The retailer had been working with its electrical contractor and distribution partners on custom lighting solutions for a new distribution facility. When installation crews onsite experienced repeated and significant delays in shipments from the incumbent lighting manufacturer, the contractor began seeking other solutions.

The agent and distributor introduced the contractor to Orion, and after a meeting at Orion’s Manitowoc, Wisconsin manufacturing facility, the contractor gave approval for the company to develop a prototype.

“In just six business days, we were able to meet with the parties involved, understand their shipping challenges, plus how we might improve on the product itself, and then develop and deliver a working custom LED strip fixture for their review,” said Scott Green, President of Innovation and Project Engineering at Orion Energy Systems. “It quickly became clear that the delivery delays were not the only stress on the project timeline, and we took the opportunity to design a completely new luminaire that was quicker to install by just one person, not two, and gave more light for less wattage – at almost 30 percent more efficient.”

After receiving the prototype, the contractor completed a test hang at the construction site and confirmed the product exceeded his expectations for ease of install and wattage. As a result, the team specified the new fixture for the rest of the facility, which will include over 26,000 luminaires. The fixture will become a standard Orion product this summer, and the successful installation for this first phase may lead to the retrofit of many more of the retailer’s distribution facilities over the next year, as well as the contractor making the new Orion luminaire a standard for the 100,000 units he expects to sell in the future.

“This opportunity was a great example of how leveraging relationships within existing lighting channels can be a win-win for all parties involved. It is always our mission to listen closely to the challenges our partners and customers face and then deliver a surprising and unexpected customer experience that makes them a hero in their respective organizations,” said John Scribante, Chief Executive Officer of Orion Energy Systems. “Orion delivered on its same high standards – innovation, efficiency, responsiveness, and American-made – to help new partners win big and win fast, and help a notable and respected customer reduce their time to completion and energy usage.”