TODAY’S

DISTRIBUTORLIGHTINGFALL 2015 | VOL. 23, NO. 3

SOCIAL MEDIAMEANS BUSINESS

NAILD AnnouncesNew Headquartersin Princeton, N.J.

Marketing Toolbox: Testimonials

Case Study: Lutron Electronics

Forest LightingMember Profile

INSIDE

NAILDOfficers & Board Members

PresidentGreg Ehrich, LC

President-ElectBecky Phillips

Secretary/TreasurerRobin Watt

Immediate Past PresidentKevin Eagan

DirectorsJosh BrownJim Goodwin

Kelly Himes (Business Development Chair)Spencer Miles

Cory Schneider (Education Chair)Gene Siepka (Membership Chair)

Joan Scott Trew

Past Presidents’ Council RepresentativeBill Cooley

NAILD Headquarters

Director of Education Linda Daniel

lmd@naild.org (716) 875-3670

Association ManagerMike Molaro

mmolaro@naild.org

Communications ManagerAnna Lopez

alopez@naild.org

Membership CoordinatorJosephine Crutchleyjcrutchley@naild.org

Public Relations Account ExecutiveGreta Cuyler

gcuyler@naild.org

TELEPHONE(609) 297-2216

WEBSITEwww.naild.org

EMAILinfo@naild.org

NAILD Headquarters 191 Clarksville Road

Princeton Junction, NJ 08550

n my summer 2015 President’s message, I briefly

touched upon a few changes we have made as an

organization both operationally and strategically.

The NAILD board of directors recently participated

in a strategic planning session that provided an

opportunity to objectively assess where we have been,

where we are, and where we want to be. Although we are very proud of our past

and present, we are extremely excited about our bright (pun intended) future!

It came as no surprise that the board collectively selected education and

networking as the top two value propositions as to why individuals join the

association. These are our top two member propositions. This is what we want

NAILD to represent.

How we enhance and, in some cases, develop the strategies to ensure these

tenets of NAILD membership is a partnership between the NAILD board of

directors and our new professional association management company, CMA

Association Management, in Princeton Junction, N.J.

During the full-day strategic planning session, we developed proposed goals and

objectives covering a three-year time frame. These initiatives will be reviewed,

finalized and begin to be implemented during the next couple of months.

We also discussed what the lighting industry and NAILD, respectively, would

look like three-to-five years from now and performed a SWOT analysis of the

association, identifying our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

One of our core member benefits is a newly-designed, more robust members-

only section of the NAILD website (www.naild.org) that allows each member

to select an individual username and password for access. From this portal,

members can, among other things, register for events and access educational

materials.

As you can see, our past and present have provided the foundation to position

us to be a more nimble and agile organization. You, the member, are always

first and foremost. NAILD is member-powered and member-driven. Our path is

bright (again, pun intended).

I think you’ll enjoy the ride!

Best,

Greg Ehrich NAILD President 2015-2016

FOCUSING ON THE FUTURE

I

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE FALL 2015TODAY’S LIGHTING DISTRIBUTOR

FALL 2015 | VOL. 23, NO. 3

www.naild.org 3

FALL 2015 VOLUME 23, NO. 3

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Social Media Means Business:B2B Embraces OnlineNearly 60 percent of distribu-tors are using social media to communicate with prospects and customers, a 53 percent increase in four years.

By Christian Horn

Member Profile:Forest Lighting Sets Revenue TargetForest Lighting’s sales have doubled nearly every month since January.

By Greta Cuyler

Case Study:Lutron Provides SolutionsLutron Electronic’s goal was to reduce energy use and operating costs at the Jackson Federal Building in Seattle.

By Staff Reports

Marketing Toolbox:Case Studies, TestimonialsA potential customer is 2.5 times more likely to buy when a vendor communi-cates a message through customer success stories.

By Jeffrey Barnhart

President’s Message

Association News

New Products

Member Updates

Educational Training Opportunities

4 Today’s Lighting Distributor | FALL 2015

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Today’s Lighting Distributor magazine is published four times a year for NAILD members in conjunction with Creative Marketing Alliance.

PublisherJeffrey BarnhartJBarnhart@CMASolutions.com

Executive EditorErin KlebaurEKlebaur@CMASolutions.com

Advertising ManagerJude Martin-CianfanoJCianfano@CMASolutions.com

Managing EditorKenneth HitchnerKHitchner@CMASolutions.com

Contributing EditorChristian HornCHorn@CMASolutions.com

Staff WritersGreta CuylerGCuyler@CMASolutions.com

Victoria Hurley-SchubertVSchubert@CMASolutions.com

Creative DirectorDave SherwoodDSherwood@CMASolutions.com

Production ManagerScott ElgartSElgart@CMASolutions.com

Advertising Index

ARVA, LLC. ...............................................................................................................................21

EiKO, Ltd. ....................................................................................................................Back Cover

Forest Lighting ....................................................................................................... 9

Halco Lighting Technologies ......................................................................................................5

Keystone Technologies, LLC ......................................................................................... 16, 19, 20

Osram Sylvania ........................................................................................................................15

Simkar Corp. ...........................................................................................................................17

USHIO America, Inc. ........................................................................................ Inside Front Cover

6 Today’s Lighting Distributor | FALL 2015

More Distributors, Manufacturers Build Relationships Online

www.naild.org 7

All NAILD members and suppliers are operating in a fast-moving and ever-changing marketing environment. Today, many distributors and manufacturers are coming to terms with pervasive social media communications such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, blogs and YouTube, just to name a few.

Social media is the latest addition to online marketing, leveraging social websites to share relevant content and spur conversations between people on topics of common interest.

Some NAILD members increasingly recognize that there are real marketing and branding opportunities afoot in social media and that younger people entering the workplace—as either employees or customers—are digital and social media natives.

Others view social media as an unpro-ductive use of time and not relevant to their business, their customers or sales and marketing strategies.

