Let there be light

Patrick Crais, founder and owner of Blue Watchdog Conservation in San Diego, is a conservationist. While his business is primarily focused on water management, he knew that he wanted to help customers conserve valuable resources in general and that’s why he also began offering LED outdoor lighting services.

“The mission of water conservation is directly related to energy,” Crais says. “The labor of doing water efficiency projects also ties in well to creating energy efficient outdoor lighting. The skill sets are closely related.”

That made the service a natural fit. Still, Crais says there was a learning curve as he and his staff became familiar with the lighting products. “We jumped in with both feet into the FX lighting company due to their local presence and also their superior product,” he says. “We are committed to only putting in LED lighting. The labor savings over a 10-year period, which is the warranty period for FX, is just too much for our clients to be missing out.”

During the last four years, the service generates approximately 15 percent of the company’s overall revenue. Crais says it’s typically an add-on service for existing clientele. It’s become a great way to drive some additional revenue out of an already-going project.

For more on Blue Watchdog, read Eyes on you and A happy marriage.