Disabled Veteran and Business Owner Battles for Energy Efficiency

AMHERST — CTI Energy Services, LLC, based in Amherst, was recently certified by the Department of Veterans Affairs as a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB). Craig Meadows, the firm’s CEO and certified energy manager, served in Vietnam, where he sustained his injuries.

For more than 35 years, Meadows has worked hands-on in the energy field. He has been regional vice president and U.S. general manager for international energy-service companies and has been a principal in his own energy-efficiency businesses. In 2009, he, Thomas Timmins, and several local investors teamed up to form CTI Energy Services, LLC, with an eye toward opportunities and future growth in the industry.

This SDVOSB designation opens the way for CTI to take advantage of further federal and state set-aside provisions. The SDVOSB certification expands the scope of CTI’s operations for energy savings and renewable-energy projects as well as more partnerships with national and international energy-services companies.

Since its founding, CTI has earned a reputation for successful management of energy-savings performance contracts (ESPCs), primarily with small to mid-size housing authorities in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Midwest. Two years ago, the company began working with private schools, not-for-profit human-service organizations, and government agencies to identify opportunities for improved energy efficiency, solar energy, and compliance with the federal and state mandates. CTI is on the Department of Energy’s qualified list of energy-services companies.

As one of only three SDVOSB companies in the DOE’s new ESPC ENABLE program, CTI received a Schedule 84 award from the General Services Administration. CTI’s steady growth now has the potential to take a giant leap forward.

“We may be a small company, but our vision has always been far-reaching,” Meadows said. “Our business is all about bringing together people, technology, financing and other resources to improve — and, in the process, to help make this a healthier planet for everyone.”