Page 22 - BusinessWest March 2, 2026

“It’s about making
sales, but it’s also
about getting our
name out there.
It will be good to
remind people
that we’re here
and that we’re
willing to travel to
handle a project.”
and more competition for what did emerge, and it was also slower
on the residential side amid inflation, tariffs, and general uncertain-
ty. The company is looking at home show participation as one strat-
egy for putting more work on the books for 2026 and beyond.
“We want to be aggressive; we want to put our best foot forward
in terms of getting people to knock out the room they’ve been hold-
ing out on,” he explained. “If they’re renovating a room, a home
office, bedroom, you name it, then we want to be able to provide
products at excellent prices.
“It’s about making sales, but it’s also about getting our name out
there,” Beturne added. “It will be good to remind people that we’re
here and that we’re willing to travel to handle a project.”
For Earthlight Technologies, there are several motivating factors
when it comes to trade show participation, and the company takes
part in several, Bessette noted.
It does so to educate the public on its many products and servic-
es, he said, listing EV charging stations, energy efficiency, and other
energy solutions. But it’s best known for commercial and residential
solar, which remains a popular option, despite the end of the 30%
federal solar tax credit on Dec. 31 with the signing of the One Big
Beautiful Bill Act.
“The value proposition doesn’t really go away because there’s no
tax credit,” he explained. “The sky is not falling; solar is still going
to be a very viable option for a long-term return on investment.”
There is a good amount of work on the books for 2026, he
noted, adding that the show will hopefully generate more, while
also helping the company tell its story and differentiate itself from
what is still a crowded field of competitors.
“The trade show is a really good way for us to stand out, specifi-
cally when customers can talk to our sales reps,” Bessette said.
“Unfortunately, our industry doesn’t have the best reputation. In any
industry, there are bad actors or people that might promise more
than they can actually deliver. You have that in any industry, but it’s
fairly prominent in the solar industry. When you talk to our sales
reps and the people at our company, that’s a differentiating factor —
we take really good care of our customers.”
Andy Crane says the Home & Garden Show provides vendors
with an opportunity to be visible — and also put some
business on the books.
Bottom Line
Each company has its own message to get across, said Crane,
adding that the Home & Garden Show has been connecting con-
tractors with the public — and existing and potential customers —
for seven decades now.
This tradition will continue later this month, with a four-day
show at which vendors and visitors can get down to business, in
every sense of that phrase. BW
Partners in
S E R V I C E S
Earthwork
heavy civil construction
Site Development
Utility Infrastructure
Trucking & Hauling
General Contracting
Hatfield Construction delivers a
seamless partnership with trusted
expertise and proven results—
every project, every time.
C O N T A C T U S T O D A Y
413.247.6154
327 West Street, Hatfield, MA 01066
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MARCH 2, 2026
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