Regardless of where you stand on the issue, a comparison of recent industry surveys probing the use of social media among electrical distributors and suppliers reveals the writing on the wall—or, more accurately, posts on a Facebook wall.

Let’s begin with a baseline from the Electrical Distributor (tED) magazine’s 2010 Marketing Analysis Report. Using this survey to draw a line in the sand, tED reported electrical distributors’ use of social media at 7 percent—the cellar-dweller on a list of marketing and communications tactical preferences.

Fast forward two years to the National Association of Electrical Distributors’ (NAED) 2012 Maximize Your Marketing Efforts survey. When the whizzing clock-hands stop, we find a surprising 41percent of distributors “actively using” social media, a 34 percent increase in 24 months.

The same NAED survey also polled electrical manufacturers’ social habits and reports more than 40 percent of suppliers have a company blog and 50 percent communicate through one or more social media outlets.

When we look at IMARK Group’s mid-year Digital Marketing Assessment Survey in 2014, 60 percent of the survey’s distributor respondents were leveraging some form of social media to commu-nicate with customers—a 53 percent increase in just four years. Of those IMARK members involved in social media, nearly half had a Facebook page, 36 percent had a LinkedIn profile and 26 percent were using Twitter.

If these progressive survey numbers are any guide, it’s seems fair to say that social media is trending in the electrical distributor and supplier channels.

According to these surveys, both dis-tributors and suppliers use social media to accomplish some common objectives. Facebook is viewed as a fun medium for communicating events, promotions and product launches. Company blogs are used to share trends, technology insights and interactions with customers. On a smartphone, Twitter is seen as the quickest way to engage customers and vendors. LinkedIn is a source for industry

networking, discussions and recruitment and YouTube is favored for new product and installation videos.

“At the recent NAILD Conference in Denver, there appeared to be a growing awareness of the importance of social media,” says Jian Ni, chief operating of-ficer at Forest Lighting, an Atlanta-based manufacturer and the U.S. division of Chinese company MLS, that country’s largest manufacturer of LED (light emit-ting diode) lighting. “It’s my observation that distributors are applying increased resources to their social media presence to deliver information on new products and services to existing customers and build their brand in the local market.”

Ni explains that Forest Lighting has been using social media for about a year, be-ginning the launch of the company’s new website. “We felt it was really critical to align our website capabilities with an ex-panded social media presence.” he says. “We’re currently participating in Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn as our primary focus for social media right now.”

“We’ve been involved in Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, LinkedIn and blogging for about four years,” explains Andrew Shebath, systems and operations manager at Victoria Supply, Inc. in East Chicago. “We utilize social media to pro-vide value-added content and interact with customers on questions they have about our products.”

Among that content is Victoria Supply’s blog. “Our blog is a forum where the company regularly posts lighting-related information, insights and positive customer reviews,” he says.

COVER STORY FALL 2015By Christian Horn

8 Today’s Lighting Distributor | FALL 2015

Among social media tactics, a blog is perhaps the most labor intensive be-cause, as commentary, it involves some thought and, as a social media vehicle, it demands frequency to keep viewers coming back to see what’s new. Being short, conversational and informal in style, blogs can be effective in commu-nicating a company’s brand personality and service culture, as well as spurring customer conversations.

Joe Thrailkill’s Monday Message blog on Lighting Supply, Inc.’s website epitomizes the “don’t sell—tell and share” style of an effective blog that elicits numerous customer responses such as this:

“The world needs more people like you. I’m sure I am not the only person who looks forward to your Monday Message. I was having a not-so-good morning, but after reading your message it allowed me to refocus, regroup and think positive. Thanks!”

“The purpose of the blog posts is really just to remind people about the important things in life,” says Thrailkill, owner of the Irvine, Calif., supply house. “Things like honesty, integrity, family, faith and all those good core values.”

Typically exploring personal, anecdotal and often inspirational observations, he has written more than 300 blogs during the past seven years. “Maybe a dozen times a year, the blog will be related to

something that came up with custom-ers and products or business ethics,” he explains. “I’ve even written about mistakes we’ve made and what we learned from them.

“The response has been tremendous,” Thrailkill said. ”It’s really boosted our business and customer loyalty because people can see that the owner of the company is a sincere guy who cares. It builds that trust you need when you’re doing business with someone. It does take five or six hours to write each week, but it’s been worth it.”

The investment of time and labor to effectively participate in social media varies, according to those interviewed. “About 95 percent of our social media initiatives are conducted by a person on our marketing team where a couple of hours over the course of the week are spent gathering content and scheduling posts,” estimates Shebath at Victoria Supply.

“We’re probably devoting six hours a week developing material for social media,” said Ni at Forest Lighting. “One person handles the administrative and technical part of it. The content we’re posting is coming from the marketing, executive and sales personnel of the company, so it’s a communal effort by a half-dozen people providing the thinking and the content.”

All of those interviewed agree that social media is most effective when integrated into a larger communications plan and marketing mix. “For NAILD distributors, just as for manufacturers, social media has to be part of an overall communications strategy,” Ni said. “They need to build a business plan that reaches customers in a variety of ways that makes all of their strategies more sales-effective.”

“For the amount of effort, social media has been a positive tool to support our other marketing tactics,” Shebath notes. “The key is to focus on creating great and useful content to help create brand authority and drive traffic.”

It’s often said that content is king on social media. Shebath is correct—great content is useful content. But don’t sell. Be real and think conversations. As Jim Lucy, editor at Electrical Wholesaling magazine, recently wrote, “Social media is intended to be an open conversation among people with common interests. If you do it right, and provide the proper online meeting places, the conversation will sometimes be about your company’s products or services. If you mess up and attempt to dominate the conversation with shameless self-promotion, you will be left standing alone at the party with no one left to talk to.”

COVER STORY

Forest Lighting was incorporated in Texas in November, 2013, but it’s no fly-by-night company. Forest’s parent company is MLS Co., Ltd. of Zhongshan, China, which is ranked among the top 10 LED manufacturers in the world.

