Planning a major expansion for Q1 2014, Amerlux will relocate its Fairfield, N.J., corporate headquarters and manufacturing facilities to a new 190,000-square-foot facility in Oakland, N.J. Amerlux is manufacturer of energy-efficient interior and exterior lighting for the retail, supermarket and commercial market segments.
The new facility will encompass more than 70 percent additional space, featuring state-of-the-art Lean Manufacturing processes for interior and exterior lighting products and a wire-guidance system in the warehouse that will reduce costs and increase quality. In addition, the facility will house showroom displays, testing areas and a first-class location to run lighting designer CPE courses. New metal fabrication equipment and automated powder coating operations will be installed for upgraded production while customer service and support offices will be reconfigured to dramatically improve efficiencies.
“Our new headquarters will consolidate materials, equipment and personnel that are currently housed across several different buildings in New Jersey,” says Amerlux CEO/President Chuck Campagna. “As we continue to advance our domestic and international sales efforts exponentially for both interior and exterior lighting products, this move underscores our commitment to manufacturing here in the USA. These new synergies will help customers benefit from quicker lead times and additional production capabilities.”
Amerlux will utilize Lean Manufacturing principles that include a Kaizen system of continual improvements to processes and flow, focused on achieving enhanced productivity with small, incremental changes routinely applied and sustained over a long period. Lean Manufacturing techniques, such as statistical process control, value stream mapping and 5S, allow the firm to set benchmarks that result in detailed monitoring and adaptation, which will ultimately yield significant productivity and efficiency improvements. The Lean process also plays a key role in developing strong cross-functional teams capable of reacting to changes in technology and market demands quickly, and it is employed by leading manufacturing firms worldwide.