Cork company Verde LED has announced it will be recruiting as a result of new business in China due to the partnership with PCH International, the Irish-headquartered product development and supply chain company. Verde LED, which specialises in the design, supply and installation of LED efficient lighting solutions for commercial and industrial applications, will be installing an energy efficient lighting programme in one of PCH’s Shenzhen-based manufacturing facilities, with work commencing at the end of last month. The company will also be installing lighting in the PCH innovation centre in San Francisco. Verde LED will be recruiting a lighting engineer and a project support person as a result of the Chinese contract, both of whom will be working in the Cork office. Two further Irish project managers will be recruited to oversee the project in Shenzhen in China. Energy costs are becoming a huge issue in China, according to John Keohane, director of Verde LED. “While China is a generally a low-cost manufacturing base, energy costs are in many cases higher than in Ireland and on the rise,” he said. “Until now, China has been busy just coping with new business but now it has to look closely at costs to maintain competitiveness. The energy-saving knowledge and disciplines aren’t generally in place, which is why progressive companies like PCH are taking a lead in this area.” In terms of payback, the economic argument is simple, he continued. Energy costs on average are 60% less using LED lighting. In a new build, any extra up front cost due to energy efficient LED lighting will be recouped in months. In a retrofit scenario, all costs would be recouped in less than two years. After payback, significant savings can be enjoyed year after year. Other benefits are reduced maintenance, reduced carbon emissions and better, brighter lights. The announcement comes on the back of last month’s news that Verde LED had entered the US market, having appointed a distributor in Boston and completed its first installation. The lighting industry in the US is a difficult industry to enter to different electrical protocols and an exacting certification system. However, the Irish company has created a range of commercial and industrial products specifically for the US market with a DLC rating, which is necessary to operate in the States. “This required a full redesign of the European range, extensive testing and then an exacting UL Certification process,” said Keohane. “The US market is actually behind Ireland in terms of eco-friendly lighting, but this will change quickly as the government is providing up to 75% capital grants to companies that convert.” The first contract for Verde LED through the Boston distributor was for a large car park in Boston. The company has also won the contract for the lighting in an Innovation Design Centre for PCH. Verde LED is now set to appoint a distributor for the New York area.