are creating new jobs and revitalizing old ones in the “green sector,” that part of the economy that promotes efficient use of energy, reduction of pollution and the use of renewable sources of power.

It’s getting easier to be green and there’s opportunity there, according to a report published in June by the Political Economy Research Institute of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. The report cited Ohio as a state well-situated to re-invigorate its troubled manufacturing sector by playing a central role in creating a future green economy.

The report was commissioned in partnership with the Sierra Club, United Steelworkers, Blue-Green Alliance, Center for American Progress and Green for All, as well as the Natural Resources Defense Council.

The report proposes that nearly a half-million jobs could see growth or wage increases by putting green solutions to work. Workers will be needed to develop a new economy based on more efficient use of energy resources. They include sheet-metal workers, workers in the building trades, machinists, truck drivers and engineers, among others.

According to the report, a green economy does not displace traditional jobs; it creates new opportunities for a wide array of workers across many traditional disciplines. The report cites Ohio’s abundance of trained carpenters, electricians, operations managers, machinists, welders and industrial truck drivers, and says the state is well suited to play a major role in the task of creating the green economy.

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ADVENTURES IN DINING
Find out what’s so good about Luchita’s in Mentor that LCBJ readers voted it the Best Mexican Restaurant in Lake County.

FOCUS ON WILLOUGHBY
Mayor David Anderson likens downtown Willoughby to Times Square for New York City – the downtown is the image of Willoughby. What is it about the eclectic mix of unique shops, restaurants and bars that draws folks to the downtown on a typical Thursday night? And there’s more to Willoughby than its downtown.

BUSINESS BRIEFS
Sprice Printing & Graphics Inc. in Mentor and L.B.L. Printing in Concord Township have merged operations… Progressive Group of Insurance Cos. now offers coverage for three-wheeled compact vehicles that range from high-performance machines like the sports car/motorcycle T-Rex to energy-efficient, electric transporters like the ZAP Xebra… Zappitelli Enterprises Inc. purchased a three-unit, 3,100-square-foot plaza in Willoughby from EKLS Holdings. Sequoia Realty Corp. handled the sale… Gen X Tattoo has renovated and expanded its Willoughby tattoo studio, doubling its size… The Lubrizol Corp., a specialty chemical company in Wickliffe, has increased its prices for all product lines in the range of 12 to 20 percent … and read more Lake County area business news in the print edition.

MOVERS AND SHAKERS
Neothink LLC, a Willoughby IT services company focused on small business IT support services, hired John Wilt as a technical support engineer and Chris Bock as a technical support technician… The Holden Arboretum in Kirtland elected three new board members. The current board is joined by Jane Grebenc, Cynthia Moore-Hardy and Michael Victor… MEACO, the Mentor Economic Assistance Corp., appointed Pat Rositani and John Krueger to its board of directors… Kenneth Boydhas joined Wachovia Securities’ Willoughby office assenior vice president – investments… Lake Hospital System named Gary Robinson vice president of government and community affairs…The Downtown Painesville Organization, an organization founded to encourage economic development and historical preservation in Painesville’s historic downtown, has hired Doug Nagy as the group’s first executive director…read about more Movers and Shakers in the print edition.

Pick up a copy of the print edition and read all this and more including Lori Weber’s Alpaca Dreams column, Awards & Honors and other Lake County Business Journal features.

September
Investing Your Money Community Focus: Concord/Chardon
NEW Feature! Public Relations and Marketing (including directory)

October
Meeting & Event Planner Community Focus: Painesville & Painesville Township NEW Feature! Looking Professional, Feeling Good.