CEO and co-founder
Liberty Power Corp.
Services
FINALIST
David Hernandez
CEO and co-founder
Alberto Daire
president and co-founder
Liberty Power Corp.
David Hernandez and Alberto Daire weren’t scared off from founding Liberty Power shortly after the 2001 Enron Corp. scandal. It was a trying situation, however, and entering the power industry at that time presented significant risks. Banks were hesitant to make loans, and customers had lost trust in utility companies.
So the pair took a different approach — Liberty Power was able to position itself as the “anti-utility company” that focused on customer relationships and excellent service rather than chasing profits.
president and co-founder
Liberty Power Corp.
Hernandez and Daire have led Liberty Power to become the largest independent retail electricity supplier as well as the largest Hispanic-owned energy company in the U.S.
The company’s rise to distinction reflects the strong work ethic and entrepreneurial spirit that the founders live and lead by. Both came from humble backgrounds, invested every cent they had to start the company, and neither took a salary for the first three years of operation.
One of the key factors in the growth and success of Liberty Power was that the company was able to build strong, personal relationships with customers. Daire went door-to-door to hundreds of businesses to seek customers while Hernandez negotiated with power plant owners to find suppliers.
When the switch was thrown in September 2002, 100 commercial customers in the New York City area came online with Liberty Power.
While the electricity was then flowing, the challenges did not end there. Liberty Power struggled to obtain lines of credit and almost ran out of money. Hurricane Katrina and the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill brought additional problems. Liberty Power had to find a new creditor when a large, multi-national bank collapsed.
Attacking these challenges and solving them has made Liberty Power a stronger company as it moves into the future.
The company mirrors its relationship-building efforts for customers to employees as well. With a “people first” philosophy, employees share the company culture values of accountability, diversity, integrity, respect, teamwork and trust.
How to reach: Liberty Power Corp., www.libertypowercorp.com
