Business name: Entek Corp.
Co-owners: Allan Shero and Matthew Todd.
Each week, The Columbian offers a brief snapshot of an interesting Clark County business. Send ideas to Mary Ricks: mary.ricks@columbian.com; fax 360-735-4598; phone 360-735-4550.
Address: 7316 N.E. 47th Ave.
What the business does: Entek Corporation is a heating, ventilation, air conditioning and energy service company. Matthew Todd said his company specializes in design/build projects and developing long-term partnerships with building owners and managers. The company does mostly commercial and industrial work, though it also retrofits and upgrades home systems.
How has the economy affected your business: Todd said the overall work volume has not dropped much, but the type of work Entek does has changed quite a bit, with many customers focusing on energy efficiency. Tax credits that encouraged homeowners to make energy improvements kept Entek crews busy at the end of 2010, but changes to those programs led that business to dry up completely on Jan. 1. In other business lines, Entek experienced higher demand at the start of this year, but many clients that had been on the cusp of moving ahead with big projects have backed off.
Greatest challenge: Todd said his primary challenge is state-level regulation. Finding qualified employees is also a continuing challenge. The company requires new hires to have a clean driving record, and to be drug- and tobacco-free.