MLS focuses on the domestic market in China, but about five years ago, the company began to expand globally into southeast Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the United States, said Forest Light-ing Chief Operating Officer Jian Ni.

With corporate headquarters in Marietta, Ga., near Atlanta, and a 20,000 square-foot warehouse in Houston, Forest Lighting serves the LED lighting market for commercial, institutional, retail and industrial customers. The company employs 10 people, including a sales team spread out across the country to serve not only customers in the U.S., but also customers in Canada and Central America.

“Even though we’re small at this time, we’re experiencing rapid growth in sales in the U.S.,” Ni said. “We are investing significant resources and money on advertising, trade shows and marketing materials for our distributors.”

The effort is paying off, Ni said. Forest Lighting’s sales have doubled nearly every month since January. Although the company doesn’t release current sales figures, its goal is to reach an annual

revenue target of $100 million within five years.

The LED market is growing and there is customer demand, Ni said, especially as the price goes down and energy rebates are still available.

“I think the challenge for a new company is for the industry to recognize us and place value on our brand,” Ni said. “It’s really customer development, marketing, and name recognition that we’ve been trying for over the past two years. We’ve done multiple trade shows and we’ve been a major presence at LightFair the past two years under the Forest Lighting name.”

In order to achieve its sales goal, Forest plans to expand its facilities and hire more employees as necessary, Ni said. The company will also expand its prod-uct line beyond the T8 and T5 products to include A19 and BR lamps, down-lights and troffers.

“We’re looking at an LED Troffer first for commercial, institutional and retail applications, then we will get into the industrial use for manufacturing facili-ties. Longer term, we expect to provide outdoor fixtures for area lighting, park-ing garages and parking lots,” Ni said.

Ni says Forest Lighting offers customer service, affordability and product performance.

“Some companies offer a 10-year warranty, but they won’t be here in 10 years,” he said. “We’ve been in business for more than 18 years. We’re here to stay and we’re going to have long-term relationships with our distributors. We offer a five-year warranty to cover our products. The warranty is substantial and is something we can deliver on.”

Customers can rely on the fact that they’re doing business with one of the leading LED manufacturers in the world, one that does 100 percent testing of the LEDs it produces, Ni said.

“What differentiates us from most of the manufacturers is that we do stock large quantities of our products in the warehouse and can ship to almost any location in the U.S. and even outside the U.S.- within 24 hours,” Ni said.

Ni joined Forest Lighting in 2013, after working for another LED manufacturer for four years. He says distributors are critical to Forest Lighting’s success.

“I want distributors to know how important they are to our growth,” he said. “We go through distribution by going to trade shows and joining industry associations like NAILD and NAED and become a partner with those organizations and its members who are distributing our products and establishing our channels.”

10 Today’s Lighting Distributor | FALL 2015

By Greta Cuyler

FOREST LIGHTING’S TARGET: $100M IN 5 YEARS

MEMBER PROFILE FALL 2015

www.naild.org 11

BR Series LED Floodlight

Forest Lighting Chief Operating Officer Jian Ni

Forsyth County Schools in Georgia benefit from Forest LED lighting.

Forest Lighting’s parent company, MLS, is the leading manufacturer of LEDs in China. Every LED is tested before it leaves the factory.

April 10-13, 2016La Cantera Hill Country Resort

San Antonio, Texas

2016 Annual Conference

The 2016 NAILD Annual Conference will provide a space for top lighting distributors and vendor manufacturers from across the nation to experience top-notch professional development and industry networking. The Annual Conference is the meeting place for industry professionals to discuss changing technologies, developments and products. Have you seen our location?

For more information, go to www.naild.org.

SAVE THE D

ATE!

12 Today’s Lighting Distributor | FALL 2015

Like many government offices built during the public-building boom of the 1970s, the Henry M. Jackson Federal Building (JFB) in Seattle was seri-ously out of shape in terms of its energy use. At the skyscraper’s 1974 debut, it was considered a modern marvel, even receiving a coveted Honor Award from the American Institute of Architects. In 2009, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), the building’s owner, launched a 21st century energy makeover to modernize the building into a state-of-the-art, high-performing green building, and provide more comfortable surroundings for the 2,300-plus people working there.

A major goal of the renovation was to reduce energy use and operating costs. Lighting was identified as a significant contributor to high energy use. Illumi-nating interiors accounts for nearly 40 percent of the electricity use in a typical commercial building, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Excessively bright fluorescent lighting caused some workers to place cardboard over whole sections of lights, and uncontrolled natural light produced glare and heat that actually made window seating undesirable. Contractor Howard S. Wright asked Lutron Electronics to provide an efficient light-control solution.

Because the project scope included a full-scale lighting system retrofit, the 37-story building was identified as an energy-reduction project as part of the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). To help meet the energy reduction goals, GSA developed a contract wherein the prime contractors’ fees were tied to meeting specific measurement and verification metrics on energy-reduction goals.

The JFB renovation incorporated a variety of Lutron technologies and light control strategies on 30 floors of the building that have, to-date, reduced overall lighting usage by 45 percent. Additionally, new capabilities that allow facility managers to monitor lighting energy use in real-time make it possible to set usage benchmarks

with tenants, turning each tenant into a stake-holder in the total energy-reduction process.

• CENTRALIZED LIGHT CONTROL. Quantum Total Light Management maximizes the efficient use of light to save energy, improve productivity and simplify operations via centralized dimming and switching control of all electric lighting. Tracking software shows that lighting controls helped to save $289,000 in lighting electricity costs in 2013 alone. The system also easily inte-grates with other building-management systems via BACNET IP, allowing for better optimization of building systems, greater energy savings and more effective monitoring and maintenance.

• ADVANCED MONITORING. Green Glance monitoring and energy-saving display software for Quantum systems provides facility managers with a real-time snapshot and historic view of the energy savings throughout the building.

