Green power gets Obama’s interest
Metro Detroit brothers granted trip to D.C. for State of the Union
Green energy is earning Gary and Robert Allen a trip to Washington and a coveted spot at the State of the Union speech tonight. The brothers — Gary is the CEO and Robert is the president of Luma Resources in Rochester Hills — will get a moment in the spotlight, sitting with first lady Michelle Obama to hear President Barack Obama’s annual address to the country. “When the White House called on Friday, I first thought it was a prank call,” Robert Allen said. “It must be somebody who’s looking for money.” The speech, which begins at 9 tonight, is expected to highlight the economy and the need to ramp up efforts to help create jobs. In a video message to supporters previewing the speech, Obama said, “My principal focus is going to be making sure we’re competitive, that we’re growing and that we’re creating jobs.” Luma Resources is a good example of creating jobs in one of Obama’s favorite sectors: green energy. The company received $750,000 in grants and low-interest loans from the federal recovery act to convert half of the Allen family’s residential roofing business into a facility to make solar shingles for new homes. After product testing was completed, Luma hired 20 employees and started selling the shingles last fall. “We’re harvesting energy from the sun, which doesn’t charge us a nickel to come up every morning,” Robert Allen said. In addition to residential applications, the company installed a panel of the solar shingles on a fire station in Rochester in December. “We’re there not because of who we are; we’re just guys,” Robert Allen said. “But we’re going because of the fact that we represent so many others that really have the chance to reinvent themselves and move forward.” • CONTACT KATHLEEN GRAY: 313-223-4407 OR KGRAY99@FREEPRESS.COM 
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