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Establishing Two Market-Leading Companies with Focused Strategies
GridSME • November 23, 2021

Establishing Two Market-Leading Companies with Focused Strategies

GridSME announces that they will be spinning off their GridSecurity division into a standalone company in 2022. The GridSecurity spin-off venture will allow both companies the opportunity to shape their individual business models to better serve new and existing clients in a rapidly changing industry.

 

GridSecurity

For the past five years, the GridSecurity team has successfully served over 300 generators and control centers with a variety of services ranging from network architecture advisory services to ongoing network operations and managed security services. The GridSecurity spin-off will continue to solidify its position as an industry leader and will strategically scale to deliver innovative and value-added services for the power industry in the decades to come. Matt Barnes, GridSME’s COO/CFO, comments, “At this stage in its life-cycle, the GridSecurity business requires a different strategy than the rest of GridSME and this decision allows GridSecurity to best serve its clients by accelerating investments in new people, processes, and technology.” 


In response to this business opportunity, GridSME’s CEO, John Franzino, is transitioning from his role at GridSME to his new role as GridSecurity’s CEO. Since its inception in 2017, John has been a driving force behind bringing GridSecurity services to GridSME’s portfolio of solutions. Recently, Mr. Franzino stated, “The spin-off is a testament to the GridSecurity team, who has worked tirelessly for the last five years to turn an idea into an essential service and value-added business. As we move into the next phase of the renewable energy future, we are eager and excited to scale alongside our existing and future clients. Collectively, there is a lot of work to be done and we’re here to help deliver network operations and managed security services, which play a critical role in efficiently scaling the industry.”

Announcing GridSME’s New CEO

With John transitioning into GridSecurity’s CEO role, the GridSME team is excited to have Erik Youngquist, GridSME’s VP of Reliability and Compliance, immediately move into the GridSME CEO role. Erik brings over 13 years of energy industry experience where he has served in numerous roles ranging from electric substation protection system operations to leading teams of engineering and compliance SMEs. Erik joined GridSME in 2019 and quickly moved into the VP role in early 2021. In 2020, Erik successfully launched GridSME’s generator testing and model validation services, which continue to outperform expectations. “We are excited for Erik to move into the CEO role for GridSME,” said GridSME founders Eric Whitley and Lonnie Rush. “He was the natural choice to succeed John and we are confident, under Erik’s leadership, GridSME will continue attracting the industry’s best SMEs and adding value to our clients.”   

Announcing GridSME’s New VP of Reliability and Compliance

Jason Miller has been serving as GridSME’s Director of Reliability Engineering since joining GridSME in May 2021. Jason brings over 15 years of experience in utility operations, heavy construction, and consulting within the energy industry into his new role as GridSME’s VP of Reliability and Compliance. “Jason’s strong operational mindset and natural leadership abilities make him a perfect candidate to take over and grow the Reliability and Compliance team,” says GridSME’s new CEO, Erik Youngquist, during a GridSME townhall meeting. 

Expectations for the Future

The GridSME and GridSecurity teams will continue a strong partnership as they collectively serve the growing needs of their clients and the power industry. “The caliber of talent and entrepreneurship found in both companies truly blows us away. We have never been more bullish or confident in the direction and future of GridSME and now GridSecurity.” says GridSME’s founders, Eric Whitley and Lonnie Rush, during a GridSME townhall meeting.

 

As a new or existing client of either company, you can expect the same level of service and innovation that has been synonymous with the GridSME brand and culture over the last decade. Both companies are actively communicating with their clients regarding any necessary modifications or amendments to administrative documents and processes.

Upcoming NERC Level 3 Alert – Essential Updates for Inverter-Based Resource (IBR) Operations and Compliance

November 8, 2024
Information regarding an upcoming NERC Alert Level 3

GridSME Welcomes Casey James to the team!

By GridSME's Grid Integration Team • November 4, 2024
Welcome Casey James: Our New Senior Meter Engineer at GridSME We are thrilled to announce that Casey James has joined the GridSME team as our Senior Meter Engineer! With over seven years of experience in metering engineering and management, Casey brings a wealth of expertise to our clients, supporting their needs in large-scale energy projects, regulatory compliance, and advanced metering solutions. Casey holds a B.S. in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, specializing in Power from California State University, Sacramento, and has built a reputation as an expert in controls and metering integration, battery energy storage systems, and both retail and wholesale metering. His skills also extend to consulting on metering regulations on a national level, where he has guided critical stakeholders and driven innovation in metering standards for the evolving power sector. In previous roles, Casey has led teams of engineers and technicians across California, establishing best practices, training programs, and compliance workflows for efficient, accurate project delivery. He has been instrumental in developing metering methodologies for some of the largest solar and battery energy projects in the country and has substantial experience with CAISO-compliant inspections, SCADA implementations, and programming complex metering algorithms. At GridSME, Casey’s technical acumen and leadership will be invaluable as he works to deliver precise, reliable, and compliant metering solutions for our clients. We are excited to have him on board to help advance our mission and further support our clients in the energy industry.  Please join us in welcoming Casey to the GridSME family!
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