News
Local generator company signs deal with Home Depot
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
NEWINGTON — The Newington-based CT Home Generator Systems (CTHGS) just signed a deal with Home Depot, positioning the company at the top of the state’s generator service industry.
CTGHS is now the exclusive installer and service-provider for every Generac generator sold at 11 of the chain’s 18 Connecticut stores. The company also bought out the generator division of Acorn Bernier Electric in Clinton, gaining more than 260 additional accounts along the shoreline.
Both deals come just three months after Newington Electric, its parent company, expanded into a larger facility at 72 Pane Road and opened a generator showroom.
“Since we opened the new showroom, it really has opened a lot of doors for us,” owner Ed Ingalls said this week. “We’re trying to position our company to be the go-to Generac installation and service company.”
When Home Depot customers are looking to purchase a generator system, they will now be referred to CTHGS staff.
Once a purchase is made, the company takes care of installation, warranty service and repairs. Potential buyers can also visit the showroom to see how different systems might appear after being installed on their properties.
According to Ingalls, this is known as “turn-key” service.
“Oftentimes people will have their neighbor or friend who is an electrician install their new generator, and another plumber friend hook up the natural gas or propane to run it,” he said. “Then when it breaks down these guys say, ‘Oh I’m not certified to make repairs on that,’ and they’re stuck. A lot of homeowners get blindsided by this.”
CTHGS is the sole contractor used for all steps, from landscaping around installed generators to making repairs down the road.
Systems range in price from $6,000 to $10,000, depending on how much power a customer wants their unit to have the capability to restore.
“Sometimes it’s just all the lights, the microwave and the heat,” Ingalls said. “Other times people want everything from the washer and dryer to the hot tub.”
In addition to his partnership with Generac and Home Depot, Ingalls is looking forward to working with Kinsley Power Systems in the near future to become a dealer of Kohler generators.
Since Richard Ingalls, his father, founded Newington Electric in 1958, the company has grown significantly. It now shares a facility with subsidiaries Newington Electric Car and CT Home Generator Systems. The elder Ingalls passed away in 2000.
“I think he’d be overwhelmed to see how far we’ve come,” his son said.
“I made a commitment a long time ago — right out of high school — to be at the top of this business,” he added. “Now my dream is becoming a reality. We’re good at what we do and we love what we do.”
For more information, visit CTHomeGeneratorSystems.com or call toll-free (855) 667-4819.
Erica Schmitt can be reached at (860) 801-5097, or eschmitt@newbritainherald.com.
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