New Address: Two Embarcadero Center, 8th floor, San Francisco, CA 94111     

Bruce Erickson & Maggie Watson, Mendocino Solar

M & B at Weeks systemBruce Erickson and Maggie Watson were employed by Mendocino Solar and then bought out the owner in 2005. To transition from employees to the boss, they met with West Company consultants who assisted them with financial planning, employee management, social media, and funding that included a $12,000 stimulus grant and a $95,000 business loan.

“We are a family owned business…. We just celebrated our seventh anniversary,” says co-owner Maggie Watson. “We started at zero employees; no we’re at five and we plan to add two to four employees in the next year or so.”

Not only is the company hiring and increasing revenue in a down economy, but the owners care deeply about their community and are committed to a green future. The company is a solar contractor for GRID Alternatives, a non-profit that provides solar systems for low income homes.