Look out Las Vegas: 'Light It Up' has arrived
Pub Date: 7/1/2007
Jon Dehler certainly understand the vagaries of small business.
He's was on top in the fledgling gaming machine business in the early and mid-1990s, then encountered some storms that nearly put his company–Fleetwood Gaming of Billings –in jeopardy.
But slowly, painstakingly and with the help of a first rate staff and General Manager Thom Propp, he rebuilt the firm as a leading developer and manufacturer of gaming machines for the Montana market as well as the number two vendor route operator in the state.
Dehler seems to be one of those fellows who always has a lot of irons in the fire; possesses a curious and optimistic nature that has him seeking out the next emerging opportunity and taking the risks to get in on the ground floor.
Not long ago Dehler found himself becoming fascinated with the latest–some might say revolutionary– technological developments in exterior and interior business promotional products and lighting.
His interest led him to China where are lot of the new products are being developed and manufactured. His contacts there have positioned him to be a dealer who operates like a wholesaler at the retail level, purchasing direct from the factory and selling direct to the consumer, bypassing typical distributor networks.
The new venture–known initially as "Brilliant Products" and now transitioning into "Light It Up"–had been a fun sideline for Dehler. But recently he announced the Fleetwood Gaming route operations had been sold to Century Gaming (see related story on page 3 in this edition) so he now he sees himself pouring his energies into the core game development and manufacturing business of Fleetwood, but sharing his time equally with getting Light It Up well out of the chute and down the track.
And it is clear in talking to Dehler, as we did June 15, that he is developing a true passion and palpable excitement for this lighting venture. He smiles all the time when he talks about it, emphasizing his points with wide-eyed facial expressions and expansive gestures.
The whole notion of making a business sparkle–stand out from the competition–has gotten Dehler's full attention as he is now also wading into casino ownership and operation in a serious way.
"Every business needs an edge on the competition, a way to set themselves apart, gain some distinction and attention," Dehler says. "If you can make your exterior look spectacular, you'll get the public to wonder if the interior is just as amazing. This is all about attracting attention and building traffic," he says. "It's a magnet; it draws people in.
"It's amazing how little good quality window and outside advertising is done," he says
He will be opening in August a new club in Billings called "Maui Nites" which he describes as featuring a "full-fledged slush bar" utilizing "high end slush machines" for "smoothie" type concoctions such as Margaritas, Dacquiris and other blends he wouldn't reveal.
One might expect to see the brilliantly lighted palm trees that already grace the exteriors and interiors of some of his, and others', establishments. But the trees seem almost passe' as Dehler starts talking excitedly about what else he has up his sleeve.
"We've got stuff Las Vegas hasn't seen yet!" he says. "See, we're going to have two 14-foot carousels made of what they call 't oughened glass.' You can't see through it. Then we incorporate 10 or 12 LED (light emitting diode) 'wall washers' all hooked together and operated with an electronic controller.
"The effect is fantastic," Dehler exclaims with his characteristic smile. "We can gradually change–fade–the walls and ceilings between seven different colors."
Later, he invited the Montana Tavern Times reporter to his retail store/showroom at the corner of Grand Ave. and 24th St. in Billings, where he demonstrated a single, small LED "wall washer" unit that created a truly remarkable effect on the wall and ceiling of a small backroom.
That showroom sports an amazing array of gadgetry and truly astonishing lighted products from interior and exterior signage–mostly LED as Dehler says "neon is a thing of the past"–to "flex rope lighting" that resembles brilliant neon tubes and can be shaped and placed to perform a multitude of functions.
The rope lighting can be installed to form the name of your establishment in any format, including a cursive script. It can be used as accent lighting anywhere inside or out and, best yet, Dehler says, consumes about one-tenth the power of conventional lighting while giving off virtually no heat.
"You could run up to 487 feet of LED flex rope lighting from a single 110 volt plug-in," he says. "Can you imagine the cost of 500 feet of neon, not to mention all the transformers, and the power it would consume? LED just blows neon away.
"It can easily be read even with direct sun shining on it and actually seems to get brighter as you move further away. It blows right through double-pane double-tinted glass" that is popular in gaming venues, he says.
And LED lights last virtually forever and exhibit no fade, Dehler says, easily burning for 100,000 hours 24/7. "In seven to 10 years every household will be using LED lighting almost exclusively," he predicts. "It is the future but it is here now."
"With TV or radio or print advertising, you buy it and then its gone– used up," Dehler says. "With this kind of advertising, you buy it once and it keeps working for you for years and years."
Dehler says his supplier currently has over 200 words in their sign inventory such as "open" and "restrooms." He's had the manufacturer create an array of words specific to the tavern and gaming business and says he can get custom made anything else a retail business might need or desire.
Need a sign that says "Video Gaming" or "Pool Room" or "Cigars?" Light It Up has them.
Also new to the Light It Up product menu are quite realistic peach trees with lit blossoms, which create a quite startling, but calming, effect. In addition, Light It Up is getting heavily involved in outdoor messaging centers that are in fact sophisticated outdoor television screens that can display any graphics you can conjure along with full animation.
"The resolution is fantastic. They're like a giant plasma TV screen," he says.
Light It Up is capable of functioning as a consultant, designer, supplier and installer, Dehler said.
"I'm convinced we're positioned right now to exploit a virgin market with these devices," Dehler says emphatically. "If your place is 'hidden,' this is the answer."
"Good lighting can help the mom and pops compete with the big chains," he adds.
Finally, Dehler says his business model, working directly with Chinese suppliers, will make Light It Up products very cometitively priced.
"We can sell the single color LED flex rope lighting for anywhere between $8 to $25 a foot depending on what LED rope lighting you're talking about, whereas others are selling it for twice that," Dehler says. "We can sell the flex rope lighting that changes seven different colors for $30 per foot while others sell it for $58."
And these are not low quality products, Dehler points out. "We buy from the same company that the largest supplier in the world buys from. We're focusing on quality and the high end; there's no reason to do otherwise."
Source: The Montana Tavern Times, July, 2007, published monthly by Continental Communications, 125 W. Granite St., Suite 102, Butte, MT 59701.