For nearly a century, Paterson, New Jersey-based Feldman Brothers Electrical Supply Company has served the businesses utilizing the power of the churning Great Falls on the Passaic River to create goods and services for a developing country. Today, David Feldman, the third-generation of Feldmans to manage the family-owned business that now features complete lines of high-quality electrical products and fixtures, says proudly, “We’ve got everything with an electric supply, and if we don’t have it you don’t need it.”
Feldman will tell you that his family’s company has maintained its outstanding reputation through a dedication to customer service. His team is always on the lookout for new high-quality products that help his electrical contracting partners save time and money.
To that end, Feldman’s team has kept its finger on the pulse of developments in the lighting industry. In lighting design and controls, Feldman says there are few innovations that have shaken up the industry like LED.
LED lighting lasts longer, consumes less energy, and provides more consistency than incandescent technology.
“Even though LED represents only about three percent of all the lights out there, the long-term prospects for these products looks bright,” Feldman said. “LED products are what the industry is talking about. It’s a complete paradigm shift.”
Respected manufacturers such as Universal Lighting Technologies are working hard to provide distributors like the Feldman Brothers a full line of advanced, energy-saving LED retrofit and replacement solutions.
According to Feldman Brothers, Universal’s EVERLINE® family of LED products—including Chains, Retrofit Kits and Wall Packs—have been top performers for his customers, which includes companies that are looking to replace a couple of lights and businesses that are building and upgrading whole facilities.
“The EVERLINE Wall Packs were really the first LED product we offered to installers. They like these because it retains the same footprint and housing style as the old HIDs,” Feldman said. “Universal guaranteed the product on our first order, provided sales tools and merchandising items, and then within a couple weeks the products were gone.”
Universal’s EVERLINE LED products provide Feldman Brothers the opportunity to expand their offerings to customers who want more options when considering new lighting installations or the replacement of ballast-based systems.
“It’s been a quick and easy introduction. Installers seem to know LED products perform better, longer, and with more cost savings,” Feldman said. “The biggest question that remains is: When will facility managers see a return on their investment?”
To help distributors overcome this specific challenge, Universal Lighting Technologies equips its product teams with payback calculations that provide facilities managers a dollar-for-dollar comparison for LED products. These application guides are available on their website at www.unvlt.com.
EVERLINE LED Wall Packs can provide more than $100 in annual savings per fixture over the equivalent 150W–200W HID, according to Stephanie Boyle, director of product management for the EVERLINE LED Wall Packs at Universal. “Wall Packs could generate more than $124 in annual savings per fixture over equivalent 175W–200W HID,” Boyle said. “Communicating these energy efficiency savings is a top priority.”
With such stark comparisons in performance the industry is taking notice, especially on bigger projects.
“The option is to spend a bit more money on the front end and save money later or save money on the front end and spend more later,” Feldman said. “Universal’s LED products provide a platform for installers to discuss replacements and a facility’s overall lighting needs as well, which can lead to stronger sales.”
While ballasts will remain a significant portion of business for distributors, the direction the industry is headed is clear, according to Feldman. “Facility managers and installers alike have bought into LED hook, line, and sinker,” Feldman said. “One day we were selling nothing but the old-style ballasts, and then it seemed like half the shelves were stocked with EVERLINE LED.”
The future looks bright indeed.