• DIMMING BALLASTS. EcoSystem H-Series and EC5 series digitally addressable dimming ballasts are programmed, instead of wired, to work individually or as a group to automatically dim lights based on available daylight. The system is currently set to 65 percent of full power as the new “on”— tuning light levels ac-counts for connected lighting energy savings of 35 percent, and still maintains recommended light levels throughout the building. And because they are digitally addressable, the ballasts can be easily reconfigured to different sensors, switches, groupings and settings without intrusive and expensive rewiring when space use changes.

• DAYLIGHT HARVESTING. EcoSystem daylight sensors save energy by dimming or turning off electric lighting when sufficient daylight is available. They are used throughout all perimeter facades on each floor of the building.

• OCCUPANCY SENSING. Dual-technology occupancy/vacancy sensors turn lights off in a portion of the building when a space is empty and turn lights on when anyone enters.

CASE STUDY FALL 2015

Lutron Electronics Provides Solution For Federal SkyscraperSAVING TAXPAYER MONEY

www.naild.org 13

SAVING TAXPAYER MONEY

“Renovations exceeded our goals. We were able to execute the energy overhaul without disturbing or displacing any tenants,” said Christopher Helmer, GSA project manager, Those tenants include a host of federal employees and agencies ranging from the Veterans Affairs and Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Education.

AFTER-HOURS WORKOUT

The JFB project extended beyond the new lighting control system, incorporating new windows, as well as renovating heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment. Based on an energy model study by the GSA, the lighting control system upgrade was identified as a key component for a high return on investment.

”Contractors bidding the work were tasked with identifying systems and components that would save the most money to net the highest potential returns,” Helmer said. “We were also challenged to improve levels of employee comfort in the work space.”

The Lutron lighting control system, which is fully compliant with the Buy American Act stipulated for use of ARRA funds, was selected based on its high potential ROI and multiple, flexible features.

The low-impact installation of the system was another benefit. The GSA required that the overall project be designed and sched-uled to have zero effect on tenants. It was important that all work with implications for employee comfort and productivity be com-pleted after normal working hours and on weekends. This required intense coordination among the various subcontractors involved.

In addition, the team that installed the light control system faced another challenge. More than half the wiring for the new system’s digital ballasts and occupancy/daylight sensors needed to be carefully guided through asbestos-containing material without con-taminating employee spaces. Because of this, system installers used two types of Lutron digital dimming ballasts that allowed the use

of an existing conduit for ballast commu-nication wiring. Approximately 10 percent of the digital ballasts used were the Lutron EcoSystem EC5 series ballasts that allowed the contractor to connect local occupancy or daylight sensors directly at the ballast, with-out having to run wire back to distant control panels or modules. A fiber-optic camera and whip were used to pull control wires and sensor connections to ballasts where asbes-tos was present. After installation, only the camera and whip equipment needed to be decontaminated. No asbestos was introduced into work areas.

COOL DOWN

“The Jackson Federal Building has become a smart building, with intelligence integrated down to each light fixture,” Helmer said. “We have the ability to control, manage and moni-tor our energy savings from a single control room, improving our ability to efficiently and effectively detect and respond to changes in energy use.”

Meanwhile, employee comfort has improved. “Employees with window seats can finally appreciate the advantages of natural daylight without glare or headache,” Helmer said. “Feedback provided from regular tenant surveys during the project was overwhelm-ingly positive.”

The overall JFB project—including the HVAC, window and chilled-water plant upgrades—targets energy savings for the building of 30 percent, and the new lighting control system goes a long way to helping meet these tar-gets. The project has met requirements for LEED Silver certification and its Energy Star rating will be increased from 83 to 97.

“Federal budgets are continuing to shrink, but we need to bring new technology to these facilities to save money,” Brendon VanCam-pen, director of Government and Military Programs for Lutron Electronics explained. “Energy-saving contracts tied to metric-based results are a great way for government facili-ties to fund capital upgrade projects, and in the long term, they benefit building tenants and taxpayers alike.”

JACKSON FEDERAL BUILDING VITAL STATS

Built in 1974

37 floors

854,000 square feet

Offices accommodate 2,300-plus employees from over 35 agencies, including:

• Veterans Affairs

• Internal Revenue Service

• General Services Administration

• Coast Guard

• Federal Transit Administration

• National Highway and Transportation Administration

• Immigration and Customs Enforcement

• Department of Education

• Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms

• Federal Trade Commission

• Office of U.S. Sen. Patty Murray

• Office of U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell

• Veterans Administration Office of Inspector General

• Department of Transportation Office of Inspector GeneraI

• Federal Occupational Health

With the advent of the digital age, marketing and communications tactics are rapidly evolving, yet some tradi-tional marketing tools still retain their tried-and-true sales clout. Case studies and customer testimonials have been around forever and there is a reason for that. They work.

According to the Content Marketing Institute, 73 percent of marketers use case studies and 65 percent feel they are effective. Research firm Gartner Inc. reports a potential customer is 2.5 times more likely to buy when the ven-dor can articulate its message through customer success stories.

Case studies provide potential customers with credible insight into how another company benefited from working with your team and its products and services on an electrical project. This allows prospects to envision themselves as your customer by documenting your work on a project in their market segment or one similar to a project they are contemplating.

CUSTOMER SUCCESSES DRIVE PROSPECTS’ PERCEPTIONS

In a case study, you’re essentially saying: “Here’s a project like yours. Here’s what we did to complete it successfully. We can do the same for you.” You’ll want to segment your case studies to customer markets, beginning with the strongest. Hospitals? Data centers? Schools? MRO? Address your largest, most competitive or emerging segments first by developing specific case studies. Focus your success stories where most of your sales effort is focused.

Consider case studies that highlight your specific internal strengths and resources such as project management expertise,

a lighting system design team, a switch-gear division or a green solutions group.

Frame the case study objectively, avoiding brag-and-boast corporate ego state-ments about your company. Readers will see through those and lose interest. Just include the facts, 350-450 words on a two-sided single sheet with one or two pictures. The project and your involve-ment should speak for themselves. Add a design template for visual appeal and graphic consistency. An at-a-glance sidebar summarizing key results is also effective.

CHALLENGE. SOLUTION. RESULTS.

