- Potential achievements include $156,200 annual energy savings, two-year project payback and estimated monthly energy-cost savings that exceed the monthly financing payment
EAST CLEVELAND, Ohio --- September 10, 2013 --- (NYSE:GE) --- BR Williams Trucking Inc., a trucking, warehousing and logistics company based in Oxford, Ala., recently completed a three-facility lighting retrofit project that shines more efficient light on 1.2 million square feet of warehouse space. GE Lighting teamed with GE Capital and Mayer Electric to offer BR Williams a turnkey service that included audit analysis, products, labor and financing, yielding $156,200 in annual energy savings.
GE Capital structured BR Williams' financing to achieve estimated monthly energy-cost savings that exceed the monthly financing payment. The lighting retrofit involved the removal of 400-watt metal halide fixtures and installation of more efficient four- and six-lamp T5 fluorescent high bay lighting fixtures and GE UltraStart® programmed-start electronic ballasts.
"By financing the lighting retrofit through GE Capital, BR Williams was able to preserve its working capital for more pressing needs and eliminate a large upfront capital expenditure," said Diane Cooper, leader of GE Capital, Equipment Finance, and a GE company officer. "When costs for lighting equipment, installation and disposal are combined into a loan with fixed monthly payments, it can be structured around a company's estimated utility savings."
GE Capital has been providing inventory financing and retail customer solutions to BR Williams since 2001.
The cost to install new GE Lighting T5 fluorescent lamps in three of BR Williams' locations was $316,000, with estimated annual energy savings of $156,200. The project costs will be recouped in about two years as a result of the energy saved. With a three-year financing term, BR Williams' loan payment is less than its anticipated monthly energy savings, creating a positive cash flow project from day one.
"This return on investment achievement at BR Williams---immediate monthly energy savings higher than the financing payment and the fast two-year project payback period---is a best practice for commercial operations of any size," noted Jaime Irick, general manager of North America Professional Solutions, GE Lighting. "It's an irresistible value proposition backed by measurable results."
After a lighting audit by Birmingham, Ala.-based Mayer Electric Supply, a GE Lighting distributor, the economics of the retrofit became clear, according to Gregory D. Brown, chairman of the board of BR Williams. "The program has been a lot better than I'd expected," he added. "The product technology is very impressive. We realized we needed much brighter light in some areas because of the nature of the work, and our employees are very pleased now."
About BR Williams Trucking Inc.
What began as a trucking business with two tractors in 1958 has grown into a thriving company with a fleet of more than 165 tractors that deliver throughout the 48 contiguous states. After more than a half century, BR Williams has expanded into warehousing, program management, crate manufacturing and brokerage/less-than-truckload services. In addition to its headquarters in Oxford, AL, it has four distribution facilities located in Anniston, AL; Eastaboga, AL; and Tallahassee, FL. For more information, go to www.brwilliams.com.
About Mayer Electric Supply
Ranked among the nation's largest and most rapidly expanding distributors of electrical supplies, Mayer reaches its markets currently through locations in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Tennessee and Virginia and continues to explore expansion opportunities throughout the southern U.S. Founded in 1930 and headquartered in Birmingham, AL, Mayer employs over 950 people and has annual sales of over $603 million. For more information, go to www.mayerelectric.com.
About GE Capital, Equipment Finance
With more than $36 billion in lease and loan transactions since 2007, GE Capital's Equipment Finance business manages over 40 manufacturer financing programs that span 10+ industries, including transportation, construction, technology, golf and turf, healthcare, office imaging and manufacturing.
It maintains relationships with approximately 200,000 business customers through its network of dealers and distributors, and evaluates more than 1,000 financing applications daily. GE Capital offers consumers and businesses around the globe an array of financial products and services. For more information, visit www.gecapital.com.
About GE Lighting
GE Lighting invents with the vigor of its founder Thomas Edison to develop energy-efficient solutions that change the way people light their world in commercial, industrial, municipal and residential settings. The business employs about 14,000 people in more than 100 countries, and sells products under the Reveal® and Energy Smart® consumer brands, and Evolve™, GTx™, Immersion™, Infusion™, Lumination™, Albeo™ and Tetra® commercial brands, all trademarks of GE. General Electric (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter to build a world that works better. For more information, visit www.gelighting.com.
50 Years of LED Innovation
Oct. 9, 1962, GE scientist Dr. Nick Holonyak, Jr., invented the first practical visible-spectrum light-emitting diode (LED). In the 50 years since, GE has been on the forefront of LED innovation. The company has released inspired LED products for both residential and commercial settings, from the first ENERGY STAR®-qualified A19-shaped LED bulb to LED street lighting that illuminates cityscapes the world over.
Christopher Augustine
GE Lighting
[email protected]
216-266-3477