One thing we keep hearing at the NRA show is the economic advantages of going green. So we talked to a few exhibitors who make eco-friendly lighting.
Take William Stauffer, vice president, Eco-Story, Portland, Maine, who describes a 12-month surge in interest in the company's LED-based lighting.
Eco-Story's products promise 90 percent energy reduction when compared with traditional lighting, last 20 to 45 times as long, don't contain the mercury or harmful substances you find in fluorescent bulbs, and fit in existing fixtures. They cost more per bulb but pay for themselves in a year and a half, Stauffer says. Eco-Story's website offers a calculator to determine how much you can save.
Luma Vue is out to get more people using LED technology as well, calling the NRA Show a "coming out party." Their ultra-thin LED panels power eye-catching message boards, signs, posters, hi-tech chalkboards, and other displays that last much longer and use substantially less energy than those powered by traditional lighting technologies.
"The new trend is moving into sustainability products. You can save a lot on energy costs and at the same time be environmentally conscious," said Luma Vue's Steve Schotta. "The whole green movement is happening, and the NRA is a leader in that."
LEDgen told us why conventional rope lighting starts looking yellow after a few years. It's not the age or the sun; it's the heat of those tiny incandescent bulbs cooking the plastic. That's not where restaurant operators want to be doing their cooking, so LEDgen offers LED versions of those lights, along with retro-fit screw-in LED bulbs and LED tubes to replace neon lighting.
The energy savings, durability and safety of their products are a hit at the NRA show this year, which LEDgen's David Fred knows spells even more success in the future. "Interest at the show always translates into what will happen in the actual business very soon."
Check out these and other companies offering LED technology at the NRA show.
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