Industry News

Planning a major expansion for Q1 2014, Amerlux will relocate its Fairfield, NJ corporate headquarters and manufacturing facilities to a new 190,000 square foot facility in Oakland, New Jersey. Amerlux is an innovative leader of energy efficient interior and exterior lighting for the retail, supermarket and commercial market segments.

"We are extremely proud of our hard-earned reputation for industry leadership in the development of the next generation of energy efficient lighting fixtures and our unwavering attention to quality and service," said Frank P. Diassi, Chairman of Amerlux. "This investment allows us to build on that reputation and better serve industry professionals who depend upon us to help them grow with a seamless supply chain of superior commercial luminaires."

The new facility will encompass more than 70 percent additional space, featuring state of the art Lean Manufacturing processes for both interior and exterior lighting products and a wire-guidance system in the warehouse that will reduce costs and increase quality. In addition, the facility will house showroom displays, testing areas and a first-class location to run lighting designer CPE courses.  New metal fabrication equipment and automated powder coating operations will be installed for upgraded production while customer service and support offices will be reconfigured to dramatically improve efficiencies.

"Our new headquarters will consolidate materials, equipment and personnel that are currently housed across several different buildings in New Jersey," said Amerlux CEO/President Chuck Campagna. "As we continue to advance our domestic and international sales efforts exponentially for both interior and exterior lighting products, this move underscores our commitment to manufacturing here in the USA. These new synergies will help customers benefit from quicker lead times and additional production capabilities."

Amerlux will utilize Lean Manufacturing principles that include a Kaizen system of continual improvements to processes and flow, focused on achieving enhanced productivity with small, incremental changes routinely applied and sustained over a long period.  Lean Manufacturing techniques, such as statistical process control, value stream mapping, and 5S, allow the firm to set benchmarks that result in detailed monitoring, and adaptation, which will ultimately yield significant productivity and efficiency improvements. The Lean process also plays a key role in developing strong cross-functional teams capable of reacting to changes in technology and market demands quickly, and it is employed by leading manufacturing firms worldwide.

"This move will significantly improve levels of communication and increase the flow of material, while creating better processes that are needed for ever-expanding products and projects," explained Paul Shaskan, Vice President of Operations. "Upgraded facilities will increase manufacturing, R&D and warehouse space for planned growth opportunities and host true adjacency from one department to the next, based on Lean Manufacturing processes and flow."

The building was purchased by Unicorn Real-Estate Investment LLC and leased by Amerlux. LLC.

About Amerlux LLC
Amerlux speaks the language of light for design and construction professionals around the world by manufacturing a broad array of optically superior, energy efficient lighting solutions for the retail, supermarket, hospitality, commercial and exterior lighting markets.  Amerlux products and services include track lighting, recessed downlighting and multiples, pendants, linear fluorescents, and custom lighting systems, as well as support for energy reduction plans that can be used as a guide to state, city and local utility rebate programs for maximum energy savings and utility incentives.  The company's domestic and international clients receive the support of Amerlux's highly trained specification sales force, as well as expert service from initial design to on-time delivery made possible by strategically located manufacturing, warehousing and shipping locations.