Innovation in the Mobile Power Industry

The Future of Power

OUTdrive Episode 52 with Chuck Justus

Clean energy sources are increasingly popular in today’s society, and the mobile power industry is an area in which many are working to improve. In this episode of OUTdrive, Cliff visits with Chuck Justus, founder of Evergreen Mobile Power and Green2Go Rental Power, about innovation in the mobile power industry.

Keep reading to learn how Chuck strategically identifies gaps in the mobile power, lighting and air industries and meets needs through innovative products. They also discuss increasing brand awareness, the effects of COVID-19, the future of power and more.

Clean Energy Alternatives

Chuck spent a portion of his career with Fabick Power Systems implementing large-scale mobile power solutions. During his time with the company, he worked closely with engineers and diesel power systems and observed a lack of efficiency and negative environmental impacts. With this information, he began to consider new ways to generate power, specifically for mobile applications, and Evergreen Mobile Power was born.

“I hear guys talking and they’re discussing serviceability, reliability and other things, and I’m just thinking this cannot be the only way,” says Chuck. “That’s when I really started thinking about other ways to do stuff.”

After recognizing a need, he began researching alternative power sources that would be more efficient and environmentally friendly. As time went on, he experimented with several different options and realized propane was the ideal source.

“Solar has its place, propane has its place and of course diesel has its place,” says Chuck. “But as I was developing the JuiceBox, which is our primary product that we build today, I kept getting pulled back to propane. With propane, the systems are already in place. There’s infrastructure, there are safety mechanisms in place, all that stuff is ready to go with propane and it works pretty good for what we do.”

Chuck’s first prototype was powered by solar, but he quickly discovered that although it’s a strong option for rooftop or ground installation, it was not ready for mobile application. Instead, he turned to propane and continues to rely on its efficiency, reliability, safety and small environmental impact.

Effective Ways to Increase Brand Awareness

Although he has developed several innovative products powered by propane, Chuck knows the challenge of increasing brand awareness and reaching his target audience. While a large portion of purchases are made online, many buyers prefer to view and test more expensive products before purchasing.

With this in mind, Chuck continues to focus on reaching customers in person. The company is currently running the JuiceBox Tour, which showcases the JuiceBox Mobile Power Unit across the country.

“We took a Ford Transit, vinyl wrapped it and hooked up the machine on the back of it,” says Chuck. “So [our team member] is out seeing customers and doing little events. People in my industry, they won’t buy something like what we have over the internet. They’re not going to buy it because of cool social media posts. They’re gonna want to see it, they’re gonna want to push the buttons, they’re gonna want to see the quality of it, so we’re bringing it to them.”

The JuiceBox Tour is a great example of understanding your audience and communicating with them in ways that they prefer. It is creative and memorable, meaning those who interact with the product won’t forget it and may even share their experience with others. If you are looking for inspiration for brand awareness campaigns, develop a strong understanding of your audience
and determine the most effective ways to reach them.

For Evergreen Mobile Power and Green2Go Rental Power, interacting with customers is also a great opportunity to educate and change their perceptions about propane as an energy source. Many don’t realize the potential of propane, but Chuck is working to change that.

“The hardest thing to get people to do is see propane as a viable option for these products,” says Chuck. “People are so used to just grabbing diesel fuel and pouring it into a machine. It has been the most difficult thing to get them to realize that propane is easy, if not easier, to use than a diesel or gasoline engine is.”

The JuiceBox is the primary product sold by Evergreen Mobile Power, but the company has introduced additional products to meet unique needs. These products include the Rover mobile light tower, PureTemp mobile air conditioning and BreezeBlock, a unique ducting solution for mobile HVAC units. In his other business, Green2Go Rental Power offers a variety of portable power and light solutions rentals for any job, including special events, disaster recovery, construction sites or telecommunications. No matter the job, Chuck excels at identifying needs and creating innovative solutions.

Effects of COVID-19 on Mobile Power Industry

Live events are a major market for Green2Go Rental Power due to the need for power and light in temporary locations, and COVID-19 impacted that area of Chuck’s business. However, because of the unique products and strategic business planning, he was able to shift focus to meet new market needs.

“We ended up serving the COVID testing community with temporary power, heating and cooling,” says Chuck. “There was also a heck of a hurricane season last year and we had quite a bit of equipment down in the Gulf Coast for that. There were no live events, but it was great that we were able to shift.”

As 2021 progresses, live events are picking back up and business is looking strong. Like many others, Chuck is excited that things are returning to normal and people are finding new ways to do things.

“For me, there’s still come COVID testing activity going on, but for the most part it’s special events and stuff seems to be really ramping up,” says Chuck. “I love that people are figuring out ways to do special events and gather in a safe way.”

Evergreen Mobile Power and Green2Go Rental Power History

As things return to normal, Chuck continues to build upon the strong foundation that his companies were founded on. His family has been supportive every step of the way and continues to be as the businesses expand. In fact, Chuck’s daughter played a core role in business growth by suggesting the name for one of the companies.

“I was explaining the machine to [my kids] and explaining what it did,” says Chuck. “And my daughter said, ‘What about Evergreen, Dad?’ and I just immediately saw it as two different words. I can brand around something eco-friendly that made sense, and it just stuck from there. We’ve used it ever since.”

Chuck’s interest in mechanical and electrical engineering also made sense for starting a new business, and his curiosity continues to drive him. He has designed every product and works closely with his team of engineers to continue creating innovative new ones.

“I have several people here that give some good input, so it’s a collaborative effort,” says Chuck. “I think I’m the spark plug. I see in the marketplace where the problems are and then I’m able to bring that in and say, ‘Hey, how do we fix this problem?’ And then as a team, we come back around and come up with these really cool innovative products.”

Whether it is introducing new features in the Rover or launching PureTemp, Chuck and his team continue to develop new products that increase efficiency and meet unique needs.

Tune in to this episode of OUTdrive to hear more from Chuck and Cliff about the mobile power industry. If you’re interested in learning more, visit www.evergreenmobilepower.com and www.rentgreen2go.com.