Winning With Service Is
Ohio Energy's Motto

When their paths first crossed at the University of Maryland, Seth Cammeyer and Brian Leader were going in different directions. Cammeyer was studying to be an accountant, and Leader was headed to a corporate marketing career. But their paths crossed again when they began working for the same home improvement company in Washington, D.C. A few years later, they merged their talents, moved to Columbus, Ohio, and began building Ohio Energy, Inc., into a dynamic company specializing in windows, siding, and sunrooms.

Eleven years after the company's 1989 founding, Cammeyer says it's proved to be a well-suited partnership, and they remain "the best of business partners and the best of friends."

All Under One Roof
It is also a profitable partnership. Sales this year for the 125-employee company are expected to reach $15 million-up from less than $5 million a few years ago.

Cammeyer explains the reason behind Ohio Energy's growth: "We're a full-service home improvement company. We do absolutely everything we can to help people enjoy and increase the value of their single largest investments, their homes. There is nothing more rewarding to us than serving our community in this manner."

Much of Ohio Energy's business comes from repeat customers and referrals. "Our customers know we provide a quality product, but, more than that, they know we guarantee quality service,"says Cammeyer. "We have everything they need under one roof, marketing, sales, construction, finance,and, more importantly, service. We understand that our customers have choices in the selection of a home improvement contractor. Some contractors offer lower-priced alternatives. Often they select Ohio Energy because of its commitment to winning with service."

Cammeyer relates an example of that service. One customer was having difficulty budgeting payments for a sunroom installation, a project she really wanted completed before her daughter's wedding. Understanding the expense of the wedding, Ohio Energy found a way to install the sunroom before the wedding and defer the first payment until after the wedding.

"We received two referrals from this customer," Cammeyer says proudly.

Morale Booster
With focus on providing full service, Cammeyer says it's essential to work with a full-service lender like Conseco Finance. "Not many people can run to their sock drawer when they decide to embark on a home improvement project. Consequently, it is incumbent upon us to help our customers to find a way to pay for the projects they desire. Anytime you can find quality financing for customers, you're saving them time, and you're helping them add value to their homes. The Conseco Finance name helps add creditability to each and every deal when we call upon them to help us finance."

In addition to providing a valuable service to customers, Cammeyer says Conseco Finance's consistency and flexibility help boost the morale of his sales staff. "Our sales staff deals with a lot of rejection," he says. "So when they get a contract, they know they can almost always find financing programs to fit their customers' needs through Conseco Finance. Because of our relationship with Conseco Finance, our sales staff's hard work is rewarded. This confidence benefits the customer, our sales reps, and our company." As a result, Cammeyer reports that the majority of his customers' financing is done through Conseco Finance.

Committed to the Business
While Ohio Energy experimented with branching out to other locations in the early years of business, Cammeyer says it made sense to keep the business centralized. He's satisfied with the company's current positioning and plans to grow the business through vertical integration and focusing on core competencies, such as great service, exceptional products, and fast, easy financing.

"The added business we get because of Conseco Finance is substantial," says Cammeyer. "We're committed to being in this business for the long haul, and we know Conseco Finance is, too. They take the time to build a relationship with our company, and they are there for us everytime we need them. And, most importantly, we feel Conseco Finance shares our passion for serving our customers."