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The Company We Keep

Dear Reader,
This blog is now an archive. John Abrams (Founder of South Mountain, author of this blog, and a book of the same name) retired on December 31, 2022. All posts published up until this date are preserved below.

For updates on John's next chapter, visit abramsangell.com.

For updates on South Mountain's second act, subscribe to our newsletter using the form below.

Martha's Vineyard

Earth Day SunPower & SMCo Series Conclusion

April 25, 2017 by John Abrams Leave a Comment

SunPower’s final blog post about its collaboration with SMCo is focused on our commercial and affordable housing solar projects.

That’s it for this series, just in time for Earth Day 2017, which comes just in time for the planet. In “How The Active Many Can Overcome the Ruthless Few,” Bill McKibben says “We’ll either save or doom the planet during the Trump administration.” Today scientists will march on the National Mall. A week later, on Trump’s 100th day, there will be another major Climate Change march in Washington. Scientists are angry. People are angry. McKibben says, “Trump has pissed people off, and pissed-off people don’t ask for small and easy progress. They demand the shifts that reality requires.”

Now is the time. As the SunPower series demonstrates, we can effectively do what we have been unable to do in the past. The shift to renewables is underway, un-stoppable and irreversible, but time is the big variable. How fast, how soon, how much?

Link to the SunPower blog post here. Onward.

mv3-commercial-install

Filed Under: Climate Change, Energy, Environment, Martha's Vineyard, Politics, South Mountain Company Tagged With: cronigs, earth day, earth month, Martha's Vineyard, solar power, SunPower

SunPower: There’s More

April 25, 2017 by John Abrams Leave a Comment

For the Earth Day campaign mentioned in the last post, SunPower created two videos and three blog posts. This link will take you to their second video and second blog post. Please take the journey to explore the SunPower/South Mountain relationship further. This one is about the connection between our devotion to craft and our passion for solar. The two go hand in hand.

We’ll send out another reminder when the 3rd SunPower blog post is up. Thanks for listening!

17_RESI-201_EarthBlog2-Social-Images-Twitter-2

Filed Under: Design, Energy, Environment, Martha's Vineyard Tagged With: clean energy, Deep Energy Retrofits, earth day, earth month, Martha's Vineyard, solar, SunPower

SunPower Features South Mountain & Vineyard for Earth Day

April 25, 2017 by John Abrams Leave a Comment

To honor Earth day this year, SunPower, the manufacturer of the solar panels we install, decided to do a campaign about South Mountain here on the Vineyard. They put a ton of effort into this. They spent time here with us last Fall, did several videos and photo shoots, and wrote extensively about our company and our work. We’re honored by their decision to feature us, and we appreciate their beautiful work. We also appreciate our relationship with SunPower, an American company that makes the best solar panels in the world. If you’d like to see what they’re up to with this, click here.

17_RESI-201_EarthBlog-Social-Images-Facebook-1 CROPPED FOR BLOG

Filed Under: Climate Change, Collaboration, Cooperatives, Energy, Martha's Vineyard, South Mountain Company Tagged With: clean energy, earth day, earth month, Martha's Vineyard, SunPower, Vineyard Power

The Lease of the Long Now

April 25, 2017 by John Abrams Leave a Comment

After a year of design, we’ve just begun construction of a sweet project for a great family on an extraordinary property at Seven Gates Farm. It’s the third project we have done, on different pieces of this remarkable this part of the Vineyard. The first was in 1995, the second in 2004, and now this one.

Read More about The Lease of the Long Now

Filed Under: History, Long Term Thinking, Martha's Vineyard Tagged With: Martha's Vineyard, seven gates farm, the clock of the long now

The Carpenters will Endure

March 25, 2014 by John Abrams Leave a Comment

This has been one long, cold winter with very few breaks.

There was a day in January when we had the coldest temperature (5 below) since I’ve lived here (nearly 40 years).  Many of the New England snowstorms dropped more in the southerly regions than in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.  The snow stayed on the ground.  Turned to ice from time to time.  The cold kept on coming.

It’s not over yet.  A blizzard’s on the way, or so they say.

