Date Published: 30/04/2024
Team Ecocorp: Meet the family
A great family business built from the ground up
Ecocorp Solar SL have been trading in the Almería and Murcia area since 2007. Covering the whole of both provinces, they are experienced in the design and configuration of bespoke solar power systems, tailored to meet their clients’ individual needs. They are a family business, but now with extra members in the team.
Vic and Sam Underwood brought their children, Daniel and Holly, to the whitewashed village of Bédar, Almería province in the year 2007, the children being aged 15 and 12, respectively. This was the start of their new life in Spain. Daniel and Holly were enrolled in the local school and have been brought up living the Spanish lifestyle. Both are now fluent in the language.
On buying their new home in Bédar, Vic and Sam set about the getting their solar installation business up and running, which in the early days they ran from their home. Why solar? The green agenda was always going to be increasingly popular and in a country as sunny as Spain, so it just made sense.
The first priority for Sam (pictured, above) was and is her family. In the early days of the business, looking after the family was her focus. Most people who know Sam would say that first and foremost she is a mum, and what a job she has done. It is clear when you meet her children that they are an absolute credit to her and Vic.
Vic did both sales and installations at the start of the business with the help of his son Daniel and his mate Rob.
Vic is a level headed, straightforward, grounded, smart and naturally easy person. As with Sam, his family are the world to him. Founding the company and making it grow in to what it is today has taken a lot of hard graft and dedication. His family was certainly his motivation.
As soon as Daniel left school he naturally went straight in to the business with his dad on a full-time basis. He gradually expanded the installation workforce and now leads the installation teams, allowing his dad to concentrate on installation quotations and designs. Daniel is a thoughtful and fun guy who is dedicated to the company that he and Holly will likely be running themselves one day. He got married to his Spanish sweetheart last year and this year they have given Vic and Sam a granddaughter.
As the youngsters grew older and the business expanded, Sam became a key person in the Ecocorp team and utilised her skills in the administration side of the business. Holly (pictured, below) followed later and is also now working in the office with her mum. Holly is a generous, strong-willed, spirited, intelligent and hard-working young lady. She takes great pride in her work and in the company that her family have built up. Holly has now left home too. She lives with her Spanish partner in Bédar. You will often find Daniel, Holly and the extended family round at Vic and Sam’s house at the weekend. They genuinely all love spending time together.
For Sam having all her family around her on a daily basis is absolute bliss.
She says, “My family is my greatest inspiration and to see them all working together fills me with pride. I’m blessed to be married to the man that I first met and fell in love with 42 years ago. Having Holly working by my side is special. We are both happy people and like to help, so being able to do that together and successfully is wonderful. Seeing my son mature and grow into a man is for me a gift. It is also wonderful to see him come out from under his father’s guidance and work toward becoming his equal. Listening to him express what he thinks and believes is best for the family business and how he can help contribute to this is breathtaking.”
There are no bosses as such at Ecocorp Solar; they work as a team, each team member knows their role and they all trust each other to play their particular part, like a well-oiled machine. Once you are a member of the Ecocorp team, you become part of their family too. It is clear when you meet the team that they all enjoy their jobs and like working with each other. Many of the bigger solar energy companies throughout Spain use subcontractors for their installations. Not Ecocorp. Their team are all from the local community, both English and Spanish, and all are fully trained to the Ecocorp standard. Currently Ecocorp employs 13 full-time team members and 2 part-time team members.
In April of 2022, Ecocorp opened their offices in a unit on the popular and easily accessible Parque ‘El Real’ at Antas. Their new showroom has been started and should be completed by the end of this year.
Well done to Ecocorp Solar. A great family business built from the ground up.
Ecocorp Solar offer a friendly FREE no obligation home assessment and the best advice. They deal with all the necessary technical and administrative paperwork on your behalf.
Furthermore, all systems are linked to your computer, mobile or tablet so that you can monitor your consumption AND your savings.
Contact Vic today on 671 716 597 or 950 096 166 or visit them in Parque ‘El Real’ Antas.
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