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Daycoa Lighting Inc. has been selling commercial and industrial lighting products in Medway for close to 60 years, but the company is taking new steps to reach out to its customers and dispel some myths about the products it sells.
Along with updating its web site, the company is planning to host an open house this spring to give area residents a better understanding of the services it provides. Although it’s been in business since 1957, many area residents are not aware the company sells lighting products to the general public, said owner Linda Ricciardi.
In addition, she said her sales staff frequently tries to dispel concerns that all incandescent light bulbs are now banned. While some less efficient models of incandescents were phased out, several models are still available, said Dave Douthit, a salesman for the company.
Ricciardi took over the business after her brother died in 2009. Her father started the business out of their home in 1957, and after a move to Dayton, the business eventually set up in a roughly 20,000-square-foot office and warehouse facility in Medway. The company now serves numerous clients throughout 10 states, providing lighting for entities like schools, hospitals, grocery stores and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
“The lighting industry is changing daily, and you have to be ahead of the technology,” she said.
No date for the open house has been set.
Despite a stagnant economy, Ricciardi said the company may hire a small number of employees over the next year to help manage the web site, among other duties.
The business started in her father’s garage. When she was 11, the family only had one phone and she was only allowed on the phone for three minutes a night because it was also used for business. The business grew slowly but steadily from that point, and now has about 14 employees.
The business was also recently nominated for an Eclipse Integrity Award from the Dayton Better Business Bureau. That award honors businesses that demonstrate a commitment to exceptional customer service and business ethics.
“It’s a testament to the the family that runs that business, and they treat you like family,” said Scott Griffith, president of the Western Clark County Business Coalition.
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