Johnny K's Powersports BRP Dealership 

OUR CUSTOMER 

Johnny K's Powersports, a BRP dealership located in Niles, Ohio, is owned and operated by John Kalogerou. When he chose to expand his business by purchasing a 40,000-square-foot facility next door to his existing Niles dealership, he engaged BRP for a recommendation on how to best showcase his new space and merchandise for maximized product appeal and sales. BRP pointed Kalogerou in the direction of Optima Design, an experienced interior design firm, and to the experts at Current, as BRP recognized that creating the right aesthetics depends heavily on delivering the right design paired with the right lighting. 

THE EXPECTATION 

The focus of the design concept was showcasing the location's BRP merchandise. Myriam Vignes-Salaun, Senior Designer for Optima explained: “We wanted the space itself to look appealing, but lighting was especially important to ensure visitor attention focuses primarily on the product for sale.”  
 
“We saw great potential to harness the strengths of several Current LED lighting products to create the perfect lighting environment,” recalled Nabil-Jacques Salem, Strategic Accounts Manager for Current. “We set out to create different layers of light—a blanket of dispersed, ambient under-lighting and a layer of accent lighting directed at the power sports equipment to dramatically draw customer attention—while being mindful of energy consumption.” 
 
According to Optima co-owner and interior designer Marco Iacampo, “We set the stage with lighting and design elements, but the products are the true actors in the dramatic environments we create. There are more than 1,000 BRP dealers in North America—to give them all the same brand identity and compelling look with this design would be very powerful.”  
 
“There were primarily two goals related to lighting with this project: Creating compelling aesthetics and finding energy savings in the process,” explained Kalogerou. “We retrofitted the entire facility, from showroom to offices, and we were looking for lighting that would not only look great, but last for a long time and minimize power consumption.” 

THE SOLUTION 

Different retail lighting alternatives were analyzed, but Current products were ultimately chosen for the design project due to their performance, color temperature, energy savings and reliability. The products were carefully selected to ensure the sales environment looked great and to make merchandise colors pop. Additionally, an on-site lighting analysis was conducted to explain lumen levels and the return on investment to Kalogerou.  
 
“There were other lighting options available, but we chose Current because we trusted their quality and appreciated their assistance,” Kalogerou reflected. “The Current representative with whom I worked was highly responsive and helpful.”  
 
A variety of LED products were selected for the job, including Current LED PAR38 directional lamps,Lumination™ LED IS Series Luminaires, Lumination™ ET Series Luminaires and Lumination™ DI6R-20 directional downlamps.  
 
“LED is the way of the future—everyone knows that,” explained Kalogerou. “They may cost more, but when we calculated payback from the energy savings and reduced maintenance needs, we were very comfortable with our choice.”  
 
Optima's Vignes-Salaun elaborated further, saying “Compared to other products, Current's lamps had good lumen output and low wattage—and they supplied the look we wanted.” 

RESULTS & BENEFITS 

Analyses were conducted to calculate total savings per lamp per year derived from wattage reductions and installation time decreases, and it was clear that the long-lasting, efficient LEDs would pay for themselves in short order. The lamps feature lifespans from 25,000 to 65,000 hours, and consume much less energy than the incumbent lights they replaced. Yearly savings ranged from $17.70 to $65.50 per lamp replaced, yielding payback periods from 1-3 years, depending on the product.  
 
The results have been immediately evident: After the new lighting had been installed, the 40,000-square-foot facility cost only 20–30 percent more to light than the 15,000-square-foot building next door that featured less efficient lighting.  
 
These energy efficiency improvements are not only important from a cost reduction standpoint for the dealer, but for BRP at the corporate level. The company has a strong focus on sustainability, and is encouraging their entire network of dealerships to implement a design similar to what Johnny K's adopted—whether that means retrofitting existing buildings or constructing new ones. And they will be looking to Optima Design and Current as partners to assist in that regard moving forward.  
 
With regard to aesthetics, the Optima spatial redesign and Current LED choices have also been a major success.  
 
“People are in awe when they visit the dealership; they're very impressed with the project,” according to Kalogerou. “Personally, I'm very pleased with how it all turned out. I could never have got these results myself; having design and lighting experts involved was exciting and crucial to the success of the project.” 

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