CalRATERS, Inc.

Marty Kerr: Doing His Part

By Matt Solis, Editor

Marty Kerr feels like he has found a perfect vocational match in home energy auditing, but his introduction to the field was actually the result of someone else’s professional trajectory. “My wife, Nikole, is the one who originally told me about it,” he remembers. “She was working in the HVAC industry at the time and she told me about a new program called HERS [Home Energy Rating System] that her company was going to start implementing. When I looked into it further, I liked what I saw and started taking classes. I have a lot of experience in the trades in general—I’ve worked on everything from countertops to roofs—but I was particularly attracted to the concept of Green energy and it became a personal passion. I just want to do my part in making a positive environmental impact.”

In 2015, Marty and Nikole took the leap into business ownership and established CalRATERS, Inc. Today, Marty says his favorite part of his job is the investigative aspects of the work, even when he’s forced to engage in a dreaded physical activity. “I like everything about this job except for the crawling,” he laughs. “But I really love the challenge of hunting down a house’s problems and coming up with solutions. I don’t like leaving things unresolved for our clients, so if I know the entire layout of a house and I still can’t find an air leak, it really bothers me.”

A resident of San Ramon (where he lives with Nikole and their three children), Marty prefers to spend most of his free time with his family, but he also makes room for a few personal hobbies. “I’m happiest when I’m with my family, so we like taking the kids to different parks and just having fun outdoors,” he affirms. “I also like exercising and wood carving, although I haven’t done either recently because I’ve been so busy with work.”

In his life and career, Marty emphasizes the importance of paying attention to details and being as thorough as possible. “My dad was a perfectionist and I shoot for that as well,” he says. “It feels really good to help people by answering their questions and solving their problems, so I approach every situation with that mindset. When I decide to do something, I’m going to do my best and stand behind the results.”

Ask Me Anything!

Q: What was your first job?

A: I was a busser at Tony Roma’s.

Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
A: I’ve always wanted to check out Sweden. My father-in-law used to take trips there and I’ve seen pictures and heard stories.

Q: What’s your favorite holiday?

A: Christmas—everyone gets together and it’s a fun time.

Q: What’s your favorite local restaurant?

A: Tomatina. They used to be in Dublin but they moved to Walnut Creek.

Q: What were you most known for in high school?

A: Playing football. I was a tight end and a defensive end.