Business Spotlight: Dirfy Generators by Michelle Libby

Dirfy Generators has been keeping the lights on when the power goes out for more than 8 years. Owner Bob Cyr has been installing generators since 1982. Back then, he was an electrician who specialized in generators, but now the company services, installs, inspects and sells generators exclusively. Recently they were awarded the title of, Briggs & Stratton Standby Power Top Dealer for 2016. 

“It’s not something we strive to get. I have no competition. We sell value and relationships, everyone else is selling generators,” said Cyr. “Our philosophy is if we don’t feel we have the right system for you, we won’t put it in just for the sale.”

Based at 184 Ossipee Trail in Limington, Dirfy Generators business took off three years ago.  The industry exploded and Cyr decided to ride the wave with his son Robert, who earned his associate’s degree in electrical technology, by his side. 

Standby generators work when the power goes out. They start and power multiple vital things in the home; perhaps a refrigerator, the furnace, a sump pump and a few lights. 

Dirfy Generators has an ongoing inventory of generators and spare parts to help service customers quickly and efficiently. Other dealers also buy from them. 

“If we have to order a part, customers get five percent off the part except engines and alternators,” said Cyr. 

“Everybody has their reasons for having a generator like peace of mind; some have sump pumps and refrigerators they need to run. A lot of people use it for CPAP or oxygen machines. Although none of the generators are designed for life support,” Cyr said. 

Dirfy Generators sells Generac, Kohler, Briggs & Stratton, GE and Champion.  Ninety percent of the generators sold are Briggs & Stratton, primarily because they have the best warranty on the market, Cyr said. Straight out of the box, everything is covered for six years.

Another benefit for Briggs & Stratton is that it has a good power management system which protects the generator and extends its life. It monitors what a home is using and what each load is and it knows if it has power available. If it doesn’t, it won’t send the power. 

Other generators have what’s called a load setting, which will power as much as the homeowner wants; but it might put too much strain on the generator, if it is over used. 

“The biggest thing we find is that we replace a lot of engines and generators every year that are less than three to four years old,” Cyr said, citing that most engine problems come from being undersized. “We won’t put an undersized generator in. We have lost some sales because of it,” he added. “People depend on dealers to be upfront.”

Dirfy Generators offers free evaluations. A customer representative tours a house to evaluate it and then will ask for a wish list and needs list, to determine which size generator is best for a customer’s desires. Generators run on propane or natural gas. Even if a client doesn’t readily have access to one of those, Dirfy can put a customer in contact with a dealer. 

Customers are generally within a two hour drive of Limington from Augusta to York in Maine and New Hampshire. 

The busy generator season is from August to February and Dirfy Generators, who stands for “doing it right for you”, has put in hundreds and hundreds of generators over the years. They also pick up 60 to 70 new customers every year who formerly worked with other dealers. This is a testament to their reputation.