Meyda sees growth in LED lighting interest

YORKVILLE — The recent creation and sale of a chandelier featuring LED (light-emitting diode) technology by 2nd Ave Lighting reflects a growing trend parent company Meyda Tiffany is seeing across the lighting industry for energy-efficient options.

The Medusa chandelier, featuring 120 bayonet-mounted LED lights and retailing for $45,000, was sold to a hotel in Saskatchewan, says Meyda Tiffany President Robert Cohen. 

According to the offerings on Meyda’s website, most of the fixtures that use regular incandescent bulbs range in price from about $5,000 to $15,000, depending upon the size and complexity of the fixture. Some are higher cost, some are lower, but that’s a good basic range.

While the initial price tag for LED fixtures may seem hefty, Cohen says, many customers are looking past that cost and focusing on the long-term cost savings they see by using more efficient lighting.

According to www.lc-led.com, LED lighting saves money through reduced power consumption because the efficient lights convert 80 percent of the electrical energy consumed into light energy, while only 20 percent is lost to heat energy. That’s the exact opposite of traditional incandescent bulbs, which use about 20 percent of the energy to create light and 80 percent to create heat.

A typical LED bulb is good for about 50 kilowatt hours, Cohen says. That means it should last for 17 years of use for eight hours a day, compared with just two kilowatt hours for an incandescent bulb that will last less than a year, he says.

“We’re using a lot of LED here,” Cohen says. And that’s because more and more of the company’s clients are asking for it. “Everybody wants everything quoted with compact fluorescent lighting or LED.” Compact fluorescent lighting is another energy-efficient option that is about four times as efficient and lasts 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs.

LED lighting seems to be leading the charge on efficient options, at least for his company, Cohen says. “Once we mention it, they all entertain the option of going with LEDs.” He did not disclose what portion of the company’s sales are in LED lighting.

He has seen interest across the board including from hotels, restaurants, and casinos. All are businesses where lighting plays a key role in setting the atmosphere at their facility, and using LED lighting helps provide those customers a means to control some of those lighting costs, Cohen notes.

As the interest in efficient lighting grows, Cohen says he expects to see interest from other industries as well. He’s already seen some interest from senior-housing facilities.

For Meyda, being on top of the trend and being able to offer an efficient option to clients has helped the company stay competitive.

“This year has started off with a bang,” Cohen says. Sales are up 15 percent over last year’s figures. “It’s definitely more active. It seems we’ve turned the bend.” Cohen declined to disclose the company’s revenue totals.

Meyda Tiffany, headquartered at 55 Oriskany Blvd., employs 65 people. Meyda Tiffany (www.meyda.com) produces Tiffany lamps, decorative lighting, and custom-lighting products. Its 2nd Ave Lighting subsidiary (www.2ndave.com) features interior and exterior custom-lighting designs including chandeliers, wall sconces, lanterns, and street lighting. The company specializes in high-end residential, senior-living facilities, hotels, casinos, country clubs, and restaurants.