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June 2022 Contractor of the Month is: Premier Outdoor Lighting

Premier Outdoor Lighting specializes in delivering top-quality outdoor lighting fixtures and services. You will instantly notice the difference in our premium quality materials, our friendly and consistent responsiveness to customer service, and our attention to detail. From our initial contact with you, our personal service will help you feel comfortable while getting an idea of the outdoor lighting perspectives that will best suit your individual needs.

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Tell Us About Yourself & Your Company

Premier Outdoor Lighting is a small company with a focus on low-voltage landscape lighting. We design and install systems of all sizes. From the 3-4 light install for our senior neighbor wanting some light for her walkway, to more complex, sophisticated system installs for clients looking for high-end curb appeal. We provide everything you need to illuminate the exterior of your home and landscaping, from fixtures, to pathways and string lights. Some of our largest jobs this year have been for event venues preparing for prom and wedding season. Our client base is vast, varied, and growing by the day. Regardless of the size, we strive to complete all installs in one day. Our clients appreciate our attention to detail while still adhering to their busy schedules and tight timelines. In addition to new installs, we repair older, existing systems and upgrade existing systems to LED lights. Our systems can even be controlled via cell phones.

The Interview

  • How did you get into the landscape lighting business?

    At a young age, I learned the basics of low voltage lighting while working alongside my older brother and father. We were always tackling home improvement jobs! After completing some landscape on my personal home and adding landscape lighting, I continued to experiment with lighting options, placement, strength, and temperature of lights. I truly used my house as my guinea pig and it turned out great! Our neighbors began asking who had done our lighting and if I could install lighting for their houses. As a successful entrepreneur, I did some research into the low voltage lighting market, quickly realizing the demand was present and very few companies focused specifically on lighting. From there, I immersed myself in landscape lighting design and installation learning as much as I possibly could. I have never looked back! Homeowners who have spent time and money on their landscape design appreciate our specific knowledge centered on illuminating their homes. Poorly installed, low quality lights coupled with inexperienced installers leaves homeowners vulnerable and frustrated.

  • What percentage of your business is landscape lighting/what other services do you provide (ie: landscaping, irrigation, electrical…)?

    All we do is landscape and exterior lighting. Again, our customers appreciate our expertise and knowledge focused solely on lighting. Yes, we will offer some landscape suggestions because we know what lights well, while providing the look our customers are trying to achieve, but this is not in our breadth of services. Furthermore, Premier Outdoor Lighting has a consistent flow of business allowing us the opportunity to maintain focus on outdoor lighting.

  • How long have you been installing landscape lighting?

    We have been installing lighting on and off for many years, but Premier Outdoor Lighting is a new company just over two years old. My background in business truly has afforded us the opportunity to successfully grow so quickly. Our small team works tirelessly and is truly invested in our success. Depending on the size, we have installed up to three homes in one day!

  • What AMP products do you prefer to use? Which fixtures are your favorite?

    The AMP® EcoPro MR16 Spotlight (Lamp-Ready) is one of our favorite up lights. The brass body with the wider head offers reliability and fits for a vast number of applications due to being able to use varying MR16 lamps. We also like the inground lights as well as most recently started using the AMP® Customizable LED Bollard Light, when they can be incorporated into the design. The various patterns and light they give off are simply stunning.

  • What tips or tricks have you learned that have benefited your work from a design/installation perspective?

    Trial and error! Because our client base is so varied, we have the opportunity to experiment with different strength lamps and kelvin temperatures to see what works best on various sized houses and landscape features. Positioning is key in achieving the effect customers are going for, creating shadows in just the right way. We have learned how temperatures complement different homes and landscape colors. It did not take long to realize what works best! I attribute a great deal of Premier Outdoor Lighting’s success to our small dedicated team of installers. They are the backbone of our business. Their innovation, discovering ways to improve a design while creating more efficient ways to complete installations, has allowed business growth and improvement.

  • Tell me about your sales process. How do you find your customers? What is your sales process? Do you use sales tools such as a free demo…

    Our sales process is really what has allowed our business to grow and flourish in such a small period of time. I personally sell each and every job. I spend time with the customer at their home and we discuss what look they are trying to achieve, their anticipated budget, and how I can best meet their expectations. Because we have completed so many installs, I am able to show a variety of options to homeowners to fit their budget and their expectations. I offer suggestions and create a design with an exact cost and rough timeline prior to leaving. Our customers know exactly what to expect, when, and for how much. And of course our favorite customer is the one who has no budget and simply wants to be amazed! This allows us the freedom to use our talents to create a masterpiece. We use social media to showcase our work and to reach potential customers. Our pictures and 5 star online reviews are the driving force behind our business.

  • Where do you find inspiration for your lighting designs?

    With lighting as our primary focus, all of our attention goes toward exploring improvements and enhancements. I love meeting potential clients, hearing their ideas, and designing lighting projects with them. Combining lighting features, shadows, and indirect light to create a beautiful home enhancement is truly rewarding. Each job brings with it certain challenges and accomplishments, which allows us to learn and grow with each new job. We know what works well and what does not work well with a variety of landscape features. Most importantly, we love learning about new products. This dynamic industry is ever changing!

  • What do you feel is the most personally rewarding part of installing a lighting system for a client?

    Our clients’ happiness! We install during the day and return at dusk/evening to make any adjustments. We ask our customers to wait inside until we have had the opportunity to reposition or adjust, then we turn the lights off. Once completed, the customers have the chance to see the final product. Their reactions are the reward! Outdoor illumination is breathtaking when done well and we have never had a dissatisfied client! We all value our homes as one of our greatest achievements and providing that WOW factor for someone's home is an awesome feeling. Unfortunately for us after working all day, the reward is short-lived. The next installation is waiting for us.

  • Tell us a little bit about you personally: What do you like to do outside of work? What are your hobbies?

    Being a full-time business owner, husband, and father of two little ones, 5 and 7 years old, their hobbies are my hobbies. Spending time with my family is my favorite pastime. Working in outdoor lighting, the weekdays begin early and end late, so weekend time is paramount. We love anything outdoors, swimming, riding bikes, playing soccer! Being busy and on the move is “how we roll” and I wouldn't have it any other way! I count my blessings everyday and try to enjoy every moment!

AMP® Lighting appreciates the Professionals that make us who we are and why we strive, daily, to fulfill our vision statement. Our outstanding AMP® Pros deserve to be recognized for their exceptional landscape lighting work and to highlight some of our AMP® MVPs (most valuable professionals)!

Interested in being featured as an AMP® Contractor of the Month?

Contact Zach Evensen at: zache@amplighting.com

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AMP® Pros – a group of landscape lighting professionals authorized to purchase and install the industry’s best products.

AMP® Pros have the skills and experience to design and install professional landscape lighting. They are also committed to the use of high quality products and best practices in the design, installation, and maintenance of their work. These distinctions qualify them to become AMP® Pros.

The goal of AMP® Lighting is to elevate the profession of landscape lighting by providing AMP® Pros with the high-performance products and the professional support they need to succeed.

There is no cost to become an authorized AMP® Pro.

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