How SPJ Started
In 1992, Paul Lestz opened a small distribution company selling rock-shaped speakers for backyard entertainment systems. After achieving some success in this venture, Paul started getting requests from his customers to supply landscape lighting fixtures as well. Eager to expand his business and accommodate his clients, he took the opportunity and soon became the top selling distributor for a local manufacturer of brass and copper outdoor lighting fixtures.
Though the expansion was successful, Paul soon faced new challenges; customer service and quality were lacking from his suppliers. Paul's customers, mainly contractors and builders with everyday hands-on experience, offered suggestions for improvement of the products. Paul took these ideas, along with a few of his own, back to his manufacturers to try and build better products, as well as thoughts on how to improve customer service in order to keep promises and meet deadlines, but to no avail.
Taking Matters Into His Own Hands
It was at this point in 1998 that Paul decided he could do better if he built the products himself, and SPJ Lighting, Inc. was born. Custom fabrication became a standard at SPJ Lighting. With our mottos, "You draw it, we'll build it," and "Let your imagination become a reality," architects and designers enjoyed the benefits of turning each job into a one-of-a-kind signature project. Aerospace specifications were never Paul's approach; he preferred to use the same specifications used by Picasso, Monet, and Van Gough. Here is an example of a custom made wall lantern drawn by one of our very artistic customers. Custom designs are still at the heart of our business today!
Our Products
All outdoor lighting fixtures out of the SPJ Lighting catalog are both sturdy and artistic, made from solid brass and copper. Back in 1998, aluminum, steel, or composite fixtures with powder coat (paint) finishes were the standard in the industry. The problem with these materials in landscape is that they corrode.
 
(This is what can happen to aluminum)
Soil, sun, irrigation, fertilizers, rain and snow can all cause problems with painted products. Brass and copper can never rot, rust or corrode, making these metals the obvious choice for landscape lighting fixtures. We decided to not use powder coat where ever possible; instead we developed an acid etching technique that is more like a sped up version of what Mother Nature would do herself.
This is an SPJ fixture with our Matte Bronze finish. It has been in use for 10 years and although there is some oxidation to the surface…it is still in nearly perfect condition, ready for another 10 years of service!
 
Chemical finishes, such as our classic "Matte Bronze" and "Rusty" have changed the landscape lighting world forever and are the envy of our competitors (who have been trying for years to duplicate our signature finishes). Our finishes areguaranteed for life never to peel or flake.
Going Green
Nearly 20 years later, our product line continues to move forward with our state-of-the-art Forever Bright™ LED technology. This, matched with our "Old World" craftsmanship, keeps us close to our roots. While others were reluctant to move ahead with LED lamping, Paul jumped in with both feet and now has more than 5 years experience working with and working out the kinks of LED technology. The decision to use LED lamping in our products did not come lightly (pun intended!), but the advantages of energy savings for a greener environment seemed again…the only choice. There are many challenges to converting landscape lighting fixtures to LED. Moisture, heat, multiple fixture home runs, and voltage spikes, are just a few of the obstacles we have had to overcome. While no manufacturing process is perfect, we now have thousands of fixtures in the field and have learned many lessons from actual installations.
Forever Bright™LED systems offer warm color, reliability, and versatile LED options for every fixture in our catalog.
Our Best Selling Product & Most Innovative Products
Mr-Universe got its name because it is one of our most universal fixtures. It can be up or down mounted on a ground spike or a surface canopy. It has 4 different beam spreads available which can be field installed. It operates at full brightness form 9-15 volts, and it has room for additional standard lighting filters such as Hex-cell louvers and spread lenses. This is our first LED light and now has been followed by our models, Super Nova in 5 watt, and the Titan in 7 watt all with the same versatile functions and options as Mr-Universe.
How Forever Bright™LED systems are changing the way contractors are installing Landscape lighting:
Typically when a client prices out an LED lighting system they have immediate sticker shock with regard to the pricing; LED lamping does cost more per fixture. Rick Figueroa of Malibu West Landscape recently told me, after installing his first LED job…” I will never install a traditional halogen system again!” Why?
Ease of installation. Voltage drop is virtually no longer a concern. Our LED lamps operate at full brightness from 9-15 volts, and have no effect on lamp life if they receive the full 15volts. Halogen systems have to be specifically engineered to make sure each light is getting exactly between 10.5 and 11.5 volts. This usually means you can only run 4-5 fixtures per home run. With LED, it is no problem running 30 lights on a single home run. Adding additional fixtures is no problem as well.
Cost is reduced by using smaller gauge cable and smaller transformers, as well as cost being reduced in labor due to ease of installation.
Total power consumption is greatly reduced up to 90%. A 30 light system is consuming, in many cases, only 90 watts for an entire front yard. The great part about it is, if no one said this is an LED system…no one would know! This means energy savings for the homeowner.
So what appears to be a more expensive system on paper actually ends up costing about the same to install. The difference being; now the homeowner has an LED system which can cost up to 90% less in kilo-watt hours to run on a daily basis.
In conclusion
SPJ Lighting’s Forever Bright LED systems are easier to install for the contractor, easier to add additional fixtures, and save money and natural resources in daily electricity usage.
We are an American manufacturing company with hundreds of styles to choose from. We have set ourselves apart by combing old world with new technology, and we have a long standing reputation as custom fabricators as well as manufacturing standard fixtures for everyday use.
Contact Info:
Bob Klaidman- Executive V.P.
bob@spjlighting.com
2107 Chico Ave
South El Monte, Ca 91733
800-314-3756
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