By Linwood By Rayford, Assistant Chief Counsel
On Sept. 14, Advocacy’s regulatory team visited Light Bulbs Etc. in Lenexa, Kansas, to see their operation and learn of their regulatory concerns.
Light Bulbs Etc. is a 30-year-old family run, woman-owned, business. The owner, Colleen Black, greeted us to her warehouse which houses virtually every light bulb one could imagine. The business is KCP&L (a Kansas utility company) certified. This allows Light Bulbs Etc. to work with local businesses on ways to reduce energy costs by using more efficient lighting. In addition, the company has web-based, retail and call-center components.
As Advocacy toured the facility, we were impressed by the extensive inventory which included LED, fluorescent, halogen and incandescent bulbs. We were told that the light bulb business is generally a seasonal business, with the busiest times encompassing the change from day light savings time and Christmas.
Black discussed some of the federal regulatory barriers her business faces and she was especially concerned with paperwork burdens. She also brought up problems affording health insurance for her employees. Black noted that many of her employees are either family or like family and she views providing healthcare as one of the most important responsibilities of her small business. She also mentioned tariffs for shipping inventory worldwide and small business tax burdens as being especially concerning.
Advocacy thanks Black for allowing us to learn about her business and for giving us such an enlightening tour.
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