June 2024 Contractor of the Month is: Tri State Lighting
Tri State Lighting is run by two military veterans who served together during their deployment. Their dedication and leadership honed during service translate beautifully into their commitment to exceptional customer care and innovative landscape lighting solutions.
Tell Us About Yourself & Your Company
We are Afghanistan war vets, in combat together when Tyler was wounded by an IED (improvised explosive device). We were separated after deployment and struggled with the effects of combat, but have reunited and created our business, Tri State Lighting. Now that we are back together, we are overcoming adversity and rediscovering purpose through providing meaningful service in the outdoor lighting industry.
We offer a variety of services to accommodate the lighting needs of home and business owners, such as landscape, hardscape, deck and holiday lighting.
From the first steps we take with customers after they contact us, we start building a personal relationship that transcends our services to them, culminating in smiles of enjoyment as they are consistently shocked by the capabilities of our outdoor lighting systems. We care about all customers, no matter what their backgrounds may be. Ultimately, seeing the faces of customers light up after we’ve completed our job is what has helped us move forward in finding our place in society after the war, feel like we’re finally able to move past our disposition of having no further value or purpose than what we did in Afghanistan, and positively impact the lives of people as we provide extraordinary lighting and meaningful service.
The Interview
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Can you tell us about your business?
I take pride in myself that I'm a locally-woman owned business & operated since 2008. We've maintained our base of operations in Collin County, & surrounding Counties in Texas. At Nite FX Lighting we are committed to consistently meeting and exceeding our customers' expectations for reliable, high-quality outdoor lighting products, designs, installation, and superior customer service. We are dedicated to 100% customer satisfaction.
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How did you get into the landscape lighting business?
I went through a divorce and had to get out and be a big girl. Realizing I had a wealth of value to provide I turned to lighting and haven’t looked back. My dedication to providing the best possible results has led to superior service, artistic design, and quality installation.
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What percentage of your business is landscape lighting/what other services do you provide (ie: landscaping, irrigation, electrical…)?
Landscape lighting is 100% of my business. This is split between the design process and the installation. I even roll my sleeves up and get in the dirt myself!
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How long have you been installing landscape lighting?
I started lighting back in 2008. Since then, not only has my passion held strong, but I have been able to create the most amazing lighting designs and I am continuing to learn new things.
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What AMP products do you prefer to use? Which fixtures are your favorite?
ConicaPro Path Lights, SummitPro Path Lights, G2 TorrentPro Rotatable Hardscape Light. These are my bread and butter fixtures unless something more unique or decorative is required.
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What tips or tricks have you learned that have benefited your work from a design/installation perspective?
Taking your time when designing a lighting system. Looking at the land and understanding your customers’ needs will get you much further than putting a lighting in the ground. It takes a careful eye and an understanding of light in order to create not only art, but something that brings life to your outdoor spaces.
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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…
1. Advertising in The Home, a mailed publication that is tailored to contractors. 2. Word of mouth – Offering our customers a free uplight installed from a referral that hires Nite FX Lighting. 3. Nextdoor
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Where do you find inspiration for your lighting designs?
The exterior of a home’s atmosphere is just as important as the interior. Lighting is part of what makes a landscape design sing. I build lifetime relationships with our homeowners/clients to ensure the enjoyment in their investment. I’m passionate about my installs and what I can do to fulfill each homeowner’s needs and expectations, to make each one safer and more beautiful. Building relationships with our customers makes what I love to do worthwhile.
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What do you feel is the most personally rewarding part of installing a lighting system for a client?
The most rewarding part of the entire process is seeing the families’ faces when they first walk outside and see how beautiful any size of home can come to life at night. Its’ gratifying to see our work when driving around town, it is like knowing that I have helped people gain greater enjoyment out of their homes and enhanced the beauty of the community at the same time.
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Tell us a little bit about you personally: What do you like to do outside of work? What are your hobbies?
Gardening, Traveling, Dining, Exercising are some of my favorite things to do when I’m not lighting up peoples lives.
Gallery Photos
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
Become An AMP® Pro Today
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.
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