Graham Brown took one look at the quote a competitor had provided for a construction industry client and knew Arkon Power could do better. The lighting layout simply had more poles positioned around the PDQ restaurant parking lot in Clearwater, Florida, than were necessary.

“We’re always aware of design efficiency,” Brown said. “And we consistently save our customers money by reducing light pole and fixture numbers with better photometric plans and eventual lighting layouts.”

The competitor’s parking lot and site lighting design proposed 10 light poles and 10 LED fixtures. Tarpon Springs-based Arkon was able to achieve better lighting with only five light poles and five LED fixtures. The strategy was to use lights with slightly higher output, but also adjust the height of the proposed light poles.

“When completing a design, we always attempt to do so with the least number of poles possible, as we know this will cut product costs and significantly lower installation costs,” Brown said.

Arkon was also able to offer its construction company customer lower priced LED fixtures and direct burial fiberglass light poles to eliminate the need for the concrete bases used with streetlight poles. The result for the PDQ restaurant parking lot was lower upfront costs on both product and install, reduced ongoing maintenance costs, and a smaller energy bill.

Arkon and PDQ, a rapidly growing fast casual restaurant chain, have enjoyed a successful partnership since 2014, when the LED firm installed the site lighting at PDQ’s flagship location in Hillsborough County, Florida. While completing the job at Waters and Benjamin in South Tampa, Arkon contracted to provide upgraded exterior site lighting for dozens more PDQ locations around Florida.

Arkon’s exterior LED fixtures are ideal for fast food, fast casual, and full-service dining establishments, where nighttime exposure and security is critical for success. And while the latest PDQ project was for new construction, Arkon is capable of working on all types of development projects.

“We do a lot of retrofits on existing structures, but we love working on new construction, as well,” Brown said.

Email info@arkonpower.com to learn more about this or any of Arkon Power’s other projects.

Major chain teams up with Arkon for latest in LED Site lighting solutions.

Arkon LED installed the first in a series of lights purchased by fast casual restaurant group PDQ in early July. The lights were installed at the chain’s flagship restaurant in Tampa, Florida.

Arkon has been contracted to provide upgraded exterior site lighting for multiple locations operated by PDQ (People Dedicated to Quality), one of the fastest growing fast casual restaurants in the country. Industry-leading LED light fixtures, along with hurricane-rated direct-burial fiberglass poles with a durable acrylic coating that matches the restaurant’s color scheme, were installed at PDQ’s location on Waters and Benjamin in South Tampa beginning on July 1. Arkon suggested LED fixtures with multiple optics, along with proper pole placement, to ensure maximum light at the least cost to the individual store location.

“You can’t just throw up any light and hope it works. Every location is different,” Arkon’s VP of Business Development Eleni Lelekis said. “Whether it is meeting the challenge of local ordinances or overcoming the challenges of the location’s footprint, we are able to improve upon a site lighting design where most could not.”

Arkon has received the go-ahead to upgrade the lighting at 10 more PDQ locations, as well as at the first Wow That’s Fresh (WOW) concept, which will soon be launched by PDQ’s parent company, MVP Holdings in Hillsborough County. According to executives, the Arkon team is currently being introduced to MVP’s engineers, general contractors and architects, and installations at the 25 new PDQ stores the group will open in the next 18 months are possible.

“We look forward to handling PDQ and WTF on a national level just like we manage our other national accounts,” Arkon President Greg Papandrew said. “Whether it is a real estate investment company, large automotive retailer or restaurant chain, Arkon can travel anywhere and communicate with all parties involved to provide the best site lighting at competitive pricing.”

Arkon’s photometric expertise and cost-effective solutions made the company PDQ’s LED and pole vendor of choice. Please email Info@ArkonPower.com for information about our parking lot solutions and more.