Local businesses equip families with hurricane protection, recovery products

Gulf Breeze area residents and business owners will never look at hurricane season the same. The greater Gulf Breeze area has spent three of the past four years dealing with storms and storm damage, and many are now planning for the next potential season instead of fearing it. Much of the area has been rebuilt stronger than ever, and two exhibitors, Windows Direct and Power Supply, detail all that they can still do for area residents and businesses to become ready.

Windows Direct offers

quality product and service

Looking to replace your windows or doors? Overwhelmed by the requirements of wind and city ordinances? Need the best product at the best price? You don't have to look any further than your own area. Windows Direct USA of West Florida can give you all the information on windows, doors, hurricane protection and all the aspects of installing products to meet your local required codes.

Successfully, serving over 400 residential and commercial properties in the gulf coast areas replacing windows, doors and providing wind protection is our niche. Windows Direct USA has completed projects such as the windows and doors at the Boardwalk on Pensacola Beach, windows and doors for the Boardwalk Condominiums and windows at Oscar Penko's historic buildings on Palafox. The key to our success has been our ability to provide property owners with a variety of products to meet their needs within their budget as well as meeting the stringent local code requirements. Windows Direct USA works with multiple manufacturers like Atrium, Energy Saving Products, Jeld-wen, SilverLine, Armour Coat, etc. We don't lock our customers into one type of product to fit all. We have no gimmicks to offer. We put the savings into the price you pay for the product and the installation. That's what best benefits the customer.

Sherry and Mike Challenor own and operate the local Windows Direct USA of West Florida and are now heading up the franchise expansion, operating two additional stores in Jacksonville and Orlando. "We are hoping to expand in the Alabama and Mississippi locations in the near future," Sherry Challenor said. "We have spent many hours researching the best products and prices to offer our customers and separate our company from the others. We invested in a new website that offers the potential customer the opportunity for an online quote and to shop products, without the high pressure sale. The good thing about us is that we are here to stay and we are not going anywhere. We want to make things right for our customers so they will tell others."

You can call for a free estimate at 850-469-4858 or visit the website at www.windowsdirectusa.com. Windows Direct USA would love to earn your business, so please visit them at the Gulf Breeze Expo, or call Mike's cell phone at 565-7294. He is waiting to help you.

Power Supply powers homes

and businesses through storms

Surely you have noticed the emblazoned windows on the corner of Fairpoint Drive and 98. Those are the windows of Power Supply, Inc., a Gulf Breeze based home-standby generator company. Power Supply, Inc. was founded by Dennis Lazear and Stephen Homewood, not only Gulf Breeze residents, but neighbors. Lazear retired to Gulf Breeze in 2003 with his wife, Alison, and two children after 21 years in Milwaukee. Homewood, along with wife, Kim, and their three children moved to Gulf Breeze from the beach, after Hurricane Ivan.

Following Hurricane Ivan, because of his long, personal and working relationships with Generac Power Systems, Inc., Lazear's neighbor and former mayor, Ed Grey, asked him to meet with City officials to create a home-standby generator program for its residents. While the Gulf Breeze program was a complete success, the two men watched as everybody that could got into the generator installation portion of the business. It was at this point that they decided that a new company with three goals in mind was needed. The first goal, integrity, entailed excellent work at uninflated prices. Goal number 2, one phone call will get the job done; start to finish…no need to coordinate 3 or 4 independent contractors. Goal number 3 is complete post-installation service.

In order to transfer power to your house two of the major components needed are the generator and the automatic transfer switch (ATS). The ATS will sense when there is a power outage, automatically start your generator and transfer your home power needs to the generator in about 30 seconds. When power is restored, whether it is 2 hours or 10 days later, the ATS will, again, transfer power back to your normal electric provider and shut off your generator. There is no need for you to be home when this occurs. The size of the required generator is totally dependent on your electrical needs…air-conditioner, cook-top, water heater, etc. The fuel source for the generator can be either natural gas or liquid propane. If you currently do not have natural gas, a quick phone call to Mina at the Gulf Breeze Natural Gas company will start the ball rolling.

Joey Robinson, a licensed electrician, is Power Supply, Inc.'s estimator/job coordinator and is available for free estimates and to answer any questions you may have regarding generators and their installation. Working in the field, two teams of professional, experienced installers, Josh and Kyle, and Jasen and John are always on the move. Serving Santa Rosa, Escambia and Okaloosa Counties, the boys are always on the move.

Be sure to stop by the Power Supply, Inc. outside booth at the Expo this weekend. Robinson can be reached at 932-0400, or on his personal cell phone at 565-7294. He is waiting to help you.