Executive Suite: GreenLogic's Marc Clejan

GreenLogic Energy, Marc Clejan's company that sells solar panels, wind turbines and geothermal heating and cooling units, keeps expanding. It doesn't seem to matter that he's selling a product most people have never bought, during a time when household budgets are tiny and home improvement loans are scarce.

Founded in 2005, Southampton-based GreenLogic has offices in Manorville, Cutchogue, Roslyn Heights and Manhattan and has also spread into New Jersey.

Clejan's career began in IT, working for a fast-growing health care company. After it went public, a greater calling nagged the Cornell University grad to earn a master's degree in environmental management to help find a solution to the deteriorating natural environment.

After linking many environmental problems to global energy policies, he considered the renewable-energy industry to be "the optimal intersection of for-profit business and the environment," and he and chief operating officer Nick Albukrek created GreenLogic.

Now 48, Clejan is chief executive of one of the fastest-growing companies in the United States, growing from $2 million in revenue in 2007, to $11.4 million in 2010, according to a ranking by Inc. magazine. Part of GreenLogic's technique is to show people the energy savings data that "make sense."

What's a trend you're focusing on?

The emergence of the commercial sector. Businesses are starting to realize this is really a great way to lower the cost of their energy bills. They're getting access to more capital and recognizing the value of their roof space.

What's new?

Electric cars and charging stations. That's an area we expect to be in during the next year or so: providing charging stations.

What's one problem your clients face?

Financing purchases: I think increasing capital availability to our customers is probably the number one thing that would really help.

What do you look for in a job candidate?

We look for people who are really caring, diligent, and who care about the environment and their jobs; who are really looking for long-term employment and a long-term relationship with a company that they can really find a home in and contribute towards.

What's your advice on ways to survive the tough economy?

You're not going to survive very long if you're selling jobs that are below your costs. You can't grow your way out of that problem. Really understand your fixed costs, your variable costs . . . and what it costs to acquire a customer, what kind of long-term return you have for the acquisition of that customer.

What are your time-management tips?

Only look at your email twice a day -- at 8 a.m. and after lunch.

How do you replenish yourself?

I get to the water, surf, water ski, kitesurf, swim: I'm pretty much a water fanatic.

CORPORATE SNAPSHOT

Name. Marc Clejan, chief executive of GreenLogic Energy Llc, in Southampton.

What it does. Provide renewable-energy solutions including solar, wind turbines and geothermal heating and cooling, for residential, commercial and municipal customers.

Employees. 44 full time, 1 part time; in roles such as analysis, consulting, design, installation, maintenance and monitoring of systems.

Revenue. $11 million