Year after year, Atlas Stone Distribution, Inc. included new lighting for its 42,000-square-foot warehouse on its annual to-do list. Year after year – 10 to be exact – it didn’t get done.

Ziggy Torres, Chicago Branch Manager, says he was happy to start 2017 with that item checked off its list – it recently hired Sustainable Lighting Solutions (SLS) to install new energy efficient lighting. The tipping point? When SLS forecasted an annual savings of $19,000 in utility costs.

“Postponing the project became too expensive,” says Torres. “We couldn’t pass it up.” The impetus to change the lights was already there – between sourcing the replacement lights and exorbitant electric bills – but the final push came when he saw the annual savings on paper.

Atlas Stone Distribution, Inc. imports and distributes natural stone and quartz. The company has five galleries and distribution centers throughout the country and sources its stone from an array of countries including Italy, Spain, Turkey, Brazil, and India.

“Lighting can make all the difference when it comes to any high-end purchase like granite, marble and other natural stones,” Torres says. “The stone we sell comes from all over the world. It’s beautiful. It’s one of a kind. And people pay top dollar for it, so we really needed to update our lighting to reveal the stone’s natural attributes.”

Atlas’ Chicago-area distribution center and gallery is in Elk Grove Village. The company operates a 42,000-square-foot warehouse, and an adjacent 12,000 square-foot building. Atlas uses the buildings six days a week; the lights are on an average of 11 hours a day.

Sustainable Lighting Solutions (SLS) proposed a fluorescent solution that:

• Improved and increased lighting coverage,
• Enhanced the stone’s aesthetic, and
• Saved the company money in the short- and long-term.

SLS installed 168 energy efficient High Bay fixtures that, together with occupancy sensors, are projected to decrease Atlas’ annual electricity consumption by more than 180,000 kWh, the equivalent of $19,021.85. The environmental impact was so great that SLS presented Atlas Stone Distribution, Inc. with its Environmental Stewardship Award.

SLS President Mike Sweitzer says that every business is different, but they all need good lighting. When Sweitzer walked through Atlas’ warehouse looking for stone for his home last year, he couldn’t help but talk to Torres about the lighting. SLS energy advisor, Tania Garcia, followed up and closed the project shortly thereafter.

“Sustainable truly helped us show our product in the best light,” Torres says. “It may have taken some time to approve the project, but it took no time for us to appreciate what a difference the new lighting makes.”