The ‘Life’ of an Electrical Contractor in the Lighting World – Article 2

May 21, 2024

By Andrew Boerschig – Guarantee Electric – Energy Solutions Project Manager

Building Client Trust with Turnkey Lighting Solutions

As I previously mentioned in our first article in our series, our energy solutions team within Guarantee Electrical is truly a boutique unit that leads with specialized turnkey solutions, that helps us build business relationships and customers for life! Sure, this sounds great on paper, but what does it really mean in the real world, right?

My goal in our second article here is to provide a behind the scenes look at how we truly “Live our Guarantees” each day with our clients in the market, to deliver successful projects. We will be highlighting a recent project we completed to help illustrate how we worked through our clients’ unique needs, navigated the sales and design process, and how we worked to deliver the completed project to our client.

On-Site Survey and Client Needs Analysis

We were contacted by a previous client in early February, inquiring about getting some lighting changed out at their facility. We had previously worked with this client on the lighting at their location, but they mentioned they currently had numerous fixtures not working correctly, plus they were looking to add some additional lighting to a specific area of the facility.

As always, our process starts with an on-site survey with the customer on-site to review their goals, what they currently have, and what options we have moving forward. During the survey, we determined that they currently were running some first-generation LED High Bays that were 394 W -36,000 Lumens-5000K and a majority had some level of failure, so overall we determined that we needed to replace the fixtures.

Additionally, the customer had a request to increase the light level in the rear area of the facility, due to the specific work being completed there. We gathered some initial light level readings and determined the current levels were in the range of 11–20 FC, which we agreed was low for the given space. So, with all the information in hand, we got to work on designing and laying out this project for the client.

Selection and Installation of New LED High Bays

In reviewing our available options here, we determined that we would partner locally with RAB Lighting on the NEW LED High Bays for this location. Based on the facilities size and dimensions, we worked with RAB to determine which fixture made the most sense and requested a full photometric layout of the facility. We decided to choose the RAB RBAY17L LED High Bay, as it provided us with power and color selectable option for flexibility, small and lightweight in size, which would help aid us in our installation on-site, as well as being in-stock and able to ship within a week or less.

In working with the customer, we decided to utilize the 400 W -58,300 Lumens-5000K settings on the fixture to achieve the highest light levels and color uniformity we could achieve. We proposed changing out the existing (20) High Bays 1-for-1, while adding an additional (10) fixtures in the rear of the facility to ensure we increased the light levels as the customer requested.

Upon completion of the project, we took final light level readings throughout the facility and determined we were now in the range of 53–64 FC, so we were able to increase the overall light levels 3–4 times their original levels. So overall, we were able to achieve our clients’ goals extremely easily, with an overall quick turnaround timeline to avoid any disruptions to their daily operations on-site.

Project Extension: Installation of an HVLS Industrial Ceiling Fan

Now back to my original point at the beginning of this article, how were we able to lead with a specialized turnkey solution (NEW LED Lighting), that helped us build a trusted business relationship and a customer for life?

Following the completion of the NEW LED High Bays in the facility, the customer approached us about the possibility of installation a NEW HVLS (High Volume-Low Speed) Industrial Ceiling Fan in the space. I agreed, this would be a great opportunity to explore, so we got working on our end.

We explored numerous options currently available, working to determine what make, model, and size would make the most sense from them. We ultimately decided to recommend a single 24’ VividAir Z-Tech model in the middle of this facility for this project.

This option provided the customer with a full 15-year manufacturer warranty, with an easy-to-use wall controller, as well as a fully reversible motor that allows the fan to pull the cooler air up in the summer and push the warmer air down in the winter on a very large scale. Plus, we were able to tap into local incentives through our utility company, to help offset the cost of this project for the customer.

Our client loved this option, and we got started on this right away.  Again, we were able to deliver an industry leading solution in a quick turnaround time with ease. Upon completion of our installation on-site, the customer was amazed at the total amount of air movement and the employees were overjoyed that they would have a more comfortable work environment leading into the warm summer months ahead.

Conclusion: Strengthening Client Relationships

So, we were able to turn a Lighting project into an additional project for a New Industrial Ceiling Fan, and now we’ve developed a strong business relationship and true customer for life, which is our single most important goal of our team! We strive for ultimate customer service in everything we do every day, and we are truly proud of what we do and who we do it for! Let us know your thoughts on this project, as we would love to hear back from the readers.

Who is Andrew Boerschig?

Andrew is a standout project manager at Guarantee Electrical in St. Louis, recognized for delivering innovative energy solutions across the nation. His journey, illuminated through a causal LinkedIn story, showcases the critical yet often overlooked role of electrical contractors in the lighting industry. Without a contractor, no project gets completed hence the challenges, and value, that a contractor can bring to an end-user and to specifiers. Their challenges, and partnerships with distributors, manufacturer representatives / lighting agents, and manufacturers are not discussed. Here is his second article.

Learn more about Andrew Boerschig, Guarantee Electrical and this project

• LinkedIn Profile – Andrew Boerschig (Problem Solver) Pure Energy – Storyteller | LinkedIn
• Guarantee Electrical – Guarantee Electrical Company | Electrical Contractor | St. Louis, MO | (geco.com)
• Guarantee Electrical – Energy Solutions – Lighting – Lighting | Guarantee Electrical Company (geco.com)
• Welcome to RAB (rablighting.com)
• High Performance Commercial HVLS Fan Manufacturer | VividAir (vividairmovement.com)