Through it all, our carpenters and solar installers are out there in it, day in and day out.  Sixteen of our 35 employees do carpentry or solar installations – almost half our workforce.

Sometimes they’re working inside, but mostly not, especially this winter when I really wish they could have been.

But no such luck.

It does help to have a heat source to go to.  Here’s a beauty, on one of our jobs, with the crew gathered at “camp” for coffee break.

During one deep cold snap in January Billy Dillon, one of our project leads, came into the office and announced, “Tomorrow is  architects’ day on the job.”

Only one, Ryan Bushey, showed up.  He may be smiling, but you can bet he’s hurtin’ and shivering too.

How long do you think he lasted at 10 blustery degrees?

Unlike Ryan, they dress for it.  Phil Forest, our solar project lead, who’s out there every day that he possibly can be, says it’s all about layering, and wool is the best for minimizing bulk.  Here’s what he wears on cold days:

• 2 pairs wool felt boot inserts

• 2 pairs thin wool socks

• 3 pairs wool long johns

• 2 turtle necks

• 2 wool sweaters

• 2 sweatshirts (one a hoodie)

• wool hat

• warm, comfortable knee pads

• 2 cups of coffee

A beard helps too, he says.  He listed fifteen different articles of clothing (!) and the list doesn’t even include pants and boots and gloves.  Wonder how long it takes him to get dressed, huh?

Here’s a series of photos that shows the dedication of the solar crew (Phil, Hunter, and Dario) to getting the job done.

7:30 AM – snow on roof

About 9 AM -shoveled snow

About 10 AM – remaining snow melted

4 PM – modules installed

Job well done, in tough conditions.

These guys, all 16 of them – that’s Billy, Phil, Hunter, Dario, Rocco, Jon, Jean, DonE, Pete, PeteD, Bob, Curtis, Ryan (not the one in shorts), Ian, Chris, and Aaron to name them each – work in sometimes punishing conditions, doing what they do with warm clothes, great determination, tremendous endurance, big hearts, and good humor.   And remarkable skill.

They might just say Aw Shucks but I don’t think it’s a stretch to call it heroic.

 

Filed Under: Martha's Vineyard, South Mountain Company Tagged With: Martha's Vineyard, South Mountain Company

For Better Or Worse

June 21, 2010 by John Abrams Leave a Comment

Several weeks ago my old friend Marc Rosenbaum arrived on Martha’s Vineyard.  He often arrives on Martha’s Vineyard.  For 20 years this distinguished, nationally recognized building performance engineer has been arriving here to consult with us – to help us make better buildings. For 30 years he has been responsible for some of the most advanced buildings in New England.

When he arrived here last Tuesday, it was different than most times. 

Read More about For Better Or Worse

Filed Under: Climate Change, Design, Energy, Environment, Martha's Vineyard, South Mountain Company Tagged With: Alex Wilson, Energysmiths, Environmental Building News, Island Cohousing, Marc Rosenbaum, Martha's Vineyard, South Mountain Company

Here Comes the Island Plan

March 18, 2010 by John Abrams 1 Comment

The Island Plan is complete.

For now.

Four years in the making, this long-term plan for the future of Martha’s Vineyard, initiated by the Martha’s Vineyard Commission,  engaged hundreds of people in the collaborative process of its production.  island plan cover smallTo quote from the plan:  “ The purpose of the Island Plan is to chart a course to the kind of future the Vineyard community wants, and to outline a series of actions to help us navigate that course.  The Island Plan is both a blueprint and a call to action.”

I served on the Steering Committee and chaired one of the nine work groups – Livelihood & Commerce (the others are Development & Growth, Natural Environment, the Built Environment, Energy & Waste, Affordable Housing, Transportation, Water Resources, and Social Environment).

I spent more time working on the plan than I wished to and less time than I should have.

Read More about Here Comes the Island Plan

Filed Under: Collaboration, Martha's Vineyard Tagged With: Island Plan, Martha's Vineyard, Martha's Vineyard Commission, Offshore Ale, Vineyard Power

Living Local & The Next Generation

October 4, 2009 by John Abrams 2 Comments

The third annual Martha’s Vineyard Living Local and Harvest Festival just ended.  It  began with a Friday night forum called Opportunities and Challenges – a Panel Discussion with Next Generation Island Leaders.