Think of the case study as a three-act play focused on the Challenge, the Solution and the Result of the customer project. The first act introduces the customer and presents the challenge that puts your case study in motion. The project challenge may be a problem to be solved or an opportunity to be maximized.

In the solution, profile the products and services your company provided to solve the problem or achieve the goal. Why you supplied certain products and how you integrated those products and services into the project provide evidence of your company’s expertise, solutions skills and customer service philosophy. Specificity is critical. It provides context and relevance for how your team contributed to the success of the project.

Did the solution work? What result did it bring about? Like your description of the solution, make the result as specific and detailed as you can. If possible, quantify the results with numbers: money saved, productivity gains, rapid payback, ROI, energy cost and operational savings, any

kind of relevant, contrasting, before-and-after-data. Work with your customer to help quantify your results.

CAN I GET A WITNESS?

A testimonial works because it’s an objective and credible third party, in this case, a satisfied customer who vouches for your expertise and places your com-pany on a mantle of trust.

The perspectives of peers are among the information sources that prospec-tive customers value most. According to MarketingProfs.com, 71 percent of customers are more confident in their purchases after reading reviews or testimonials.

Create a testimonials section on your website. Post them on your Facebook page. Pepper your printed marketing materials with customer endorsements. They are dazzling gems to share with the marketplace.

With consistent effort over time, your company will have an arsenal of laser-focused case studies and testimonials that your sales team can share with prospects. Case studies and customer testimonials offer tremendous sales sup-port benefits. Capturing the experiences of your most successful customers not only boosts your credibility, but also educates prospects and shows them the payoff of becoming a client. These time-tested tools position your company as a safe, knowledgeable and expert project partner. Few marketing support tactics work harder.

Jeffrey Barnhart is president and CEO of Creative Marketing

Alliance (www.GoToCMA.com), a full-service marketing

firm recognized nationally as one of the electrical industry’s

premier marketing partners. Contact him at JBarnhart@

CMAsolutions.com or (609) 297-2222.

14 Today’s Lighting Distributor | FALL 2015

MARKETING TOOLBOX: CASE STUDIES, TESTIMONIALS WORK

By Jeffrey Barnhart FEATURE FALL 2015

IDEAS

INTERNET

FACTS

TESTIMONIALS

16 Today’s Lighting Distributor | FALL 2015

New NAILD Headquarters Announced

NAILD is excited to announce that it has extended its partnership with CMA Associa-tion Management. NAILD has entered into a full management contract with CMA, with the company’s location now serving as the NAILD Headquarters. For questions regarding membership, the annual confer-ence, advertising and more, please use the following information:

NAILD Headquarters191 Clarksville Road

Princeton Junction, NJ 08550Ph. (609) 297-2216Fax. (609) 799-7032

info@naild.org

Linda Daniel has moved into the role of director of education and will continue to be based out of the Buffalo, N.Y. office. For questions regarding the Lighting Specialist (LS) training program, please call (716) 875-3670 or email Linda directly at lmd@naild.org.

New Members

Distributor Member

ProLightingSarasota, FloridaContact: Kyle Kluskawww.prolighting.com

ProLighting offers names like Lutron, RAB, JUNO Lighting, and will help individuals find the perfect accent to one’s home or business. ProLighting offers a wide selec-tion of residential and commercial fixtures, lamps and ballasts, even occupancy sensors and dimmers in a variety of designs and finishes. In addition to indoor lighting, the company also offers a growing selection of landscape lighting, floodlights and step lights.

ASSOCIATION/MEMBER NEWS FALL 2015

LS I Graduates

The following participants have successfully completed the NAILD Lighting Specialist I on-line courseware, as well as hands-on requirements:

Eric Dreher, 3EStephanie Derby, Access FixturesMark Nechelput, Aztec Electrical Supply Inc.Karen Munson, EarthtronicsLaurie Bogner, EarthtronicsLesley Budde, EarthtronicsMatt Wagner, EarthtronicsShayne Daughenbaugh, Energy ProCurt Wendt, Facility Solutions GroupPatrick D’Antoni, Facility Solutions GroupSusan Marzano, Furbay Electric Supply CompanyEric Blevins, Illuminating TechnologiesPenny White, J&T Electrical Supply, Inc.Kira Strey, J.H. Larson Company – CorporateCynthia Baker, Lighting Supply Co.Ed Askew, Lighting Supply Co.Brandon Dela Cruz, Lighting Supply, Inc.Donnie Edgell, Lighting Unlimited, Inc.Michael Zucker, Mars ElectricTerri Dumas, Rab LightingSteve Marston, Sequel Electrical Supply LLCMike Wilson, ShineRetrofits.comKait Winchell, Sunset LightingAdam Wechsler, USHIO America, Inc.Amanda Bilotto, USHIO America, Inc.Gus Robalino, USHIO America, Inc.Jennifer Archuleta, USHIO America, Inc.Julisa Wiharso, USHIO America, Inc.Lucia Lepe, USHIO America, Inc.Nicole Tougas, USHIO America, Inc.Rafael Castaneda, USHIO America, Inc.Ben Teele, Voss LightingEd McClure, Voss LightingEliot Hillis, Voss LightingGreg Smith, Voss LightingJames McClure, Voss LightingJeremy Wimmer, Voss LightingJoe Lonetti, Voss LightingJoel Blowers, Voss LightingMatt Casebolt, Voss LightingMike Derus, Voss LightingNathan Harms, Voss LightingNick Carow, Voss LightingSamuel Ryberg, Voss Lighting

www.naild.org 17selection. solutions. simplicity. eiko.com23220 W. 84th St, Shawnee, KS 66227 (P) 1.800.852.2217 (F) 1.800.492.897581 King St, Barrie, ON L4N 6B5 888.410.8151 (F) 888.705.1335 orderdesk@eiko.com

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Select LitespanLED® Wallpacks feature “Night Sky Friendly” full cutoff optics to prevent neighborhood light trespass.

