Meet the BMAR Member - Pindus

Gerald (Jerry) Pindus is a property owner of multifamily and commercial buildings and the founder/CEO of U.S. Energy Group, a metro-New York based firm which develops and integrates energy control, monitoring and analysis systems. He is a pioneer in making buildings energy efficient, saving property managers money and conserving energy. Long before green buildings, LEED ratings and sustainability initiatives were the topics of the day, he was learning the importance of energy efficiency from his parents while growing up in the South Bronx. Lessons such as closing a refrigerator door immediately and turning lights off when leaving a room were not just taught, they were mandatory. After working as an active reservist in the U.S. Army during the Cuban Missile Crisis, he graduated from NYU's Business School and earned certificates in Energy Conservation. In 1966, he became a licensed real estate broker and then a property owner and manager. He purchased his first multiple dwelling with his father, Ted. They quickly acquired additional buildings and started converting rentals into cooperatives. The Pindus Org. grew to eventually own and manage over 1000 apartment units. They also extended into the coin laundry machine business and operated more than 2,800 machines. In 1973, he faced his most challenging business crisis, as he risked losing his buildings as a result of the oil embargo and rising interest rates. He was determined to hold onto those buildings and put the efficiency lessons from his youth into action - developing ways to run buildings more efficiently and cost-effectively. He started designing an Energy Management System (EMS) which would prevent overheating and warn owners of any fuel waste. He was way ahead of the curve in 1978, when he launched U.S. Energy Heat Controls and began installing his energy management system in buildings throughout the New York-metro area. Today, there are over 3,000 U.S. Energy Group EMS in the field and more are being added each day. With a typical savings of 15-30% on fuel consumption and a return on investment in less than two years, the EMS has become essential for residential and commercial buildings. He approaches his company, now called U.S. Energy Group, with a visionary passion to save owners money and help owners and managers find peace of mind. He used his personal experience and feedback from other property managers to develop the USE Manager, an Internet-based monitoring service which provides essential alerts and crucial building information to help property managers drive their buildings to peak operating efficiency; the patented Verifierâ„¢ Digital Fuel Gauge; and the USE-Mobile application, which enables property managers to view essential building information and take action to manage their buildings efficiently using their iPhones and Blackberry "smart-phones." He is often credited as a legend for revolutionizing the way heating systems work in residential buildings, but he shares this credit with his retired partner, Elie Jabbour, and the many hardworking colleagues who helped grow the company into today's U.S. Energy Group... moreover, he greatly values all the property owners who shared his vision early on, and the managers throughout New York who put that vision into practice each day by managing their buildings efficiently. While he loves helping property managers save money, his true love is his family, including wife Marie, son Jesse, daughter Renee, daughter Erynn and her husband Michael and four grandchildren, Lucy, Mary, John and Jane. He was previously honored by the Bronx-Manhattan North Association of Realtors in 2004 and is appreciative of the recognition he receives from the organization today.