Why Small Businesses Matter
Shop small, do big things for your community
Why Small Businesses Matter puts a spotlight on the local merchants who donate their time, talent, goods, and services for the betterment of our community. The shop local movement spreads virally as local businesses who are “tagged” have the opportunity to share their story!
You're IT Steven Winter Associates!
Four questions with Jayd Alvarez, a Marketing Coordinator at Steven Winter Associates.
Why did you start your business?
As a young architect, the firm’s founder, Steven Winter, launched Steven Winter Associates in 1972 out of his realization of how inefficient buildings were in their design and construction methods, as well in their use of man-made and natural resources.
At the time, there was no “green energy” or sustainability industry, and the technology and methodologies have drastically evolved since then; however, the core mission of the firm, to improve the built environment, has stayed true to its origins.
What is your best-selling product/service?
We take a holistic approach with our services to help create buildings that are sustainable, use less energy-efficient, equitable, healthy, and accessible to all. While we offer a wide range of consulting services, from green building certification to existing building retrofits, and accessibility compliance, our projects are often a collaboration of teams and services, so we can’t just pick one!
How many local businesses do you use to support your business (products and services) and can you name them?
We work with local real estate developers, building owners, architects, and building contractors on our projects - from schools to offices, to individual residential homes! These projects in turn benefit our local community.
- Norwalk Housing Authority
- Norwalk Hospital
- Eversource Energy
- Brightview Senior Living, Norwalk
- Norwalk Community College
- Alexion, New Haven
- UCONN, multiple locations
- Roosevelt Elementary School, Bridgeport
- Harbor Point, Stamford
- Trillium Architects (Ridgefield)
- BPC Green Builders, Wilton
- Becker + Becker Associates, Westport
… and many more! Two current Connecticut projects we are excited about are the senior housing retrofit of the former East Haven high school, The Tyler, and the hotel retrofit of the historic Pirelli building in New Haven!
Have you "reimagined" your small business?
We have done so many times over 50 years. From early on working with modular housing and large government research contracts to responding to the increased accountability for energy use and carbon emissions in recent years, we have successfully shifted our services to respond to market demand.
Most recently, as with many businesses, we had to adjust during the pandemic. We utilized that opportunity to re-image how we can offer our services. We are excited to be developing and launching a virtual learning platform, as well as an online tool for building owners and managers to manage their portfolio energy use and identify opportunities for large-scale improvements, in conjunction with providing operations and maintenance training for building staff.
Joyd and Steven Winter Associates nominate Chateaux technology services for another Norwalk small business to participate in next!
Steven Winter Associates is located at 61 Washington Street in Norwalk. Visit Steven Winter Associates online here, and make sure to check out their Facebook page as well!
HamletHub thanks Fairfield County Bank for making our Why Small Businesses Matter series possible!