Independent Solar Charts a Bold Course for Nationwide Expansion: Prioritizing Quality Over Speed

Every business owner hopes to achieve steady, sustained growth that builds and strengthens a company over time. But when it comes to scaling a business nationwide, some want to ride the wave of growth and push for expansion as quickly as possible. Others, like Randy French, founder and CEO of Independent Solar, take a more measured approach. 

Independent Solar was founded in Arizona in 2003 under the name Havasu Solar. Over the years, it’s become a significant presence in the solar world, even partnering with a major nationwide hardware store. 

For Independent Solar, expanding nationwide is the goal. However, Randy and the Independent Solar team are scaling the company in a slow, stepwise fashion.  

Only after one market is solid do they begin to reach out to another. As Randy has discovered, slowing down your expansion gives you time to glean new insights and sharpen your process as you go.  

“We moved into Nevada when Texas was still growing, so it was a learning experience,” he says. “Many companies blow and go, but we are about quality over quantity. Growth at the expense of quality isn’t worth it.”  

It’s a wise approach for any company but in the case of Independent Solar, the quality-over-quantity focus is tied to its mission. From the beginning, Randy wanted Independent Solar to stand out from the crowd regarding solar panel quality, customer experience, and energy savings. And to Randy, a big part of the customer experience is eliminating pressure.  

“I think an extremely important distinction between us and other companies is that those companies work on what they call a one-call close,” Randy explains.  

Thanks to the power of cloud computing, Randy’s sales reps can connect with the design team in real time to offer the customer an install accurate turn-key  proposal. In the spirit of true transparency, Independent Solar gives the customer a written proposal with a perfect design so there are no surprises. This Homeowner friendly process reduces change orders, reduces cancellations and radically speeds up the install process.  Our job is to please the Homeowner and the Dealers with a seamless, easy timeline.  

“We give you a document that shows you the system, how much it will produce, and how much you consumed last year. You know what will be installed and the timeline,” he says.  

When customers take their time with solar proposals, they’re better equipped to make clear decisions. Independent Solar operates the same way when deciding where and when to expand.  

When it comes to growing Independent Solar, Randy makes careful, deliberate decisions and doesn’t make them alone. “We have a strategic development team in-house,” he says. “That strategic development team already has a magnificent history of growing other companies. Our goal is to do business in multiple markets. Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Florida, Georgia, and both Carolinas — that’s our first rollout after Arizona and Nevada.” 

Independent Solar also aims to deliver a personalized, quality customer experience. However, many moving parts are required to make that happen. 

Salespeople must be hired to work in each location and given thorough training in drafting a solar proposal. Each location also needs a design team and properly licensed installers to install solar panels.  

Independent Solar emphasizes quality, so the team must figure out the logistics of sourcing high-end solar panels and shipping them to the local warehouses. 

Even though Independent Solar has become a respected name in solar power, Randy is determined never to forget that scaling a business is ultimately a learning experience — no matter how long you’ve been in the game. 

“We laugh now, we say ‘Boy, did we go to Solar University those first four years,’ but what did we learn and get out of that? And it was ‘never say die.’ I can’t quit.” “Now, we’re the best in the industry.” 

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