Boost Profits Selling T-12 to LED Retrofit STIKS
Bryan Vincent, Ph.D.
Fluorescent lighting is ubiquitous in existing signage all across the country and over 80% of sign cabinets in service are still illuminated with T-12 lamps. Retrofitting T-12 lamps to LED is a simple way to grow sales and bring profit to your bottom line. One of the most common questions I get is – “How do I sell an LED retrofit?” The Principal LED patented LED STIK™ family of products is a simple solution that can boost a sign company’s sales and profits.

Keep it Simple.
PLED’s Stik™ products are considered the simplest, best performing, and most cost-effective means to perform a T-12 to LED retrofit owing to some key product features:

1. PLED’s Stik™ products are available in single and double-sided options and in every nominal lamp length. Since our entire Stik™ family is assembled in the USA, custom colors and outputs are in stock and readily available for ANY type of sign dimensions.
2. PLED Stiks™ come with 6 ft. wire whips to allow easy tie in to power supplies.
3. PLED Stiks™ fit directly into a T-12 socket, removing the need for on-site assembly or addition of adapters or other fittings. The install is as quick and easy as a re-lamp.
4. PLED Stiks™ are field cuttable removing the need for multiple trips to a job site.
5. PLED Stiks™ are designed to provide the same or better light intensity to the face as a new T-12 lamps, making the product cost effective without compromising performance.
6. PLED Stik™ solutions offer a 10-Year LED product warranty and 5-Year limited labor coverage. Focus on the Return on Investment (ROI) when selling the job. 

Focus on the Return on Investment (ROI) when selling the job.

Interest rates are the lowest they have been in 100 years. Therefore, more and more businesses are struggling for places to re-invest their profits. Most business owners and CEOs evaluate places to put that cash based on getting a good return on investment (ROI). ROI is a business metric that evaluates the efficiency of an investment based upon the return in time versus the cost. Companies have different thresholds for ROIs. However, generally any investment that returns the capital in less than 36 months is great and less than two years is really a “no-brainer” for a business. Almost nowhere can a business owner get a faster ROI than upgrading their fluorescent sign to LED. What is even better is that the return is easy to measure, thus further lowering the risk to the business owner. When converting from T-12 to LED, there are three key costs that drive the ROI to your customer.

1. Energy Savings.  LEDs typically lower the overall energy between 50 and 75%. Single-sided cabinets provide the most energy savings, especially if a single-sided LED retrofit product is used. Lamps give a 360o illumination and therefore much of the light never gets translated to LUX on the face. With LEDs, the lights are more directional, allowing the sign company maximize illumination to the face with the minimal number of LEDs. Utility rate and number of hours the sign is on will also impact the overall energy savings.
2. Maintenance. This is typically the biggest driver on ROI. The cost to get a sign company out to do a re-lamp is expensive. Most of the cost is not the lamps, but the time and labor required to get to the site and perform the work. Since LEDs last much longer than HO T-12 fluorescents, end users can reduce their service calls and ongoing operational costs.  
3. Upfront Costs.  Another big component is the sign company’s upfront costs to do the installation and the cost of the materials. This can also have a big impact on ROI, so it is important to include these costs in the calculation. One way to save the customer money is to do the retrofit at the time the lamps need service. In this case, you were already going out for a service call, so the upfront cost are now just the material and the additional time charged to perform the retrofit versus re-lamping.

Principal LED has a simple online calculator that provides the sign company with a custom ROI they can present directly to their customer. The calculator allows the sign company to even adjust their material mark-up and input their installation cost. The output is an annual savings to the customer and an ROI given in months. Principal LED even offers a rebate service to help sign companies capture energy rebates for their customers. In some cases, we have been able to offset 100% of the cost of the LED material needed for the job.

Think about asset utilization as it relates to profits.

Most sign companies have limited numbers of trucks and a limited number of employee hours. One way to look at employees and trucks from a financial perspective are as fixed assets (i.e. you are paying for that asset regardless of what it is doing). You will be paying that employee the same amount of money and that truck will be using the same amount of gas, whether you are doing a re-lamp or an LED upgrade. A re-lamp on a 4’x8’ MID sign may be $500 to the customer, of which the owner can net out 30% or $150. The same upgrade to LED which is about $350 of LED Stiks™ and power supplies (at sign company cost) can be sold to the end user for $1,400 and still show a return on investment to the customer in under 36 months. Instead of making $150 on the truck and employee, the sign company now makes over $1,000 on the same asset for the same amount of time. That is an increase in profits of over 500%!

Conclusion.

Over the past couple of years, Principal LED patented retrofit Stik™ systems have closed much of the price gap between T-12 lamps and regularly provide ROIs under 24 months. Retrofits can be done any time of year - even when other types of installations are limited by weather or temperature. Finally, given the large number of T-12 signs out there, retrofitting customers to LED versus just servicing lamps are simply a better use of assets and provide better profits to the sign company. Once you start, you will find out how truly easy it is to sell and how quickly you can rack up profits.