The Spotlight is on NAILD’s Diamond, Platinum and Gold Vendors!

These vendors have committed the highest level of support to NAILD activities in 2015.

Diamond Vendor Members

Platinum Vendor Member

Gold Vendor Members

A QSSI CompanyPRODUCTS INC

USHIO America Announces LED Replacement For 60W A19 Lamp

USHIO America, Inc. delivers an omni-directional LED replacement for the popular 60W A19 incandescent lamps. The dimmable LED A19 lamps replicate the form, fit and function of traditional incandescent A19 lamps, but last up to 25 times longer.

With a rated life of 25,000 hours and an energy savings of 85 percent compared to 60W incandescent lamps, the Utopia LED A19 works for most applications, is Energy Star-certified and comes with a three-year warranty. The 9.5W LED A19 lamps operate on 120V with warm white (2700K) and daylight (5000K) color temperatures and are available in E26 medium base.

USHIO America, Inc. is a manufacturer of specialty and general illumination lighting solutions based in Cypress, Calif. Estab-lished in 1967 as a subsidiary of Ushio Inc., in Tokyo, Japan, USHIO carries more than 2,500 general lighting and specialty products. For more information, visit www.USHIO.com.

Universal Introduces Simple Everline LED Replacement Options

Universal has introduced LED replace-ment options as it expands the Everline products, including T8 LED linear tubes, LED-ready compatible ballasts and the LED Retrofit Kit.

The T8 LED tubes are designed as a direct replacement for conventional linear fluorescent lamps and are

NEW PRODUCTS FALL 2015

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NEW PRODUCTS FALL 2015

compatible with most instant-start and programmed-start ballasts. Light outputs are available from 1000 lumens for 24-inch lamps to 2200 lumens for 48" lamps, and more savings are available with an 1800-lumen option. The tubes are easy to install and offer less mainte-nance than traditional fluorescent with a 50,000+ hour lifetime at L70.

The lamps offer a CRI of 82+ and cor-related color temperatures of 3500K, 4000K and 5000K. A seamless glass design ensures no aging, discoloration or bowing. The wide 240-degree beam angle eliminates dark zones. The LED tubes are UL-listed for use in the U.S. and Canada. The products are also listed on the DesignLights Consortium QPL, making them qualified for many utility rebate programs.

“The T8 LED replacement lamps offer over 30 percent immediate energy savings and installation ease,” said Chris Holstein, vice president of marketing. “Universal recognizes the shifting efficiency needs of the marketplace and that’s why it is a high priority for Univer-sal to provide our distributors with LED replacement options.”

Universal is also making the ballast compatibility selection process easier with an “LED Ready” emblem to identify compatibility with the LED lamps. An-other option is to replace lamps and bal-last with the LED retrofit, which features two lensed LED modules and a driver.

Universal Lighting Technologies, Inc., produces LED, linear fluorescent, compact fluorescent, HID and eHID solutions for commercial lighting applications, as well as energy management systems in the lighting industry. The company manufactures and distributes products under Universal, EVERLINE, Triad, Panasonic, Vossloh-Schwabe, DCL, DEMANDflex, and Signa brands.

RAB Lighting offers an energy-saving alternative to HID

RAB Lighting recently introduced RAIL, a new line of energy-saving, affordable and super-high output LED high bay fix-tures with equivalencies up to 400-watt metal halide. RAIL delivers an efficacy rating of 128 lumens per watt and 60 percent reduction in energy versus comparable HID fixtures. RAIL is ideal for high ceilings (mounting heights up to 40 feet) and large interior spaces, such as warehouses, manufacturing facilities and gymnasiums.

RAIL is DesignLights Consortium-approved and eligible for utility rebates. All models have a 100,000-hour LED lifespan, based on IES LM-80 results and TM-21 calculations, so maintenance and re-lamping requirements are dramatically reduced. The high bays are available with an integrated motion/photo sensor that enables a full range of lighting controls that comply with ASHRAE 90.1 - 2013, IECC 2012 and California’s Title 24 en-ergy codes. Sensor lens options include versions for 20 feet or 40 feet mounting heights. High/low settings, dimming delay, cut-off timing and ambient light detection are all fully adjustable using a handheld wireless configuration tool.

RAIL models are available in two lengths, 20 and 30 inches, and four power packages of 95W, 150W, 185W and 225W. A high-transmittance, semi-diffuse polystyrene lens eliminates glare without compromising light output. Installation is simple: Just attach chains or cables (by others) to the integrated “V” hooks and connect a power feed. Driver options include standard on/off and 0-10V dimming for 120-277V, 480V or 347V systems. The five-year warranty covers light output, color stability, driver performance and paint finish.

RAB Lighting makes LED lighting and controls that make it easy for distribu-tors to sell, electricians to install and end-users to save energy. Founded in 1946, RAB has a growing infrastructure of manufacturing facilities and engi-neering. RAB also provides free lighting design services to anyone who needs assistance. For more information, visit www.rabweb.com.

Green Creative’s LED Crisp Series Includes Click Design

Part of Green Creative’s new titanium LED Crisp Series 4.0, the 6-inch 14.5W SMDL and 4-inch 10W SMDL feature the click design for dual installation in both recessed housings and J-boxes. Each comes with quick-connect accessories that require no rewiring. The downlights take up little space inside cans and J-boxes.

“The click design surface mounted downlights are just the first of many fixtures we will be releasing this year,” said Matt Leonard, marketing manager at Green Creative. “The high performance and look of these products provide customers with a versatile solution for transforming the look of their existing lighting environments.”

The 6-inch SMDL and 4-inch SMDL both feature a typical CRI 90, R9 60 and R13 90. R9-R14 provide redder reds, natural looking skin tones and whiter whites. These downlights also meet the Cali-fornia Energy Commission’s California Quality Spec, which demands color temperatures fall within a four-step Macadam ellipse.

Both downlights are dimmable, turn on instantly and last 40,000 hours. The 6-inch SMDL is available in 2700K, 3000K and 4000K (CRI 80) CCT and the 4-inch SMDL is available in 2700K and 3000K CCT. For Title 24 compliance, an optional GU24 base adaptor is available.

