A startup
company with a new technology appears to be headed for a very bright
future, and county economic development officials hope that future
is based in Volusia
County.
Luma Brite
Technologies is a company with a pending patent on a potentially
electrifying marketing medium and is being courted heavily by
Volusia County economic development officials and backed by
Enterprise Florida, the statewide economic development authority.
Luma Brite’s headquarters will land in north Ormond Beach or north
Atlanta. And the incentive packages offered by both areas
could tip the scales to one state or the other.
“This is a
company that has unlimited potential if it can get a toehold on the
markets it will serve while its designs receive patent protection,”
said John Kizer of the Volusia
County Department of Economic Development. “This is exactly the kind
of technology company we would like to have in Volusia County. We
are ready to help Luma Brite
reach its full global potential from right here in Florida’s High
Tech Corridor.”
The company’s
proprietary illumination system could become a common promotional
tool for marketers across the nation and around the world. The
system is wafer-thin and can run on direct or alternating current.
It is designed to be adhered to passenger and commercial vehicles,
truck fleets, signage of all kinds, billboards, buildings and more.
Its colorful illuminated messages can be static or animated. It is
based on green technology in that it is cool to the touch and is
extremely efficient in its use of electricity, converting more than
95 percent of the energy it uses to light. Safety and
military applications are in development, adding to the product’s
appeal.
To demonstrate
Luma Brite Technologies product, the company created a prototype in
the form of a test bed vehicle that displays static and animated
illuminated messages, which are quite visible in daylight hours,
much more intrusive during twilight and absolutely commanding in the
darkness of night. The vehicle often is driven during
the evening to gauge effectiveness and has performed flawlessly.
See video
“The best
description is that the vehicle, dubbed the ‘MadWrapper’ for its
automotive graphics wrap design, generates a ‘wow factor’ everywhere
it goes, whether driving
along or stationary,” said David Brainard, who along with his wife,
Kim, are harnessing the technology and developing the product for
commercial distribution.
“The cool
thing about this product is that it creates a whole new medium,”
said Mike Jiloty, a Central Florida marketing executive. “Nighttime
graphics have been limited
to stationary commercial signage and externally illuminated
billboards. This technology adds brilliant color, piercing
illumination and even attention-arresting animation to
practically any surface at practically any location. It is likely to
be greeted with widespread acceptance and innovative applications
from day one.”
The Volusia
County Council underscored its enthusiasm for landing the company
when it approved a $30,000 grant intended to leverage $120,000 from
Enterprise
Florida’s Qualified Targeted Industries program, which reimburses
state taxes paid when a company meets its hiring goals and achieves
a specified average annual salary, in this case about $36,000.
As for where
Luma Brite Technologies will land, Brainard can envision successful
operations from a headquarters in either state. “We have exercised
due diligence on both locations and the business model works in
Georgia or Florida,” said Brainard, who is in frequent communication
with commerce and government officials in both states. “Each has
particular strengths, so our corporate profile will be contoured to
take
full advantage of whichever site becomes our corporate address. It
is gratifying that officials in both states have expressed
enthusiasm for our business plan and recognize
the potential of our technologies.” Brainard said he expects to have
made his decision in the third quarter of this year.
