Interview with Loren Brink, the CEO of Lumena SSL, Inc.:
I founded Health Fitness Corporation in 1982 and spent the next 20 years successfully running that company and eventually taking it public on NASDAQ.
My current business, Lumena SSL, Inc., was incorporated in early 2011. I founded the company with three partners to take advantage of the growing LED lighting market and the increasing need for businesses to reduce their rapidly growing energy costs.
Energy costs have been a concern for fitness facilities since I started in the business over 25 years ago. Costs continue to skyrocket every year, which of course erodes the bottom line for many fitness organizations. Rapidly rising energy expenses continue to be a huge problem for the industry.
About two years ago, I visited a factory in China that manufactured LED lights. Although I was not there to evaluate alternative lighting solutions, I was immediately struck by the cost savings this factory was experiencing. I had an “aha moment” as I realized that if these products really worked — we could save an incredible amount of money in the health club industry. I spent the next two years figuring out how to make this solution work here in the U.S.
We help clubs by retrofitting their existing incandescent and fluorescent lighting with LED lights, immediately reducing their lighting energy costs by over 50 percent. The lights are guaranteed to last five years, so maintenance costs are significantly reduced as well.
We specialize in the health club and health care industries. We understand the special challenges club owners face because personally, I’ve been there. Lighting in health clubs is not the same as in a warehouse, factory or barn. Quality of light and safety are huge concerns for the club industry.
I have over 20 years of experience in the health and fitness industry as an owner and CEO. I have a unique perspective and a stronger knowledge of the fitness industry than any other lighting company executive. With respect to Lumena SSL, Inc. we founded this company with the intention of “doing it right.” Our executive team has combined its experience, over 20 years in lighting and over six in LED, to make sure the products are the best and our service is beyond compare.
We are working with a number of multi-site chains and single location businesses at the moment. We probably are engaged with over 200 sites right now.
The U.S. LED market is growing by over 100 percent per year and Lumena SSL, Inc. is poised to meet or exceed that statistic. Our factory is over 700,000 square feet in size and can produce well in excess of 20,000 LED lights per day. We believe we can expect very high growth for the foreseeable future.
We would like to bring down the cost of lighting energy for the entire industry by over 50 percent in the next 10 years. In addition, we can eliminate enormous amounts of mercury and toxic substances currently used in fluorescent lighting. For us, this is not just about selling lights — it is about creating long-term, lighting solutions that benefit our future generations.
Our products will dramatically reduce the industry’s operating expenses in energy bills, maintenance and more. This will ultimately free up capital for clubs to reinvest in their most important assets — their members and their employees.
If I wasn’t the CEO of Lumena, SSL, Inc. I would probably be a photographer for National Geographic. Photography has always been my favorite hobby and I would find the travel and exposure to different cultures extremely interesting.-CS
