BUILD Magazine Recognizes Local Lighting Business for Eco-Efforts
BUILD, a renowned international magazine based in England and Wales, has nominated local Broward County business Lighting of Tomorrow, a leading technology and service provider in south Florida, for the Sustainable Building Award: Best Energy-Efficient Lighting Installer in the South East, USA. The honor was awarded this June 2019 to L.o.T. which recently gained notoriety for its numerous installations of Eco-Friendly Turtle Lighting along the South Florida coast.
Lighting of Tomorrow’s Story
“We’re honored to receive Build’s Sustainable Building Award,” says Rosa Vicent, CEO and Co-Owner of L.o.T. “Sustainable, eco-friendly lighting is in harmony with our mission, so it’s an honor to be recognized for doing work that’s really part of the bigger picture – helping our environment by reducing waste and conserving energy.” Vicent started the company with co-owner and senior project manager Andersen Zapata in 2016. The company has seen rapid growth in a short amount of time and has built trust with counties across Florida for their exemplary work, attention to detail, and highly rated customer service.
“We put our clients first,” says Zapata, “we make sure we deliver excellent quality products and services at great prices. Our clients know they can trust us to get the job done right.” Zapata leads a team of project managers and electricians, making a point of personally communicating with L.o.T.’s clientele. “We know we’ve done a job well when our customers call back months later with more projects and referrals – word of mouth spreads. It’s a good feeling to know you’re out there delivering, that your whole team is doing their best.”
Turtles & Eco-Alternatives
Turtle lighting is in demand in South Florida which hosts a large population of nesting female turtles. Gumbo Limbo, a not-for-profit nature center operating out of Boca Raton, FL in Palm Beach County, works in cooperation with Florida Atlantic University researchers to study and promote sea turtle and marine life conservation and the impacts of ocean acidification.
Last year, the group recorded 723 nests (each hosting approximately 100 sea turtle eggs) in Boca Raton alone. The numbers are unfortunately the second lowest numbers on record in the past 10 years. The 2019 totals currently match last year’s record, though there is hope they may climb as nesting season continues From May through October. Turtle lighting like the kind provided by Lighting of Tomorrow is of vital importance to achieving nesting goals.
Females nest every two or three years and lay several nests during one season…Sea turtles are very sensitive to lights and activity on the beach at night. Sometimes a female turtle will emerge from the water but will be frightened back before she can begin to lay her eggs. -From Gumbo Limbo’s website.
Lighting of Tomorrow installs turtle lighting of various types all along the Florida coast. Zapata meets with commercial property managers and HOA board members to discuss compliance issues, perform lighting inspections, prepare photometric reports, and discuss lighting fixture options. L.o.T. provides wildlife certified turtle-friendly lighting in LED bollards, streetlights, area lights, sconces and a variety of decorative fixtures.
“Knowing that we are doing our part to help sea turtles and the environment as a whole is one of the main reasons that we all come to work in the morning,” says Zapata.
Vicent adds, “It’s important to our whole team. Our mission is in our minds every day.”
Eco-Efforts in Florida Counties
Lighting of Tomorrow shares their vision with many South Florida residents. Palm Beach County has become the first Florida county to ban single-use plastic bags and poly-styrene containers. These materials have been especially problematic to marine life, which ingests them, and also to humans who consume micro-plastics through tap and bottled water supplies.
Recently, Deerfield Beach, FL was in the world news for another notable eco-achievement. In early June, 633 divers broke the world record for the largest beach cleanup recorded by the Guinness Book of World Records.
“Clearly, things are happening in South Florida,” says Vicent. “It’s great to see Floridians taking steps towards positive change.”
Zapata agrees, “we have to act now. It’s just a 5-degree Celsius difference in world temperature that caused the last Ice Age. There are steps we can take right now to avoid a big problem in the near future. Every little bit helps.”
Moving Towards the Future
Rosa Vicent recently graduated from the Global Entrepreneurship Small Business Executive Program offered by the Jim Moran Institute and FSU. “That program really helped me put all of the different aspects and parts of running a business together. It taught me a lot about how to really establish a connection with the community in order to give back.”
Zapata will be taking the program next year. “We are doing all we can to advance our knowledge and skills. We want to be a contributing force in business, conservation, and all Florida communities.”
Vicent adds, “Helping everyone to grow and thrive is our main goal. That’s where L.o.T. really shines.”