Sauk City electrical company racks up significant energy savings for local businesses

Ever Ready Electric recently found 1,195 new ways to help local businesses save money and energy this fall by replacing their standard light fixtures with high-performance, energy efficient ones including high-performance T8, low-watt T8, recessed indirect T5 lighting, high-bay fluorescent fixtures and energy-saving occupancy sensors.

By making the switch, 21 businesses in Sauk City, Prairie du Sac and Mazomanie will save more than 793,350 kilowatt-hours of electricity annually—enough energy to power 80 homes for a year. The businesses will also benefit from a combined total of more than $76,000 savings on their energy bills each year.

The new lighting, installed by Ever Ready Electric, results in strong energy savings and better lighting, includes:

• High-performance T8 fixtures versus T12 fixtures which can save up to 80 percent more energy, last from 20,000 to 36,000 hours longer and provide a better light quality than standard systems

• High-bay fluorescent lighting that produce equivalent or more light as HIDs, using up to 50 percent less energy

• Motion-controlled occupancy sensors installed on light fixtures that can reduce the lighting use by up to 90 percent.

“We recently replaced the lighting in our structural steel shop and have already realized that the decision was well worth the time and investment,” says Mike Plank, operations manager of the Structural Steel Division of McFarlane Manufacturing. “Not only is the light quality better, we have significant cost savings and expect our new lighting to pay for itself in a year. The decision to switch over to new lighting was a no brainer.”

Collectively the annual environmental benefits of the upgrades equivalent to offsetting 1,559 barrels of oil from being burned — eliminating 1.3 million pounds of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere.

First Business economic survey released for Dane County

Dane County businesses felt the economic downturn that began in 2007 almost indiscriminately in 2009.  However, despite the disappointing year, business owners have positive expectations for 2010, according  to the economic report by First Business Bank.

The report showed that all business sectors reported declines in all seven economic categories surveyed — sales revenue; profitability; total operating costs as a percentage of revenue; capital expenditures; number of employees; overall wage changes; changes in pricing; and operating capacity.

More than 50 percent of businesses did not meet expectations in 2009. Although sales were down overall, the manufacturing sector saw the greatest decline, with 86 percent of firms reporting decreased sales, the worst value by any sector in the history of the survey. Profitability also declined and for the first time more than half of businesses reported decreased profitability.

Businesses that reported steep profit declines (more than 10 percent), was double that of last year. In addition, 40 percent of businesses reported a decrease in the number of employees, the highest level in the survey’s history.

Mark Meloy, President and CEO of First Business Bank, said the report shows that Dane County is not isolated from the national economic downturn. “Despite some economic insulation built-in by advantages such as state government, technology, and the University of Wisconsin, Dane County is still susceptible to national economic events,” Meloy says.

First Business Bank has been conducting the economic survey of Dane County for the past seven years. Full survey results are available under “Newsroom” at www.firstbusiness.com.

MOVERS

>> JG Development Inc. of Blue Mounds has named Michelle Milestone as the new director of sales and marketing.

>> Vicki Markussen is the new executive director of the 7 Rivers Alliance.

>> Gilda’s Club Madison has added Gail Nichols as executive director.

>> Knupp & Watson has added Chris Schellpfeffer as public relations director and Beau Lynn-Miller as web developer.

BUSINESS BRIEFS

BELOIT: Patch Products, a leading manufacturer and marketer of games and toys, recently sold more than 1 million Buzzword games since 2003. Buzzword, which was invented by Michael Steer and Gary Donner, is Patch Products best selling board game. Through the years, Buzzword has received numerous awards from toy and parenting organizations.