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Green Creative is a solid-state lighting development and manufacturing company based in California’s Bay Area. The company specializes in retrofit lighting for the commercial market, of-fering a line of LED lighting solutions and has strong R&D capabilities to offer the latest technology available. For more information, please visit www.greencreative.com.

HyLite Introduces New Generation of Arc-Cobs

Arva announces the release of its new generation of HyLite LED Arc-Cob Lamps. It features optimal optical performance with 120-degree light dis-persion and provides instant brightness with no glare, hot spots or shadows.

It is designed to last up to 60,000 hours (17 years of an on-time of 10 hours/day) while maintaining more than 91 percent of its initial lumens through 60,000 hours.

The Arc-Cob significantly reduces en-ergy use, relamping and disposal costs and environmental impact with energy savings of up to 90 percent. It is suitable for fully enclosed fixtures and provides illumination of up to 140 lpw.

The lamp features aviation-grade alu-minum housing, flame-retardant base and a shatterproof lens that allows for use in harsh environments, extreme temperatures and in high shock and vibration areas.

It is available in 20W, 30W, 40W, 50W and 100W to replace traditional 100W and 400W HD, HPS, mercury vapor or CFL bulbs.

It contains no lead, mercury, heavy metals or toxic gasses and is RoHS compliant, and CE and UL approved for safety.

MaxLite LED Cooler and Freezer Lamps offer Energy Savings For Retailers

MaxLite recently introduced LED cooler and freezer lamps as an energy-efficient lighting solution designed to enhance product displays and reduce operating costs for food and beverage retailers.

These lamps consume less energy, offer a longer life and perform better than fluorescent tubes in cold temperatures. In addition to lowering monthly energy and maintenance costs, the LED lamps operate with less heat, helping to reduce the risk of food spoilage.

“Lighting in freezer cases presents a set of challenges that LEDs are uniquely suited to meeting,” said Pat Treadway, director of product management for controls and new technology. “Not only are they more compact and longer last-ing than fluorescent tubes, LEDs retain their full output and maintain their energy efficiency in cold temperatures, unlike fluorescent systems, which lose efficacy in colder temperatures.”

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The tubes feature a low-mounting height and smooth construction that presents a clean, unobtrusive appear-ance in cases where space is limited. MaxLite cooler and freezer lamps are of-fered in four lengths, ranging from 36 to 72 inches, with corresponding outputs of eight to 23 watts.

Engineered to operate at 24 volts DC, the lamps combine with an external constant voltage driver to provide life of 50,000 hours at L70 standards. The lamps are unaffected by frequent switching, and can be configured for use with on/off switches and occupancy sensors. Their dimming functionality is dependent on the driver used.

MaxLite has been committed to provid-ing energy-efficient lighting products for more than 20 years. It offers indoor and outdoor LED lamps and luminaires and is a three-time recipient of the Energy Star partner of the year award. For more information, visit www.maxlite.com.

SORAA Launches World’s First 4-Degree AR111 LED Lamp

Soraa has launched the first full visible spectrum 4-degree AR111 LED lamp. The ANSI size standard, 6W AR111 4D LED lamp has peak intensity, beam defi-nition and edges, CRI of 95 and R9 of 95 and whiteness rendering and is custom-izable with the company’s Snap system.

“Lighting designers and customers now have the perfect tool to narrowly focus beautiful and efficient light on small objects and in small spaces,” said George Stringer, senior vice president of Americas sales and marketing. “With low power consumption, a unique four-degree beam enabled by our GaN on GaN LED and Point Source Optics, and VP₃ Vivid Color and VP₃ Natural White technologies, our new AR111 lamp makes precision lighting perfect.”

The technology produces high-intensity and uniform beams and enables a peak

intensity of 12,600Cd (Vivid series) and 15,900Cd (Brilliant series). It also allows for perfect rendering of colors and whiteness.

Designed for seamless fixture integration, the AR111 LED lamp is compatible with a wide variety of industry-standard dim-mers and transformers, and perfect for use in enclosed, non-ventilated indoor and outdoor fixtures. It is available in 2700K and 3000K color temperatures and works with the magnetic accessory SNAP System.

Pioneering lamps using LEDs built from pure gallium nitride substrates (GaN on GaN), Soraa makes ordinary lighting brilliant and efficient. Soraa’s lamps have superior color rendering and beam characteristics compared to lamps using LEDs created from non-native substrates. Founded in 2008, Soraa is located in Fremont, Calif., where it manufactures its LEDs. For more information please visit www.soraa.com.

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Rumsey Electric Acquires Teco

Rumsey Electric acquired Transmission Engineering Company (TECO) headquartered in Hatfield, Pa. TECO will operate as an independent operating company.

This acquisition complements Rumsey’s automation and motion-control business while expanding its product offering into power transmission and power train components. TECO customers will experience the benefits of the more resources at Rumsey’s disposal to provide additional sales support, product and application specialists and supporting services.

Rumsey Electric is the tri-state’s largest full-service indepen-dent electrical wholesale distributor serving the construction, industrial, OEM, utility, institutional, and commercial markets. Rumsey is a 100-percent, employee-owned company – and has been serving the electrical market since 1895. Rumsey

operates 12 branch locations. For more information, visit www.rumsey.com.

TECO is the leading regional provider of motion control, automation, power transmission and power train components to the industrial, OEM, marine and off-highway equipment market. Since 1936, TECO’s team of seasoned sales and ap-plication specialists have provided products and engineering services that help customers reduce downtime, maintenance cost and improve production efficiency. TECO operates three locations throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. For more information, visit www.tecoinc.com.

Starbeam Supply Company Wins Energy-Efficient Award

Starbeam Supply Company was named Trade Ally of the Summer Quarter by the ActOnEnergy BizSavers program,

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INDUSTRY UPDATES FALL 2015

based on the number of projects submitted, kWh savings and meeting application submission requirements.

