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Florida LED Start-up Celebrates Milestone, Doubles Workforce
Sizable strides have been made recently in the volume and quality of LED lighting available, and companies in the US are at the forefront, demonstrating the potential for clean technology investments to spur economic growth and generate new, relatively well-paid jobs.
One case in point is Florida's Lighting Science Group, which recently celebrated a production milestone with the production of a total two million LED light bulbs. Management's looking ahead with optimism, evidenced by a doubling of its workforce to 400 in 2010.
Lisa Jackson, head administrator of the EPA, toured LSG's plant in Satellite Beach in Florida's Brevard County earlier this week. “It's American innovation that makes our country strong. These are jobs, American jobs, right here, in a place that needs them,” she said in a WFTV news report.
LED lighting uses about 80 percent less electricity than conventional incandescent light bulbs. Americans save $17 million on their energy bills for every million LED bulbs LSG makes, according to the company.
LSG produces recyclable LED interior and exterior lighting for a wide range of purposes. The company has produced lighting for homes and businesses, outdoor spaces, as well as for the International Space Station and the New Year's Eve Ball in New York's Times Square. Its lighting products are installed from coast to coast in the US, as well as in Mexico, Europe, Japan and China.
The company recently announced a partnership with Dixon Technologies which grants the latter exclusive rights to distribute LSG's products in India. “Our entry into China earlier in the year and now India is an indication of what’s to come for Lighting Science Group as we solidify our worldwide brand presence,” said Jim Haworth, LSG's CEO.
“With rising energy prices around the globe, emerging markets in the East are searching for sustainable solutions that can meet the demands of their exponentially growing population base. Lighting Science Group’s LED products not only deliver substantial energy savings over traditional lighting options but also offer unparalleled quality, performance and longevity. Our products are a shining example of the exciting advancements that will shortly characterize the home, commercial and infrastructure landscapes of rapidly developing countries all over the world.”
An experienced, independent journalist, editor and researcher, Andrew has crisscrossed the globe while reporting on sustainability, corporate social responsibility, social and environmental entrepreneurship, renewable energy, energy efficiency and clean technology. He studied geology at CU, Boulder, has an MBA in finance from Pace University, and completed a certificate program in international governance for biodiversity at UN University in Japan.