Contact: Jessica Pirkle, Principal LED VP Marketing, 325-227-4577 • [email protected]

P-LED Shines in BrandSurvey from Signs of the Times

PRESS RELEASE – MAY 1, 2017

SAN ANGELO, TX –  We knew it. They solidified it. Per independent research sponsored by Signs of the Times, Principal LED’s (P-LED) brand is strong and growing. P-LED placed top 3 spots in the marketplace for value, quality, and availability. When brands with small sample groups are removed, P-LED placed first in price, service, and likelihood to recommend.

SAN ANGELO, TX –  The International Sign Association (ISA) Sign Expo will soon be upon us and that means someone will become the new owner of a Hardcore Chopper II motorcycle bike from Principal LED. Principal LED’s “Fusion Freedom Chopper Sweepstakes” gives you the chance to win with every 100-foot box of Fusion Freedom purchased until March 30, 2017. The winner will be announced, alongside the fully restored Chopper, at the ISA Sign Expo 2017 in Las Vegas at the Principal LED booth #2339. The restoration of the chopper can be followed on social media #FusionFreedomChopperSweepstakes.  

The chopper is being restored by Hellfighters Motorcycle Shop, an independent dealership in Laurel, MS specializing in Pre-Loved Harley Davidson® motorcycles. The Hellfighters are devoted to the futures of men who struggle with addiction and who live at Mission at the Cross, a recovery center located adjacent to the shop. The men who live at the Mission are learning a trade by working in every level of the bike shop – from customer service to detailing to custom painting. Learn more about their mission at http://www.hellfightersmotorcycleshop.com/. 

No purchase necessary to enter or win. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received. Open only to legal residents who are 18 years of age or older as of the time of entry. Restrictions apply. Void where prohibited.
Visit www.p-led.com/chopper.php for Official Rules and full details. 

At Principal LED we are devoted to simplifying the lives of our customers. To learn more about the Fusion Freedom™ and our many other innovative products, including The Original Retrofit Stik: The Qwik Stik, visit our website at www.p-led.com or call (325) 227-4577. The road is calling!

NEWS | For immediate release

Contact: Jessica Pirkle, Principal LED Marketing Manager, 325-227-4577 • [email protected]

Principal LED: Rev Your Engines – The Fusion Freedom™ Chopper Sweepstakes Kicks Off

PRESS RELEASE – OCTOBER 26, 2016
SAN ANGELO, TX –  Can you “Feel the Freedom?” Picture yourself on the open road riding on your very own chopper motorcycle. Principal LED is making that dream a reality for one lucky person who will win a fully restored, Fusion Freedom™ themed, custom Hardcore Chopper II restored by the Hellfighters Motorcycle Shop. 

Principal LED’s “Fusion Freedom Chopper Sweepstakes” offers a chance to enter the drawing for a Hardcore Chopper II with a submission form inside every 100-foot box of Fusion Freedom. The winner will be announced, alongside the fully restored Chopper, at the ISA International Sign Expo 2017 in Las Vegas at the Principal LED booth. The restoration of the chopper can be followed on Principal LED’s social media pages. 

Fusion Freedom™ is an innovation packed product with a simple lens change offering over 30 standard colors and can be matched to any corporate or brand color. Fusion Freedom™ also has three levels of brightness built into the LED module. 

Hellfighters Motorcycle Shop is an independent dealership in Laurel, MS specializing in Pre-Loved Harley-Davidson® motorcycles. Along with a large selection of Pre-Loved motorcycles, Hellfighters Motorcycle Shop also carries an impressive selection of Born Again Harley Davidsons®, which are restored in the rebuild shop. Hellfighters includes a sale, service and parts department, along with a fully stocked riding gear and accessories department.

The Hellfighters,are devoted to the futures of men who struggle with addiction and who live at Misson at the Cross, a recovery center located adjacent to the shop. The men who live at the Mission work in every level of the bike shop-from customer service to detailing to custom painting-learning a trade. The profits from Hellfighters Motorcycle Shop help support Mission at the Cross' 6 and 12-month faith based programs which are provided free of charge. Principal LED is proud to support such a mission and is excited to bring one of the amazing works of the Hellfighters into the hands of one lucky winner.

No purchase necessary to enter or win. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received. Open only to legal residents who are 18 years of age or older as of the time of entry. The sweepstakes began 12:01 a.m. ET on October 15, 2016. Registration and entry must be completed by 11:59 p.m. ET on March 31, 2017. Restrictions apply. Void where prohibited. Visit www.p-led.com/chopper.php for Official Rules and full details. 

At Principal LED we are devoted to simplifying the lives of our customers. To learn more about the Fusion Freedom™ and our many other innovative products, including The Original Retrofit Stik: The Qwik Stik, visit our website at www.p-led.com  or call (325) 227-4577. The road is calling!