Global Efficient Energy
globalefficientenergy.com
Abe Issa knows a thing or two about knocking on doors.
It started in the 6th grade, when his class held a fundraiser selling chocolate. The student who sold the most would receive $250. As soon as school was over, Issa would spend hours knocking on the doors of people’s houses and trying to sell as much as he could. In the end, he won the contest.
Little did he realize he would be doing it again as an adult during the first few months of operation for his company, Global Efficient Energy, a Fort Worth-based solar power provider that recently made the 2015 Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies based on revenue over the past three years.
Issa began his energy company in 2011 after his real estate investment company fell apart the year before. He noticed a growing demand for energy-efficient services for homes and decided to get into the business. With $1,000 in capital, he started Global Efficient Energy and worked out of his apartment. He would call homeowners and go door-to-door, offering free home energy audits and giving advice on how to make a home more energy efficient. He sold various types of insulation, air conditioning systems and other services to anyone willing to listen.
“It wasn’t easy,” he said. “It’s not fun getting some doors slammed in your face.”
Still, there were people interested in Issa’s services. Within about three months, he had sold enough to move the business out of his apartment and into its own office.
The company continued to grow quickly. In the past three years, Global Efficient Energy grew 7,815 percent, according to the Inc. 5000 website. The company now has about 300 employees in five states, recording $28.6 million in revenue in 2014. At No. 32, Global Efficient Energy is the second-highest ranked Dallas-Fort Worth area business on the Inc. 500 list, with skincare company Nerium International leading the way at No. 12.
Global Efficient Energy is Issa’s third company to make the Inc. 5000 list. He previously owned real estate company Atlas Props, which made the list in 2009, and air conditioning company Apex, which made the list in 2014. Issa has since sold both companies.
Issa said the award comes as a result of hard work and having an organized, experienced management team.
“We’re excited to be on it,” Issa said. “It’s more important for my team. It’s a way for us to congratulate them.”
The company offers a variety of green energy solutions that are meant to cut energy costs while protecting the environment. Their services include solar installations, window upgrades and lighting systems among others. The company is also developing a home security system that comes with a component that monitors a home’s energy usage. The system is scheduled to release in January.
Issa said he expects Global Efficient Energy to continue growing — knocking on new doors, so to speak, and looking for opportunities to expand.
“I wanted to be a part of a newer, growing industry, something that was going to be hot, and something that was going to make a difference in the community and in the environment,” he said.