Tell us about yourself. What SunnyMac team are you a part of?
My name is Mike and I’m Site Survey Supervisor here at SunnyMac. A lot of customers may not realize this, but SunnyMac has its own in-house team of site survey technicians, something that’s kind of unique in this industry. I invest a ton of training into each member of my team, because not only are we responsible for thoroughly accessing every job, including collecting information, photos, specs and drone footage needed, but we are the first face a customer sees once the project begins. We work hard to collect all information needed so that our designers, engineers, project managers, roofing team, electricians and installers can move forward delivering the best solar installation possible. A quality site survey sets the stage for a timely, organized and efficient customer experience, which is huge here at SunnyMac.
Tell us about your career growth at the company. What positions have you held?
I first started at SunnyMac over 9 years ago as a solar installer, back when Matt MacFadden, our founder and CEO was still getting on the roof occasionally to inspect installations. I was able to gain first-hand knowledge on everything involving solar installations during that time. I also got to work alongside our Lead Roofing Foreman, Rick Manero, who had over 20 years of experience installing roofs. Roofing expertise is absolutely essential to installing solar roof mounts. I’m so thankful he was there to mentor me. I learned so much they ended up promoting me to Solar Roof Lead, managing all roof installation projects. Then, Matt noticed I was really good at speaking with customers. I think my background in teaching helps me explain things in ways customers can easily understand, so he promoted me to Site Survey Technician, a role that requires solar and roof knowledge, but also interfacing with the customer to answer all questions.
I was then promoted to Designer, and it was my job to access shade reports and energy production potential of the roof and submit plan sets to the CAD drafters and townships. This was back when much of the work was done by hand. Now we have sophisticated software to help analyze shade and energy capability during the design process. After that, there was a need for a Site Survey Technician, and so I took the job. It was great because I got to train under Site Survey Technician Lead who had years of experience, and taught me more than I thought possible. Not only did I learn everything involving site surveys, including structural engineering and potential red flags to observe during a site survey, but I got my Flight 107 Drone Pilot’s license, OSHA 30 and I became a North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioner associate.
What’s your day to day look like?
Quality is everything to SunnyMac, so on a daily basis I review all completed surveys for accuracy before pushing them to our design team next. Every site survey gets multiple sets of eyes to ensure the project is fully understood. My day could also be filled with ground mount prep, visiting/auditing site surveys, and being available for a phone or video call from anyone on my team. My team is super tight, and since they are in person with customers, they need to be equipped to answer questions that arise. I always look for opportunities to ensure they’re learning and gaining skills constantly, but if needed, they can always come to me for an answer on the spot. Ongoing education is important to me. I think my background as a teacher comes into play in this role because I’m able to assess each team member on an individual level and understand their learning style and adapt my training to meet their needs, ensuring my team is very well prepared for questions customers may ask. We also meet once a month for an all-hands team meeting to build camaraderie, learn from real-world examples and share questions customers have asked. We know how to answer all the routine questions, but we love getting granular about situations that could come up. I can say with confidence that my team is incredible at what they do.
Tell us about something you’re proud of, either a personal or professional accomplishment.
Being promoted to Site Survey Supervisor position. The position didn’t really exist before. I’m glad we have our own department and can operate as we do. I’m also really proud of my team, because they are dedicated to quality and growth. Everyone I’ve hired has stayed at the company, and that’s a great sign. They’re building their knowledge and growing, and I’m so proud of each of them. At SunnyMac, we like keeping people and giving them opportunities. We care about employees.
What is your favorite part about working at SunnyMac?
I get the most satisfaction from solving puzzles and providing quality for our customers. There are a lot of moving parts involved in any solar project. What I love about this company is we handle so much for the customer. That’s what sets us apart.
