Sidney Kohlenberg, Hein Electric Supply Company, dies at 91.

Sidney “Sid” Kohlenberg passed away on October 20, 2016, at the age of 91.  Sidney served as a US Navy photographer during WWII.  He was honorably discharged in 1946 as Photographer Mate First Class. 
In 1946, he became sole owner of Hein Electric Supply, and served as President of Hein Electric Supply until 1990. 

Sid Kohlenberg built Hein Electric Supply on a foundation of customer service, quality products, and the values of honesty and integrity.  People always came first.  He proved daily that everyone within the organization or connected to it, including employees, their families, the vendors, and the customers, had a vital role in the company’s success.   

It is these core values that continue to resonate throughout the culture of Hein Electric Supply.

“What makes our people so special?  When you have salespeople who are courteous, know the products, and above all, are genuinely concerned with your needs—that’s special.  When you have office people who greet you with a happy voice, expedite your orders, and answer all of your questions as if you were the only person on earth—that’s special. And finally, when you have purchasing people who have the “very” thing you wanted in stock or know where to get it for you quickly—that’s special. We would like to supply you with our products, of course, but it’s our special people of whom we are most proud.” 

- Mr. Sid Kohlenberg.  1969.

GreenLight Project HighLight Part 4:

Hein Electric Supply West Allis 

Exterior Lighting 

During the acquisition of our new corporate headquarters in West Allis, a list of key upgrades were identified that would need to be performed prior to our relocation.  One of the top priorities was establishing our identity and brand in our new neighborhood, as well as enhancing the parking lot and the building exterior.  This was accomplished by installing new signage, as well as pole and building mounted lighting.

The building’s exterior was lit with a mix of high pressure sodium, mercury vapor, quartz and compact fluorescent.  The white finish of the building magnified and drew attention to the different light source used.  Our solution was to replace certain fixtures, while eliminating others, as the improved coverage pattern of LED allowed us to reduce fixture quantity while improving the overall light levels.

The products chosen are from Atlas Lighting and include two sizes of traditional glass-front wall packs and full cutoff fixtures, as well as an adjustable floodlight. All products are DLC listed and reduce demand at least 70% on a per-fixture basis.  The manufacturer’s standard 4500K color temperature is perfect for the lighter color of our building and provides white light without the hint of blue associated with so many of today’s LED products.

The end result is uniform light that accents our building and is safe for pedestrian and vehicular traffic.  On your next evening outing through West Allis, be sure to take a drive by.  It will be easy to spot the newest kid on 116^th street.

Atlas product are stocked and on display at our Oak Creek, Waukesha, West Bend and West Allis locations.  If you’re in need of application or design assistance, give our Lighting Department a call.  They’ll be happy to lend a hand.

Written By R. Reinowski
Photos by Hein Electric Supply

GreenLight Project HighLight Part 3:

Hein Electric Supply West Allis 

2nd Floor Build Out

The existing space on the 2nd floor of this building was used as a plumbing and lighting showroom for a national supply chain.  An open truss black ceiling existed, offering a chance to create a high volume space once the existing track and fixture display grids were removed.  We decided to build out (6) individual offices on the east wall and create an open office environment in the main area utilizing the natural light from the west wall of windows.

The individual offices gained a lay-in ceiling at 8 feet.  The fixtures are the Lithonia BLT Volumetric LED in 2x2 and 1x4 sizes at 30 watts each.  0-10 volt dimming is accomplished by either a Lutron Maestro 0-10 volt dimmer/occupancy sensor, or Lutron Pico-controlled ceiling occupancy and daylight sensor products. The color temperature is a neutral 4000K.

The linear lighting in the open office is the Finelite HP4 series, painted black with a satin lens.  When on, the body disappears into the background of the ceiling, giving the appearance of the flat lens being suspended in thin air.  At thirty six watts per four foot section, the LED product puts out as much light as a traditional fluorescent system at twice the wattage.  The color temperature is a neutral 4000k as well.  Continuous linear runs were tucked between the trusses to maintain the feeling of volume in the space.

The extensive windows and natural daylight throughout all spaces required a control system of Lutron 0-10V PowPaks, Lutron wireless occupancy and daylight sensors, as well as localized Lutron wallbox dimming and Pico zone control.

Using track heads re-purposed from the old showroom, feature walls are bathed in 3000K LED, which will highlight future artwork and project photos.

The main staircase is lit with the ET2 Aura LED chandelier, as well as the Kriss Kross and Alumilux series LED wall sconces.  An Aladdin Lift allows us to drop the chandelier for dusting and cleaning.

GreenLight Project HighLight Part 2:

Hein Electric Supply West Allis 

Counter Sales Lighting Upgrade

The Counter Sales showroom is the "first impression" of our company.  It is a heavy traffic area for customers placing Will Call orders, for visiting product representatives, and acts as a showcase for the various product lines that we carry.  We needed this area to be bright, inviting, and illuminating.  

We chose the Fluxstream LED Linear fixtures by Philips Daybrite for its sleek design, smooth diffused light, and dimming capabilities.  The Fluxstream LED fixtures are fully dimmable using a 0-10 volt control signal.  With a cross section of roughly 2” x 2”, the Fluxstream gives the appearance of a “rod of light” suspended from the ceiling.  

