Business spotlight: HiViz LED Lighting

What's the history of your business? How did it evolve? Owner Sam Massa used to work with high-performance trucks and tractors at his bio-fuel company in Washington, D.C. He saw a need for very bright, usable lighting. Five years ago, he established a snow-removal business in Fairfax County, Va. After moving to North Carolina a year ago, he began marketing off-road lighting in the utility markets. "We were able to increase productivity at night. We were able to do the job in half the time," he said. "I'm going to bring those high-quality lighting products into the commercial world."

Who needs your products? "Anybody doing outdoor work that needs to be able to see - emergency response, road blocks, warning products, stuff for construction companies. Anybody doing work after dark that's crucial that they see what they're doing."

Has business been good in this area? "It actually has. I joined the Summerville Fire and Rescue Department (in Lillington) because I wanted to learn from the inside out where they need light and why they need it. I'm gaining experience from the field."

Who are your customers? Utility providers, water plants and fire departments, he said. "We specialize in distribution. We're fully operational, and we're taking a product that's really good and pushing it in this market. We're looking at marketing to fire department and utility companies."

What have been the biggest challenges to get this business going in Lillington? "Getting the sales thing lined up. The lights sell themselves. The hardest part for me is getting to sit down so I can do a demonstration for the customer. I like to sell the lights by letting the customers use them. They put them on their trucks, and we let them use them at night. It's to educate the consumer on the lights and why they need them."

How much of an area do you sell in? Are you now national?

"We can (sell nationally). We're focused now on the Southeast, and we're really focused on North Carolina. We can actually sell anywhere in the world (to) the national fire and rescue market."

Who's your competition in this area? "There's really none, not in this area. As far as I can reach, there's not anybody else I have to worry about."

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