Destination Makeover and More
The Latest Industry Highlights, Events and Trends
Destination Lighting Helps With Home Makeover
Destination Lighting recently helped make one family's dream come true by once again participating in ABC's hit television program, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Connie Chapin is a single mother who runs her own swim instruction business out of her own home in Kirkland, Washington. A true resource to the community, Chapin has taught over 200 children—many who suffer from various disabilities—the life-saving skill of swimming.
In 2005, Chapin was informed by inspectors that her nearly 100 year-old home was not up to city code. Though she was able to receive extensions on improving her home, more bad news came Chapin's way when she learned that her poorly constructed home was on the brink of collapsing. Faced with losing her home and her business, Chapin was able to rebuild her house and backyard pool with the help of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Destination Lighting, along with the Building Industry Association of Washington, provided lighting fixtures and accessories for the featured family. The episode aired on December 16, 2007 and was Destination Lighting's fourth contribution to the ABC reality show.
Energy-Efficiency Goes Into Government Effect
Last December, President Bush signed the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. This bill is a step towards greater U.S. energy independence and security. The act will promote research and implementation of greenhouse gas capture, increase the production of renewable fuels, and enforce energy-efficiency in buildings, products and vehicles. Specifically, it is mandated that all new light bulbs must use 25% to 30% less energy for the same output than the common incandescent light. "The energy-efficiency standards in this bill—now law—will maintain a robust national approach to efficiency, and enable all of America to become much more energy-efficient," says National Electrical Manufacturers' Association (NEMA) president and CEO Evan Gibbons. The new law will be phased in over the course of three years, starting in 2012.