Carmanah Lights up Mexico with Deal

Darron Kloster
Times Colonist
dkloster@timescolonist.com

Carmanah Technologies has signed the largest single order to date for its outdoor lighting products.

The Victoria company said the deal with the Mexican government is valued at $1 million and was jointly won by Carmanah and local partner Semex SA.

The lights will be used for unspecified outdoor projects, likely parks or roadways.

Carmanah unveiled its lower-cost EG series of solar LED outdoor lighting on Nov. 30 in an effort to go after a wider market.

Chief executive Bruce Cousins, a former executive for Johnson & Johnson and Ballard Power Systems who took over this fall from Ted Lattimore, said Carmanah would aggressively pursue new tenders.

The company is particularly interested in emerging countries in Latin America, Cousins said, since economic conditions were hindering sales in more established markets.

He said the latest deal with Mexico reflects the company's push on new product and jurisdictions.

"It communicates the market's acceptance of our brand, demonstrates the strength of our relationship with Semex and is proof of the EG Series ability to meet the needs of cost-sensitive and developing markets throughout the world," Cousins said.

Last year, Carmanah and Semex - a global leader in highway safety products and a division of Signal Group - inked a manufacturing and distribution agreement to produce solar products using Carmanah's technology.

The EG series of outdoor lights start at about $1,000 each - a tenth of the cost of Carmanah's higher-end EverGen outdoor lights.

The lights eliminate the need for trenching power and reliance on electricity, and the company says they are the most reliable solarpowered lighting systems on the market.