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ROBERT CASILLAS
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ANDREA ROTH/STAFF
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"Going up?"
More than 15 years ago that question spurred the initial growth
of a small two-person company in Torrance.
Pervaiz Lodhie and his wife, Almas Lodhie, had just founded
LEDtronics, a business based around the application of
light-emitting diodes (LEDs).
"Don't you hate it when you push a button and can't tell if
the elevator is going up or down because the light doesn't come
on?" spokesman Jordan P. Papanier said. "Just use a
LED."
Durable and able to withstand frequent switching and constant
shock, LEDs cater to the elevator light market, President Pervaiz
Lodhie said.
LEDtronics formed a solid business foundation on that fact, with
annual revenues of about $25,000 in 1983 to more than $20 million in
1998. During that time, they also diversified their product
technology and expanded teamwork, Pervaiz Lodhie said, turning
LEDtronics into one of the most prominent LED companies in the
nation.
"Basically, we just did it step-by-step," Vice
President Almas Lodhie said. "We didn't expect it to be like
this, but we knew we had a good product that people needed and the
service to back it up."
LEDtronics outgrew its niche market soon after opening. Pervaiz
Lodhie combined his background in electrical engineering and
lighting with his desire to design and innovate LEDs. Almas Lodhie
headed the sales, production and shipping divisions.
Through personal service and customized orders, LEDtronics
products grew beyond elevator buttons and broadened LED applications
to display lights and headlights, the couple said. Their annual
revenues rose by 20 to 25 percent almost every year since 1983, and
their clientele now includes 70 percent of the Fortune 500 list,
Pervaiz Lodhie said.
"We work with our clients to design what they need," he
said. "LEDs can be utilized in standard and new ways, such as
computers, datacom, switches and displays."
LEDs have been gradually replacing incandescent light bulbs for
more than 30 years. The solid design withstands environmental
extremes and vibration while using just a fraction of power required
by filament bulbs. They also have a life expectancy of about 100,000
hours or 10 years, which lowers maintenance services. The durable,
efficient LEDs are commonly used anywhere from crosswalks to Las
Vegas casinos.
"I've seen a big difference in the field since LEDtronics,"
said Larry Jones, account manager for Consolidate Electrical
Distributors. CED provides services for automated and electrical
controls. The company distributes LEDtronics lighting for elevators
and fixtures to more than 500 locations in Southern California.
The two companies are renovating lighting systems for elevators
and telephones at Los Angeles International Airport.
From the start, orders to LEDtronics came in steadily and the
company increased employees and workspace. The company made moves
within the South Bay about five times during the last 15 years until
finally settling into a 63,000-square- foot warehouse in September
1998.
All the design, manufacturing, marketing, research and
development work is done by a staff of about 160 in Torrance, and at
another plant with 45 employees in Karachi, Pakistan, which opened
last year.
"It was opened in Karachi because it is their hometown and
we knew and trusted people there," Papanier said. "Also,
it is a way to keep costs down and stay competitive."
Pervaiz and Almas Lodhie immigrated from Karachi more than 18
years ago. Pervaiz Lodhie studied in Pakistan before continuing his
education in the United States at Pasadena City College and
California State University, Los Angeles. After working in the
lighting industry, Pervaiz and Almas Lodhie decided to begin their
company out of a room in their home.
"I was pregnant that first year," Almas Lodhie said.
"It was hard, working and packing boxes with a pregnant
stomach. It's funny now thinking back to it because I guess our son
and business are the same age."
Pervaiz Lodhie also sees his son and company in similar ways.
"Until last year, LEDtronics was like a little child, a
teen-ager, really," he said. "Now we are maturing,
becoming adults and not just producing but growing and making plans
for the future. We want to broaden ourselves and work more with
multinational conglomerates."
About 10 to 15 percent of their business is generated from
countries other than the United States. They recently opened an
office in France for their ventures within the United Kingdom and
France. They also do business with companies in Singapore.
To accommodate international ventures, LEDtronics became
certified by the International Organization for Standardization
(ISO) in May of last year. They earned the highest level of
certification after 20 of their systems, including development,
design and production, passed a quality control audit by the
Switzerland-based organization. With this recognition, LEDtronics
can bypass foreign government inspections, therefore making
international business easier.
"This is going to have a global effect," said Adil S.
Gandhi, LEDtronics general manager. "This gives international
businesses confidence in our quality and assures that we abide by
worldwide standards."
Pervaiz Lodhie attributes the success of LEDtronics to their
vigorous research and development. He said they have designed a new
product every day for the past 15 years.
"LEDtronics is a front-runner in this business," Jones
said. "Their research and development is by far the most
extensive of any other LED company. Others wait to see what
LEDtronics does and then try to copy it."
