About 548 Enterprise
“In 1999 my mother got a $400 gas bill, and we had a hole in the roof we couldn't afford to fix because my mother made $10 an hour. So our gas got shut off, and I had to boil water to take a bath for over a year. That sticks with you. It becomes part of who you are. That’s why it’s my mission to lower family utility bills with clean energy technology.”
– A.J. Patton, Founder
The 548 Story
548 is more than just a number — it is the address where founder A.J. Patton grew up in the projects.
After experiencing the hardship of energy and housing insecurity first hand, A.J. saw an opportunity to reduce utility bills for tenants while increasing energy efficiency for the building owner by installing rooftop solar on affordable housing projects.
Since inception, 548 has helped minority- and women-owned companies level up in the playing field, helping minority-owned general contractors gain access to capital by facilitating introductions to financiers, and allowing their contracts to be leveraged by emerging GCs to access new lines of credit so they could grow their business.
The 548 philosophy is to redevelop metropolitan communities by utilizing renewable and sustainable technologies, allowing us to create savings for families, lower environmental impact, and drive value for the community.
In 2022, 548 combined it’s various entities under 548 Enterprise, allowing it to have an even more expansive reach and cultivate opportunities for partners, residents, investors, and communities at large.
Meet our Team
From top to bottom, our team is full of people who are ready to make an impact on inner-city communities throughout the country — starting with Chicago.