ORACLE Lighting named #1 Fastest Growing Company in NOLA Metro Area by New Orleans CityBusiness Magazine
May 2, 2022
https://neworleanscitybusiness.com/blog/2022/05/02/fastest-growing-companies-1-oracle-lighting/
Revenue continues to climb at Metairie-based Oracle Lighting, which is designing innovative lighting products and technologies for the automotive/12-volt, powersports, motorcycle and marine markets.
Photo courtesy Oracle Lighting
In 2021, Oracle Lighting reported $12 million in revenue, a 30% increase from the previous year revenue of $9.2 million, and a three-year growth of 99% from $6.04 million in 2019.
“Bringing new and innovative products in LED technology to the automotive aftermarket has always been the core of our business,” said Tiffanie Hartenstein, CEO of Oracle Lighting, and co-owner with her husband Justin Hartenstein. “Our business continues to grow more every year as we challenge our team to strive to be first to market with high-end products that drive the innovation process our company was originally founded upon.”
Since founded in 1999, Oracle Lighting has made nine appearances on Inc. Magazine’s “Inc. 500/5000” list that highlights the nation’s fastest growing small businesses. Within the last year, Oracle Lighting has received two major manufacturing awards. In February 2022, Louisiana Economic Development awarded Oracle Lighting a Louisiana Lantern Award, recognizing top manufacturers across the state. In November 2021, Oracle Lighting received “Manufacturer of the Year” from global trade organization SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association).
Hartenstein said LED products for the jeep market have exploded over the last three years. In spring 2022, Oracle Lighting dropped Ford Bronco lighting products, including a triple LED fog light kit for better night visibility during off-roading adventures or routine night driving; LED cargo light modules for drivers to see what they are carrying; illuminated spare tire rings; and lighting extreme-performance LED reverse light bulbs. The company also revealed its new flush mount LED taillight design for the Jeep Wrangler JK.
“We can’t keep our flush style LED taillights on the shelf they’re so popular,” Hartenstein said. “Factory taillights can often break for Wrangler owners who off-road their jeeps because the factory design protrudes out several inches past the jeep’s body causing exposure to trees, boulders and other obstacles. But the frame of our flush mount LED taillight is tight to the body panel reducing exposure and vulnerability.”
In 2021, one of the hottest products was the 7-inch multifunction 60-watt LED spotlight for jeeps, trucks and off-road vehicles, in which drivers can use an auxiliary light to project up to 500 meters of overall distance. Hartenstein added that illuminated wheel rings were another popular item among car, jeep and truck owners.
“Our product development team sometimes forecasts as much as a year and a half before automobiles are produced, so we can be ready with our products that consumers need to make modifications to their vehicles,” Hartenstein said.
Highlighting its innovations in the marine market industry, in 2021, Oracle Lighting was asked by Ultramar, a ferry company that operates in Cancun, Mexico, to develop logo lighting as well as new safety rail lights for passengers. The vessel signage was designed to be waterproof, able to be submerged underwater and continue to operate without failure.
In the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hartenstein said the marketing team increased SEO and social media presence which increased e-commerce sales transactions. The warehouse and inventory team executed an enhanced process for quality control, quality tests and packaging guidelines.
“We take pride in empowering all our departments across our company to work together to improve our processes, streamline our operations and seek creative solutions for our customers,” Hartenstein said.