SHELTON – Electric distribution manufacturer and supplier Lex Products took two major steps in its history Monday as it officially opened its new corporate headquarters. And it unveiled its new name – Lex Innovations.
The Shelton company that provides power distribution and emerging energy storage solutions for industrial, entertainment and military markets opened its newly built corporate headquarters next to its 60,000-square-foot distribution center at Forest Parkway with Gov. Ned Lamont and Mayor Mark Lauretti on hand.
“Today marks another step in the reawakening of Lex here in Connecticut and also in our operations in Davie, Florida, and also in Pacioma, California,” said Lex Innovations CEO Jim Binch. “Beginning two years ago, we committed ourselves as a unified team to streamline, massively improve our internal systems, pay renewed attention to first pass yields and overall quality to find a path to revolutionize the state of portable and temporary power distribution. “With the introduction of the company’s new far higher amperage solutions combined with onboard intelligence, Lex has become a leader in providing intelligent power distribution and emerging necessity pointing to the dramatic increases in electricity prices and with a concurrent need to reduce our carbon footprint.”
He pointed out how the company with more than 120 employees listened to users of such products as its outdoor power rack that distributes power from a generator for such events as concerts and sporting events and concurrently applied state-of-the-art know how as it has evolved.
The company’s latest expansion comes after Lex Products opened a world class distribution center in 2010 at 15 Progress Drive before moving to its current site at 15 Forest Parkway. The manufacturer of portable power systems started out in 1989 in Stamford when Bob Luthor started the company that serves the industrial, defense, and entertainment markets.
Mayor Lauretti thinks of Lex Innovations as an example of a Shelton company that has planted its roots in the city with the expectation to stay around for a long time.
“We are witnessing the innovations and the entrepreneurial spirit of what Connecticut has to offer,” Lauretti said. “Making Shelton its home for so many years has been in a real milestone for us.
“I want to recognize Bob Luthor, who is here. I met him back in 2010 at his opening at other location. That’s always been a goal for us in Shelton. Once we get you here, we want to keep you here. What businesses do for our community and state is incredible. So, we grow together. Your success is our success.”
Gov. Lamont harkened back to the days when he headed up Lamont Digital Systems and Campus Televideo as he related to the pressures a company like Lex faces.
“I feel kind of right at home hearing about what you do,” he said. “You specialize in portable power, very specific, very customized to unique needs. You have some very amazing clients. And you can’t afford to fail. You have everything from the Taylor Swift concert to Army and Marines and portable work for the infrastructure and such.
“Before I did this current thing I’m doing now, we used to do build very customized communications systems, Jim (Binch). I remember we had sort of some of the same pressure. We had probably one of the more high profile ones. We had the presidential debate at Hofstra University on Long Island. And they said, Ned, we got to get this right. I want double redundancy. If the lights go out or the TV goes out, that’s all they will ever know about Hofstra for the next 100 years.”
Lamont called Lex Innovations an example of a company that makes up the economic engine of this state. “It’s companies this size that find a niche market, grow and expand from there,” he added.
He even recited the company’s motto: “Lex We Can.” It’s an acronym that stands for Wellness, Excellence, Continuous Improvement, Accountability and Neighborly.