Starbeam has been a Trade Ally since the program launched in 2009 and has helped its customers save nearly 3 million kWh to date. Starbeam offers lighting solutions to the commercial, industrial and retail markets. Services include energy audits, design solutions and ongoing education to achieve the best possible lighting solutions for its clients.

Starbeam Lighting Solutions Buys Archway Lighting, Archway Marine Lighting

Starbeam Lighting Solutions recently announced its purchase of Archway Lighting and Archway Marine Lighting.

Its new relationship with Archway Lighting and Archway Marine Lighting will allow the company to more than double its inventory and customer service department. The company will also offer Archway’s marine products.

Halco Hires Director of Product Development

Halco Lighting Technologies recently hired Rob Freitag as director of product development. Freitag has more than 25 years of product and marketing management experience. He will lead the product management and compliance team and report to the vice president of product and supply chain operations.

“Rob’s extensive lighting background is a tremendous asset and will be extremely helpful as we continue to expand into additional lighting segments,” said David Nelkin, vice president of product and supply chain operations.

Freitag was most recently vice president of marketing for EYE Lighting International and, before that, he held a variety of product management leadership roles for the Day-Brite Group and Cooper Lighting. Freitag earned his B.S. in industrial design from Kent State University.

Halco Lighting Technology manufactures lighting solutions, includ-ing energy efficient lamps, ballasts and lighting fixtures. Founded in 1974, its product line includes ProLED, ProLume, HaloXen, Prism, CoverShield and Sollos Landscape Lighting. For more information, visit www.halcolighting.com.

Osram Appoints New CEO/CFO

Osram has appointed Grant Wright as CEO/CFO of Osram Americas and president and CEO/CFO of Osram Sylvania. Wright is responsible for the Osram business in North, Middle and South America.

For the past 19 years, Wright has held financial leadership positions at Osram, most recently as CFO of the Americas region for the last two years. Before Osram, he spent 10 years in General Electric’s aircraft engines and power systems divisions. He holds a B.S. degree from Bentley University in economics and finance.

He succeeds Jes Munk Hansen, who was appointed CEO of the recently formed lamps business unit.

Osram Sylvania is part of Osram Americas, a group of Osram companies located in North and South America. It sells lamps, control units and optical semiconductors, such as LEDs to luminaries, light management systems and lighting solutions. The Osram Sylvania and Osram Americas regional headquarters are located in Danvers, Mass. For more information, visit www.osram-americas.com.

GPS-Enabled Lighting to Save California City $600,000 Annually

The city of Oceanside, Calif., recently installed more than 7,700 GE LED roadway fixtures equipped with a GPS-enabled controls system. It is expected to drive energy and maintenance savings of approximately $600,000 annually.

The city’s public works team now has a real-time view of how each of the 7,700 street lights across the city is operating. It also allows the city to activate more precise on/off and street-light dimming schedules, particular in low-traffic areas and during overnight hours.

“Illuminating our city with GE’s LED street lights with LightGrid gives us control like we’ve never had before,” said Kiel Kroger, the city’s public works division manager. “We’re able to efficiently light roadways in a way that makes sense for how our city operates day to day, all while reducing our energy bills.”

Replacing legacy high-pressure, sodium street lights is expected to reduce annual carbon dioxide emissions by 1.7 million pounds, which is equal to removing nearly 150 cars from the road or adding more than 200 acres of forest.

“The feedback from citizens and city staff has been just as important as the anticipated energy and cost savings,” said Kroger. “Citizens of Oceanside like the fixture style and the light quality produced, while city staff are also pleased by the energy and maintenance savings and expected return on investment.”

Additional upgrades include 900 city park light fixtures, parking lights, pier and decorative lights downtown.

GE Lighting is changing the way people light and think about their world in commercial, industrial, municipal and residential settings. For more information, visit www.gelighting.com.

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Wanted: Your NewsAre you a NAILD member looking to promote a new hire,

product or industry development? Email your news to staff writer

Greta Cuyler at GCuyler@CMASolutions.com.

Advance University(800) 322 2086

NAILD Universitywww.naild.org or call (716) 875-3670

NAILD Lighting Specialist ProgramFor information, call (716) 875-3670

or e-mail info@naild.org. To register, please visit www.naild.org

and click on Lighting Specialist.

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Linda Lee Joins American Green Technology, Inc. as Chief Science Officer

Linda Lee has joined American Green Technology as executive vice president - chief science officer and health risk management system product manager. She has extensive experience in senior leadership in the healthcare industry overseeing facility operations, governmental agencies and corporate executive staffs.

“I am excited to have Dr. Lee join our company as our chief science officer,” said Chief Executive Officer Danny Bogar. “She is an expert in hospital facilities management, envi-ronmental health and safety and has had a very successful career. Dr. Lee is the perfect person to lead the health risk management system for our company.”

Based in Austin, Texas, Lee previously worked for CH2M Hill, WM Healthcare Solutions, Inc., the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and Stericycle, Inc. She served as adjunct professor for the University of Texas Health Science Center, the University of Houston College of Engineering, the American Hospital Association and the American Industrial Hygiene Association. She earned a BS

in environmental health science from Indiana State University, a masters in operations management from the University of Arkan-sas - College of Engineering, an MBA in healthcare management from Western Governs University and a doctorate of public health in occupational and environmental health from the University of Texas Health Science Center, School of Public Health. She is also a certified indoor air-quality manager.

“I’m very excited about the opportunity to join forces with an organization like AGT,” Lee said. ”The HRMS is an innovative technology that is poised to make a positive impact in the healthcare environment and reduce the devastating effects of healthcare-associated infections. I’m eager to continue the success we have had with the product so far.”

American Green Technology manufactures safe lighting solutions for industry and healthcare and is dedicated to developing innovative, sustainable products to positively impact the health, economy, and environment of global communities. AGT’s Health Risk Management System is a patented UVC lighting product clinically proven to eliminate 99.7 percent of airborne pathogens that cause healthcare-associated infections.