About Us
History
Team
Success
FAQ
TEG History
In 2014, after establishing South Bend City’s first Energy Office and producing a plan to reduce energy costs by $17 Million, Jonathan Burke founded Tactical Energy Group. From South Bend to St. Joseph County, Fort Wayne to Three Rivers, Tactical Energy Group has saved clients millions of dollars in energy costs and won awards for energy and cost saving projects. Tactical Energy Group is now Michiana’s premier supplier of enterprise level utility strategy. Our “boots on the ground’ approach and in-depth knowledge of Michiana’s Commercial and Industrial community frequently allows us to uncover and develop savings opportunities that other brands simply cannot.
A Team of Experts Behind the Wheel
Jon Burke
Principal, TEG
Daniel Burke
Development Manager, TEG
Matt Burke
IT Systems Engineer, TEG
Jon Burke
Principal, TEG
Raised on a farm in southern Michigan, Jonathan Burke received his bachelor’s degree in Maryland in 1984 and engaged in successful careers in the construction, property management and energy fields for 34 years. His lifetime love of renewable energy and his desire to return to the Midwest brought him to South Bend in 2010 to become the city’s first Energy Director. Jon established and led one of the most successful energy offices in the nation and produced outstanding results. Working in an environment with limited resources, Jon was able to deliver a $17 million 10-year savings for the City while developing a plan to save an additional $17 million over the same time span.
Perhaps the most notable achievement as Energy Director for the City of South Bend was the successful development of a Compressed Natural Gas transition plan for the City. Working in conjunction with the transit agency, Jon was also able to accomplish the transition of the entire transit fleet while assembling a team to build a $3.8 million high-capacity fast fill station, the first in the Central Northern Indiana region. In collaboration with an international Engineering firm, Jon was able to facilitate the development of the nation’s first severe duty CNG police cruiser, allowing over 100 City of South Bend police cruisers to run on Compressed Natural Gas at just over $1.00 per gallon.
In 2013, under Jon’s direction the City installed a 62 KW hydroelectric turbine at the East Race adjacent to the St Joseph River in South Bend. In 2014, after passing the Certified Energy Manager Certification exam, Jon left the City and launched Tactical Energy Group to serve both Private and Public sectors. In one of TEG’s first projects, Jon developed and managed the award-winning Energy Savings Performance Contract for St Joseph County, Indiana. This project was awarded the “Most Outstanding Project in Indiana” by the Energy Services Coalition. The $10.3 million investment in this project is fully funded through energy savings alone – making this exceptional project a net zero cost to taxpayers.
During his tenure as Energy Director and working in an environment with limited resources, Jon developed cutting edge strategies to save energy dollars with little or no capital investment. This unique approach to energy cost reduction places Tactical Energy Group alone in the marketplace with a wide portfolio of no-cost and low-cost energy savings opportunities and strategies that can be deployed in commercial, industrial, municipal, and not-for-profit settings.
Today, Jon leads the growing TEG team. Jon’s storied career and multi-regional energy expertise, his interest in novel technologies, techniques, and applications, and his love for American industry makes him an innovative force to be reckoned with. Jon is actively involved strategic development of key accounts and is the driving force behind TEG’s innovation and success.
Daniel Burke
Business Development Manager
Daniel joined forces with his father, Jon Burke, in March of 2020, as TEG’s Business Development Manager. With ten years’ experience in business systems development, sales, and client management, Daniel’s role is to grow the TEG brand. Daniel often refers to his father, TEG’s Founder, as “the Elon Musk of the Mid-west,” and believes it is his job to bring the benefits of TEG’s innovative services to as many businesses as possible. Daniel shares his father’s love for American Industry and believes that TEG has an indispensable role in the protection of Michiana’s Commercial & Industrial base. Daniel is responsible for both internal business development, including TEG’s 3 tier approach, the VEM system, and Grid Ready Certification, and in client acquisition, management, and development of new markets.
Matt Burke
IT Systems Engineer, TEG
With a strong background in business and IT, Matt designs and builds back-end information systems that facilitate TEG’s business processes. Matt is also head of TEG’s Virtual Energy Manager (VEM) program. His work on predictive utility cost systems has been praised by executives and engineers from major utility companies for its unprecedented accuracy. Matt’s work allows TEG to test a broad range of strategies and scenarios for multiple clients with ease, arriving at best case scenarios for cost and carbon reduction. In addition, TEG’s industry-leading, third-party-verifiable Measurement & Verification processes are facilitated by these systems.
Hoosier Molded Products - Manufacturer
“Tactical Energy Group helped us implement a series of powerful cost saving strategies. We didn’t need to buy any equipment or switch providers. If you use a lot of energy and you’re looking to cut costs, you need to work with Tactical Energy Group.”
-Brian Johnson, CEO
American Metal Fab. - Metal Fabricator
“I was shocked to learn how much control we have over our utility costs. Tactical Energy Group is like the customer service department the utility company should have but doesn’t. Their team is diligent and detailed. There were no interruptions to our process and there was truly no net-cost for the project. Bottom line, we’re saving a lot of money. I would highly recommend working with Tactical Energy Group.”
-Kelly Crowell, President
GDC, INC - Plastics Manufacturer
“Tactical Energy Group has been great to work with! They follow an effective process of identifying savings opportunities, suggesting corrective actions, and implementing those actions. Follow-up training with selected groups keeps problems from resurfacing in the future.”
