TCP Article March 2006

TCP Article March 2006

Aurora lighting biz to power up $12M project
By BRANDON GLENN

Technical Consumer Products’ expansion plans include new distribution, office bldg.

Take that Sacramento. Aurora has beaten out the California capital for an expansion project at fluorescent lighting distributor Technical Consumer Products Inc. that could cost as much as $12 million. The company’s decision is expected to bring 26 jobs to the region and retain 100 more.
The average wage of the new jobs is expected to be $15.50 per hour, plus an extra $1.86 per hour in benefits, according to documents from the Ohio Department of Development.
Technical Consumer Products plans to construct a 130,000 square-foot distribution and office building on a 20-acre parcel adjacent to its current 100,000 square-foot Aurora location. The new building could be built out to encompass more than 300,000 square-feet in the future, according to Kirk Pace, Technical Consumer Products director of operations.

State and local tax breaks helped
Convince the company to stay in Aurora,
According to president Ellis Yan.

State and local tax breaks helped the company to stay in Aurora, according to president Ellis Yan. The incentives include an income tax abatement that the state valued at $108,000 over a seven-year term, and other agreements with Aurora and portage county valued at $4 million, according to the state Department of development.
The company currently has two primary distribution centers, one in Aurora that ships about 70% of its product and one in Sacramento that ships the rest.
With distribution centers in Northeast Ohio and Sacramento, the company can ship products to customers within a maximum of three days of receiving them, Mr. Pace said. Technical Consumer Productions imports 95%of its products from china. The company owns it’s own factories in China and employs 6,500 people there, he said.
The company’s fluorescent light bulbs are designed to be used in typical household fixtures, such a lamps or ceiling lights. Though much more much more expansive than conventional bulbs, Technical Consumer Productions’ lights use 75% less energy and last 10 times longer, Mr. Pace said.
“The products we’re selling will make the United States a much safer and stronger nation,” Mr. Yan said, noting that the company’s lights would help reduce dependence on foreign energy sources.
The company’s revenues grew 12% last year to exceed $100million, up from $89million in 2004, according to a Technical Consumer Products spokeswoman.