Brownlee Goes To Washington

In 1976, Thomas M. Brownlee attended a business reception in the “East Room" at the White House where the 38th President of the United States, Gerald Ford, lectured on the Energy Crisis and its potentially devastating effects on the American economy.

The attendees were given instructions to return home and start implementing energy conservation techniques across their respective trade organizations. The group was invited back to the White House seven weeks later to reconvene and report their progress, and in this short period, Mr. Brownlee had written 2,500 Chambers across the country and organized Orlando’s first Metropolitan Energy Conservation Task Force…after giving his report, President Ford shook his hand and said with a smile:

"Mr. Brownlee, you should be in the energy conservation business yourself!"

Brownlee Energy Management Company

Mr. Brownlee took this advice to heart and did just that…he parted ways with the Chamber at the end of his term in 1977 and formed an energy service company with his wife, Olive Brownlee. They named it Brownlee Energy Management Company (BEMCO).

Two bedrooms and a garage in the Brownlee home were utilized for office and storage space as BEMCO began selling 34-watt GE Watt Miser lamps, 3M energy-saving window films, silicone roofing systems and Honeywell products.

Business started to take off when BEMCO started assembling fluorescent retrofit units to replace inefficient, incandescent lamps. As knowledge and demand for services grew, BEMCO expanded their energy consulting services to the hospitality industry, which quickly proved to be a sweet spot as Mr. Brownlee was able to secure major contracts with hotel and motel conglomerates across the state.

As technology advanced, BEMCO’s business model quickly followed. With the majority of sales stemming from lighting retrofit projects, the company rebranded itself into Brownlee Lighting and focused solely on the assembly of energy efficient lighting products, with an emphasis on quality and affordability.

From the Garage to the Warehouse

After a large order for an apartment complex in Pennsylvania required the dining room of their home for storage, Olive Brownlee said: “Out!”

The company rented warehouse space for a number of years as business continued to expand, but they eventually decided to invest in real estate of their own. In 1995, the company broke ground on a parcel located in the Orlando West Commercial & Industrial Park and construction of Brownlee’s very own manufacturing facility was born – complete with offices, assembly lines, plenty of storage, a paint department and more.

Since 1977

Brownlee Lighting’s growth continued into the 2000’s as they persistently expanded their overall product offering. In 2012, the company expanded once again, this time adding on to their existing facility. The addition brought a state of the art powder coating facility, more storage, quicker ship times and more space to grow.

Brownlee Lighting has come a long ways since opening its doors in 1977, with an extensive line of specification grade LED products serving a variety of markets in North America. Both of Brownlee Lighting’s original founders are now deceased. Mr. Brownlee, who was enjoying semi-retirement, passed away on August 7th, 2014. The company continues to grow under the leadership of their children, grandchildren and an emerging team of lighting professionals who have been crucial to the company’s success since the start.