It was about youth.    logo_LLHV_50pc

Having just turned 60, I am acutely aware of the role of young people (in their 20’s and 30’s)  in my work life and civic life.  At work they are a constant theme and a growing force.  There is a great transition in process at South Mountain Company – from first generation leadership to the next.  It’s a long, gradual journey, sometimes a bit frightening but mostly thrilling, and it’s gathering steam.

Read More about Living Local & The Next Generation

Filed Under: Leadership, Martha's Vineyard, Politics, South Mountain Company Tagged With: Climate change, Local Economies, Martha's Vineyard, Re-localizatio, South Mountain Company

Values and Principles

September 14, 2009 by John Abrams 1 Comment

A group of friends was here for a post-Labor Day vacation, enjoying the last harmonies of Vineyard summer – warm water, cool breezes, and empty roads.  Devon Hartman runs a design/build company in L.A. and Jamie Wolfe is a design/builder from Connecticut.  Dennis Allen runs a building company in Santa Barbara, CA.  Sal Alfano is the editor of both the Journal of Light Construction and Remodeling Magazine.  Each is remarkable in his own way.  Each has much to teach.  All agreed to do a panel discussion for an SMCo company meeting.

The following questions were put to the four of them:  what happened to your business (and you) between last September and this September, what lasting effects has the economic crisis had, and what’s next for you and your enterprise?

They spoke about the troubles of these times, but they also spoke – compellingly – about the possibilities, and new doors that are opening.

Read More about Values and Principles

Filed Under: Economic Crisis, Leadership, Small Business Tagged With: Born To Run, Economic Crisis, Martha's Vineyard, South Mountain Company

All Is Forgiven

August 30, 2009 by John Abrams 1 Comment

I managed to get through the Martha’s Vineyard summer attending only one fundraiser.  That’s a record.  And, for the first time in at least a decade, I did no fundraising for the causes I care about.  I must admit it felt good.  Fundraising is hard.

The single event I went to  – for our Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick – was a good one,.  It happened to be scheduled for the day after we found out Ted Kennedy died.  Deval spoke about Kennedy.  He said, “ I knew him before I ever met him because my mother used to say, to no one in particular” (and here he slipped into a drawl), “I just love me some Kennedy.”

Read More about All Is Forgiven

Filed Under: Energy, Martha's Vineyard, Politics Tagged With: Cape Wind, Deval Patrick, Martha's Vineyard, Ted Kennedy

Early Morning Meeting

August 28, 2009 by John Abrams 7 Comments

My wife and daughter and I recently had the great good fortune to attend an Alcoholics Anonymous  meeting.  The occasion was the one-year sobriety celebration of a close friend.  We were  invited to witness her achievement.  This wasn’t just a celebration; it was a regular AA meeting.  There were 35 people there, many of whom we knew (this is a very small place) and all of them no longer anonymous to us (as a friend says, in a small community like this there is no AA, just A).   How brave, and generous, for them to welcome us and allow us to share their meeting.

I’ve always wanted to witness first hand the workings and organizational structure of this remarkably effective and superbly networked (without – even – the need of the internet!) institution. The amazing part – it has no leaders!

Read More about Early Morning Meeting

Filed Under: Leadership, Martha's Vineyard Tagged With: Democracy, Leadership, Martha's Vineyard

Sharing Ownership of the Future

August 21, 2009 by John Abrams 3 Comments

One more post (which might become two) about employee ownership and workplace democracy before I veer off toward some related topics. . . .

Despite the Obama administration’s recent shift in emphasis from homeownership to rental housing (which I will discuss in detail in a future post), homeownership is at the very heart of the American dream. Owning our work, and finding meaning there, seems as essential to a good life as owning our homes. But although many of us own homes, far fewer own our work.

Read More about Sharing Ownership of the Future

Filed Under: Companies We Keep, Employee Ownership, Martha's Vineyard, South Mountain Company Tagged With: Charlottesville, Employee ownership, Martha's Vineyard, South Mountain Company, Va.

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