The Management Team
Lynda M. Kornbleet, President & Founder
Lynda has dedicated her work ethic and knowledge to the insulation industry since 1976. A graduate of the University of St. Thomas, she started her woman-owned business in Houston with $2,000, some high school students, an old used linen truck, and the willingness to work hard every day. It was not difficult to compete, “Just do the opposite of everyone else. Show up on time, give the customers a great value for their money, be good for your word, and if a problem occurs, promptly solve it.”
I value all of my clients and consider myself to be in partnership with them in creating an efficient living and working environment. I will use my years of experience to provide you with the most effective applications for your project. My reputation as the ‘unique insulator’ is well known due to my determination in difficult projects to assure the desired results are met. Money is not my primary driving force, but coming from my heart and using healthier more efficient products is something that truly fulfills me.
Lynda is involved in all aspects of her business focusing on special projects, commercial sales and company marketing. She has positioned Payless Insulation as one of the top women-owned contractor businesses.
Elisa D. Dias, Vice President
Elisa joined Payless Insulation in 1989. Elisa is involved in commercial estimating of insulation and fireproofing. She is the “go-to” person in regards to the service and financial side of the business. Elisa grew up in Portugal. She speaks Portuguese, English and Spanish. She arrived to the United States via Connecticut.
Educated abroad and in the US, Elisa brings her diverse background, work ethic, management and financial skills. She is hands-on and her passion for this business has proven to be key in the success of Payless Insulation.
Larry Harmon, General Manager
Larry joined Payless Insulation in 2007 bringing with him 25 years of sales and sales management experience within various Fortune 500 consumer product companies.
In 2008, he and Lynda teamed up to start a weatherization division for Payless Insulation. In conjunction with HERS and BPI “Building Science” principles, he oversees weatherization projects throughout Texas municipalities along with utility companies.
Neil M. Kornbleet, Austin Texas Manager
Neil prides himself on offering the very best service in Austin and surrounding areas. He not only delivers our product information to our clients, but he strives in assisting in the completion of construction projects on a timely basis, many times executing strategic planning to complete the job early.
Neil has over 30 years in sales, customer service and management experience that he utilizes everyday to ensure our customers are treated with respect and professionalism.
Lane Martin, Commercial and Weatherization Manager
Lane has been with Payless Insulation since 2008. He brings a wealth of construction management experience to his position as Project Manager. He earned his Bachelor of Science Technology degree in Civil Technology – Construction Management from the University of Houston.
The Sales Team
Susana O’Docharty, Residential Consultant
Susana joined Payless Insulation in 2001 and brings her customer service and years of management experience to the realm of insulation and ducts. Having grown up in Venezuela, Susana speaks Spanish fluently. Her management background started at Arbitron TV Ratings where she worked in Dallas and Miami. From there she went on to start an experimental ratings service in the New York Tristate area where she remained for 10 years. She ended her stint in Manhattan working in advertising services as well as a freelance photographer.
Susana is a native fifth generation Texan so she relocated back after 14 years. She returned to her native Texas in 1998 where she recruited for the industrial and rail sectors.
We have strong service and loyalty built into this company, the positive impact that our sustainable and green materials will make to this planet will last a lifetime. We care about people. When we can make a difference in the high cost of utilities, keep families and businesses safe from fire and prevent installation of hazardous materials, we are having a successful day.” She now takes pride in educating the consumer and end users on the difference in choosing cotton and paper products such as the ducts and insulation Payless carries. Her hope is to bring intelligence to the insulation world.
Casey Wilson, Insulation Consultant – Residential / Commercial
Casey has 25 years of experience as an insulation consultant. She has specialized training and certifications in the following areas: Technical Advisor to Engineers, Architects, Designers, Builders, Remodelers and Homeowners, Committee Member American Society of Testing and Materials International, C16 Insulation Standards, ICAA – Insulation Contractors Association of America, Certified Insulator, Spray Polyurethane Foam Chemical Health and Safety Training, The American Chemistry Council, Spray Cellulose Insulation, Building Envelopes GHBA, K13 Thermal and Acoustical Insulation, Texas Residential Code Compliance, Mechanical Code City of Houston, Blower Door and Duct Blasting. Casey made a home here by realizing her architectural dream of building envelopes and insulation as it pertains to hot and humid climates.
Ken Baron, Commercial Insulation Consultant
As the Commercial Sales Consultant, Ken Barron is responsible for running all facets of the business. Ken has a proven executive management track record and over 20 years of experience driving sales growth in the Insulation industry.
Tomas Pratt, Residential Consultant – Austin
In 2019, Tomas joined our Payless Insulation office in Austin to work in sales & estimating. He has over 30 years of experience working in several industries. He started and ran a couple of small businesses for several years and was in charge of sales & operations.
Tomas also worked with a track and a custom builder and has years of project management experience. He has also participated for several years in leading trainings and teaching. He is a graduate of the University of Houston.
Ana M. Machado, Fireproofing Estimator
Ana came to work for us in July 2006. Native of Cuba, she has 8 years background experience in the fireproofing and insulation industries. With an architecture degree she is a well respected part of the Payless Insulation team.
The Customer Service Team
Patrice Carline, Office Administrator
Originally a native of Louisiana, Patrice comes equipped to handle the daily aspects of office administration. She assists in all aspects of the work from talking to customers, scheduling appointments, processing daily paperwork and reports from the field to accounts payable.
Barb Urban, Front Receptionist
Barb was born and raised in Houston, TX and has lived here all her life. She graduated from Waltrip High School. Her favorite place to be is on the beach.
Nicole Wiesner, Project Sales Engineer & Marketing Manager
Nicole joined our team in July 2017. A native of Venezuela, she helps translate between English and Spanish to provide a better customer service. With degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Design, she brings vast knowledge to improve our advertising efforts, communicate our message clearly to our customers, and upgrade our customer relationship management tools.