CHERRY HILL, NJ – – Bestwork Industries for the Blind, a not-for-profit manufacturing corporation that provides employment opportunities to people who are blind or visually impaired, turned to Hutchinson, a participating contractor for Direct Install – offered through the NJ Office of Clean Energy – for its energy saving needs.
Established in 1981, Bestwork has manufactured items including military, traffic safety and construction clothing. As the unemployment rate for people who are blind is at a staggering 70%, Bestwork strives to break down the barriers to employment and empower people through training and technology.
In meeting its mission of putting more people to work, Bestwork required additional facility space and moved into its current Cherry Hill location – doubling its square footage and enabling it to add commercial work in addition to its government contracts.
This move required a fresh look at existing HVAC and lighting; the building was outfitted with outdated and inefficient air conditioning units, along with fluorescent lighting dating back to the 1970s.
“As a mission-focused non-profit, we’re looking for the most inexpensive and efficient way to light and cool our building,” said Steve McLaughlin, VP of Finance and Operations, Bestwork.
“When we purchased the building, we knew that we would need to address existing HVAC but it didn’t make sense to spend a lot of money for a temporary fix. Since going green is important to us, Direct Install was very appealing,” said McLaughlin.
Through Direct Install, Hutchinson upgraded nine rooftop AC units and converted all interior lighting to high efficient LED. “The space is a much more comfortable work environment and much brighter, too,” said McLaughlin.
“It was fantastic working with Hutchinson – they put us on the forefront to meet our needs, worked around our schedule and didn’t disrupt our work place.”
About Hutchinson
Hutchinson is a leading energy/mechanical services contractor performing energy services, mechanical construction and retrofit installation work in the Greater Philadelphia Tri-State Region. Hutchinson’s technicians are factory trained, NATE certified and are on-call 24/7 365 days a year. Visit www.hutchbiz.com for more information.
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