Each 8ft section consumes 82 watts and delivers 7800 lumens of 4000K high color rendering light.  The new fixtures replaced worn out two lamp 8ft slimline industrial strips consuming 135 watts each.  The light levels increased dramatically and vertical illumination increased, making product more visible and labels easier to read.  To further enhance the space, we added Lutron 0-10V wireless controls to include local dimming control, occupancy sensing and daylight harvesting.  See the dramatic before and after below. 

BEFORE - West Allis Showroom - 8ft industrial strips

   AFTER - West Allis Showroom - (13) 8ft sections of Philips Fluxstream 

LED, Juno LED track, new slat wall, epoxy floor, and fresh paint. 

AFTER - West Allis Showroom - New LED lighting enhances the blues,
reds, yellows of product packaging.

GreenLight Project HighLight Part 1:

Hein Electric Supply West Allis Warehouse Lighting

When we purchased our new Corporate Headquarters building in January 2016, we immediately noted the areas that needed a lighting upgrade to better suit our needs. 

One of the first priorities was the Warehouse.  The existing Warehouse had approximately (100) 4-Lamp T5 HO fixtures illuminating the aisles, the receiving area, and the shipping areas at 220 Watts per fixture.  

Thanks to our partners at GE Lighting, we were able to replace the existing T5HO fixtures with new GE ALBEO LED Hi Bays. For the general warehouse, we installed (96) GE Albeo, 17,200 lumen fixtures at 153 watts each.  For the Shipping and Receiving areas, we installed (4) GE Albeo 24,160 lumen fixtures at 190 watts each.  

We opted to increase the light level in lieu of maximizing our energy savings. GE offers an Albeo 12,000 lumen, 95 watt fixture package, but we decided that a greater lumen output was a better option for our space.  The result is clarity of the box labels, better visibility to pull product, and a safer working environment. 

Introducing FREEDOM by SATCO

One LED retrofit. 

Hundreds of options.

Lighting projects have a way of coming with many variables.  Satco Freedom Recessed LED fixtures help make the process easier by providing many options from just one basic retrofit. 

Multiple beam angles, fixture sizes, Lumens, color temperatures and trims give you the Freedom to create the look you want and the performance you need. You can create multiple solutions for new installs or renovations using one family of components, custom designed by you, to meet most any project requirement.

Please review the product family brochure, and let us know if you would like more Freedom on your next project. 

NEW! SATCO Hi-Pro LED

High lumen, omni directional lamps for industrial and commercial applications.

• Replaces HID, CFL, and IncandescentDirect wire range voltage 100-277V
• Approved for totally enclosed fixtures
• IP65 rated
• Base up, base down or horizontal operation
• 5 Year limited warranty
• Click here for a specification sheet.

Introducing the NEW SLCB Series LED Undercabinet Fixture.

Driverless.  120Volt.  Dimmable.  Slim profile.   

                      

SLCB SERIES SPECIFICATIONS:

• Architectural LED Linear Lightbar is available in  9", 18", 24", 32" WHITE FINISH
• Designed for cove lighting, commercial and architectural applications.
• Unobtrusive (only 1-3/16" thickness)
• Bars can be interconnected in series from one 120vac power feed.
• Wattage: 3.5W for the 9",  6.8W for 18",  9W for 24",  12.4W for 36" ,  and 16.7W for 48"
• 50,000 hour LED life.
• Each bar has an integral rocker switch.
• Frosted lens assures an even glow over the length of the fixture with virtually no visible diode imaging.
• Electrical:  Rated at only 4.2 watts per foot. Max run 50 feet.
• Color Temperature: 2700K , 3000K ,4000K
• Power: 120VAC
• Dimming: with standard leading edge triac dimmer switches

View the product specification page here.
Please visit any Hein Service Center for more details. 

2016 Focus on Energy Incentive Update

Adjustments to 2016 prescriptive incentives are still under discussion with the Program Administrator and the Public Service Commission. Until 2016 incentive rates and catalogs are finalized, all programs will continue to honor the 2015 prescriptiveincentives.  Customers and Trade Allies can use the existing catalogs and applications until further notice.  Communication reflecting this continuation will be on the Focus website January 1.  I will reach out to you once the 2016 prescriptive incentives are finalized and send you an email with the electronic versions once finalized.  Again, we do not know what the prescriptive 2016 incentive amounts will be and the approved measures until they are released. 

The new custom incentive rates have been finalized and approved, and these go into effect January 1,2016 as planned.  The custom incentive guide/application is in the final stage of approval and will be put on the website as soon as this approval has been received.  2016 custom incentive rates are as follows (for any incentives to be considered outside of the prescriptive catalog):

Business Incentive Program and Chain Store & Franchise

$100 per kW

$0.03 per kWh

$0.40 per Therm (no bonus)

Mulit Family Energy Savings Program

Tier 1

$100 per kW

$0.05 per kWh

$0.80 per Therm

Tier 2

$125 per kW

$0.07 per kWh

$1.00 per Therm

We will post updated information as it is received.  Please contact a member of our Lighting Department with specific questions.