Small-town power company selects Arkon for lighting upgrade, community leadership
Cutting energy costs isn’t a big deal for Vandolah Power Co. The company in the city of Wauchula in Hardee County, Florida., literally makes its own power.
But Vandolah was interested in being efficient, in being “good stewards of our resources,” according to EHS Manager Calvin Bates. The firm is an anchor of its small community—a major employer and a model for other businesses.
So when Vandolah looked to update its interior and exterior lighting fixtures, it solicited bids from a variety of vendors to find an optimal LED Lighting solution. Arkon Power, with Sales Representative Ira Timmerman spearheading the project, produced the most attractive bid with the most efficient lighting plan.
“LEDs were our primary focus, although we would have considered alternatives if they were more efficient,” Bates said. “We went with LEDs because we believed they were the most efficient technologies for our purposes…We can buy lights anywhere, but Arkon’s attention to detail and willingness to accommodate were invaluable.”
For the power company’s interior, Arkon Technical Manager Graham Brown and his team retrofitted Vandolah’s offices, power making facilities and warehouses with 349 LED tubes, corn cobs, troffers and high bays with motion sensors.
“Their bulbs were only lasting a few weeks,” Brown said. “And their workers previously had to wear headlamps to be able to see. Now they don’t.”
On the building’s exterior, Arkon replaced Vandolah’s legacy metal halide bulbs with 253 wall packs, area lights, flood lights and street lights. All told, the lighting upgrade reduced Vandolah’s power costs by about 60%, while increasing light output and eliminating costly maintenance.
Bates said that while Arkon’s initial bid drew Vandolah’s attention, it was the company’s customer service throughout the project that truly impressed.
“Arkon went over our current lighting, listened to our needs and developed a plan,” he said. “Then they worked with us as we prioritized and went through the transition to LEDs. They were always available when questions or installation issues arose and followed up with diligence. The project was pretty seamless. We worked in phases quarterly to ensure installers were not overwhelmed, and though with any project there are minor hiccups, with Arkon’s assistance these were handled with ease and efficiency.”
Email Info@ArkonPower.com to learn more about this or any of Arkon’s Commercial LED projects.