Midwest Illumination uses energy conservation to create dozens of jobs

--This article originally appeared on April 23, 2009

The guys behind Midwest Illumination were green before the color became an adjective for sustainability.

The two brothers worked for a company that helped pioneer energy-efficient lighting before starting their energy efficiency firm in 1993. Today the Clarkston-based company has a staff of 100 people, with satellite offices in Chicago and Atlanta. About 90 of those people work in Metro Detroit.

The company really started to catch fire last year when the perfect storm of high energy prices and public awareness hit. It hired about 30 people to keep up with demand before the bottom fell out of the economy last fall. Midwest Illumination has been holding the line since then, but expects to go on another hiring spree once the economy starts to rebound. That could mean an additional 50-70 new jobs.

"We see a lot of growth in the near term," says Greg Summerlee, vice president of business development for Midwest Illumination.

The company specializes in more than just energy-efficient lighting. Its fastest growing segment is analyzing energy usage and finding places to save large amounts of wasted electricity and gas. Summerlee thinks this, more than anything, will drive the alternative energy push.

"We are the workhorse of what has to happen," Summerlee says.

He also thinks Metro Detroit is poised to become a leader in the alternative and green energy economy, one that could lead to a lot of new jobs in the near future.

Source: Greg Summerlee, vice president of business development for Midwest Illumination
Writer: Jon Zemke

Midwest Illumination uses energy conservation to create dozens of jobs

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