-Lonnie Abney, COO
The Village of Three Oaks, MI
“We were pleased with your service and your thoroughness, the spreadsheets you supplied showing the depth of your research, and ultimately the cost savings! Thank you!”
-Cindi Moynihan, Village Clerk; Village of Three Oaks
VIEWRAIL – Manufacturer
“With new facilities under construction and a new piece of equipment almost every week, our company is experiencing rapid growth. We simply did not have the manpower or the expertise to take a detailed look at our utility costs. Thanks to Tactical Energy Group, we now have a clear understanding of how to keep our energy costs low as our operation continues to grow and change. They offer a valuable and unique service. I believe any business can benefit from working with Tactical Energy Group."
-Brett Harbaugh, CFO
LOGAN Community Resources - Nonprofit
“Tactical Energy Group approached us about reducing our utility costs and asked for no money upfront. Their work has resulted in significant savings for LOGAN. Their no net cost approach makes it easy and painless for their customers to enjoy financial savings and save energy and natural resources at the same time. We have been very happy with Tactical Energy Group and recommend them to any organization wanting to save money.”
-Doug Kroll, Vice President, CFO
Boys and Girls Clubs of Benton Harbor - Nonprofit
"I was skeptical Tactical Energy Group could actually reduce utility costs. Nevertheless, Tactical Energy Group recommended options that immediately reduced utility costs 18%. Those savings continue every month as documented in easy-to-understand reports. I recommend Tactical Energy Group to any business looking for ways to reduce utility costs.”
-Brian Saxton, CEO
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What does TEG do?
TEG helps Commercial, Industrial, and consumers save on utilities, reduce their carbon footprint, and improve preparedness for the negative effects utility decarbonization will have on utility costs and grid stability, and power supply gaps associated with the decarbonization of Michiana’s energy supply chain. We design and implement holistic utility strategies in three cost/commitment categories: no cost, low cost, and long-term strategic solutions.
What utilities does TEG work with?
Electric, gas, & water.
How is TEG different from a utility bill auditor?
A utility bill auditor simply harvests the low-hanging fruit, we care about the whole tree. TEG provides an industry-leading utility bill audit and produces cost-free utility savings simply as an introduction to our service. Our audit and the savings it can produce are where our job starts, not ends. TEG then visits your facilities to understand how our business operates and combines the data from our audit with a real-world understanding of your operations to build a robust, enterprise level utility strategy for your business. We work with you to set cost and carbon goals and develop custom strategies for achieving them. We provide a best practices framework for making sense of and selecting, implementing, and integrating the right energy saving options. Our strategies minimize expenditure, maximize ROI, and hold 3rd parties accountable for providing honest proformas, and working for your benefit above their own. The true difference is that TEG becomes your partner and advocate. We only work with business we can truly partner with.
What do I have to buy?
Nothing. TEG is a utility strategist. We don’t sell products; we design and implement strategies that save you money. In fact, we often recommend companies don’t make investments that they may be considering if we can identify a more cost-effective, strategic approach for achieving the same goal.
How much does it cost?
Nothing, our service is no net-cost. Only if we design and implement a strategy that produces measurable, and verifiable savings for your business do we receive any compensation. TEG is compensated by a portion of measured and verified savings for 12 months, and only after savings have been realized. If we are unable to produce a cost saving strategy, TEG receives no compensation at all.
How much can I save?
Savings vary for every business. Our partners save an average of 15% of their overall utility budget. In some cases, savings have exceeded 50%. In some cases, 5%.
How can I be sure we are actually saving?
TEG uses an industry-leading, third-party verifiable Measurement & Verification process. This means that our savings reports can be submitted to your utility provider(s) at any time. Our third-party M&V confirmation rate is 100%. Our contract ensures we cannot charge until we have provided verification of savings and those savings are already in your bank account.
Do I have to switch utility providers?
No. TEG is a Supply-Side expert with a precise understanding of the rules and regulations of Michiana’s major utility providers. Our strategies are tailored to your business and your utility provider to drive costs down without switching providers.
Does TEG sell utilities?
No. TEG is not a utility provider or a broker.
Does TEG sell LED’s or solar panels?
No. TEG Starts with a strategy, not a product. Expensive energy saving products are flooding the market and consumers can’t keep up. We design utility strategies that leverage market forces and yield greater savings than today's most popular product-driven approaches. We use knowledge and strategy to reduce energy costs. TEG creates dramatic, lasting reductions in energy costs by bridging the knowledge-gap between consumers and utility providers.
TEG doesn’t sell products? What about VEM?
VEM is not for every business. In TEG’s Tier 2 and Tier 3 strategies, VEM may present as a useful force multiplier. In this case, VEM is often one of the smallest investments a company can make to leverage outsized returns. If access to real-time energy data, controls elements, and offsite energy management by TEG presents sufficient value in cost and carbon reduction, TEG may recommend a VEM system. In this case, VEM is a useful tool for management of complex utility strategies.
Does TEG work nation-wide?
No. We believe whole-heartedly that putting boots-on-the-ground in each of our client’s facilities, having a deep understanding of local and regional utility markets, and having well tested tactics specific to those markets and the businesses within them is THE ONLY WAY to serve clients. TEG has spent more than a decade studying, and decoding Michiana's utility market with the aim of helping Commercial & Industrial businesses thrive. TEG has a robust toolbox of 35+ proprietary analytical processes and cost reduction measures for businesses within this market for driving energy costs down, reducing consumption, and safeguarding facilities against dangerous market forces. TEG takes great pride in being Michiana’s preeminent supplier of Commercial & Industrial utility strategies