Javo Beverage

Litetronics Helps Javo Beverage Drink in the Benefits of an LED Upgrade

Project Summary

Based in Vista, CA, Javo Beverage has been a leading provider of fresh and premium coffee, tea, and botanical extracts, concentrates, and flavor systems since its founding in 1995. Proudly offering a variety of Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance Certified, Kosher, and Certified Organic products, Javo Beverage is dedicated to crafting clean, authentic products using pure and simple methods. With such a long-standing focus on precision and technical excellence at the product level as well as a dedication to environmental responsibility and sustainable practices in their operations, it came as no surprise that Javo Beverage would apply the same steadfast resolve to upgrading the lighting system at its Indianapolis, IN-based plant — a 240,000 square-foot manufacturing facility that the company acquired in late 2017 to support its growing demand.  

THE OPPORTUNITY

“The lighting we inherited when we took possession of the plant was older HID and fluorescent technology, which had a yellow, dark, and dingy look that didn’t support our high-tech production process and Clean-in-Place systems,” confirmed Jerry Gray, Director of Manufacturing, of the lighting in the 1960s/1970s-era building. In addition to requiring regular maintenance and cleaning (which was difficult because the fixtures were sealed), “the previous lighting also had a long restrike period, which created downtime on production runs after a power outage, and resulted in excessive energy costs due to its inefficiency,” he said. Based on the successful lighting upgrade he’d overseen years earlier as the head of an auto manufacturing plant, Gray knew that LEDs were the way to go, both for the plant and the environment. He enlisted the support of Travis Martindale, Project Manager at Flex Green Energy & Lighting, an 11-year-old Indianapolis-based provider of energy/lighting services and upgrades at factories, schools, and other businesses.

Download the PDF

Following a thorough audit of the plant’s lighting in early 2018, Martindale agreed that an LED upgrade was in order. “The acrylic lenses on the existing HID fixtures were tarnished and yellow and almost a quarter of the fixtures had blown out and were dead,” Martindale said. “As a result, footcandle levels throughout the plant were extremely low.”   

THE SOLUTION

After evaluating product options, Martindale and Gray agreed that LEDs from Litetronics — a 50-year-old Bedford Park, IL-based manufacturer long known for its innovative, easy-to-install lighting solutions – would optimally support the plant’s wide variety of interior lighting applications. Among those, “we replaced outdated 400-Watt metal halide lamps in the warehouse and production/mixing rooms with Litetronics’ powerful 185-Watt and 140-Watt LED Linear High Bays,” Martindale said. “In the plant’s packaging rooms, we replaced 250-Watt metal halide lamps with Litetronics’ four-foot, 40-Watt LED Strip Fixtures and replaced four-foot troffers housing 164-Watt T12 fluorescent lamps in the Inspection Room/Quality lab with Litetronics’ sleek 50-Watt LED Flat Panels.” The results of the upgrade, completed over several weeks in December 2018, were impressive. According to Martindale, “we were able to replace a total of 482 HID and fluorescent lamps inside the plant with just 412 LEDs from Litetronics (a 15% reduction in fixture count) and slashed lighting energy consumption from 133,000 Watts to 44,000 Watts, delivering energy savings of 67%.” Thanks to the efficiency and targeted light distribution of the new LEDs, footcandles soared by as much as three to five times their previous levels (increasing from just six footcandles to 35 in the warehouse and from 40 footcandles to over 130 in the Inspection Room/Quality Lab). As a result of the upgrade, “Javo Beverage will save over $36,500 in annual energy costs alone, not to mention additional savings they’ll accrue from the avoidance of maintenance, labor, and disposal/recycling costs,” shared Martindale, who added that the plant’s eligibility for over $50,000 in product rebates from local utility Indiana Power & Light will result in a project payback period of just over two years.  

“A PERFECT WIN-WIN”

In a facility that relies on outstanding illumination to ensure the utmost quality throughout each phase of production, from manufacturing and testing to packaging, cleaning, and more, Gray couldn’t be more excited about their new lighting system. “We’re very conscientious about every aspect of our operations and our new lighting is excellent,” Gray confirmed. “Thanks to our Litetronics LEDs, our lighting is so much brighter and whiter than before and will deliver a payback period that made our decision a no-brainer.” “With their high color-rendering index (CRI) and optimal color temperature, Litetronics LEDs make facilities look bright and their spaces easier and safer for employees to work in and clean,” Martindale agreed. “We also appreciated the company’s attractive 10-year warranty, the efficiency of their supply chain and speed of their delivery, and the quality, reliability, and long life of their products.” Overall, he said, “Javo Beverage’s plant looks like a brand new facility just by upgrading the lighting to Litetronics LEDs.” Gray couldn’t agree more. “With these cost savings, payback period, reduced maintenance, and reduction in our carbon footprint,” he concluded, “our upgrade is a perfect win-win.”