Date Announced: 01 May 2012 Noribachi, a leading innovator of solar and LED smart energy lighting, announces a growing partnership with Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. Asbury, the nation’s fifth-largest public automotive retailer, recently upgraded exterior lighting at several dealerships with Noribachi LED technology, advancing a new era of integrated sustainability in the auto industry. Asbury implemented a sustainability initiative which includes energy-efficient construction of new dealerships, as well as strategic upgrades of existing dealerships, including a three-year plan to upgrade exterior lighting at a majority of its dealerships to LED technology.Asbury’s sustainability initiatives are motivated by both a sense of responsibility and the insight that implementing sustainable measures can significantly reduce operating costs, offsetting rapidly-rising energy prices.Asbury monitors the power consumption at its dealerships, which allows them to prioritize energy-efficiency upgrades, including upgrading site and interior lighting, installing water-efficiency systems and replacing obsolete HVAC systems with high-efficiency units.Regarding Asbury’s sustainable initiatives, George Karolis, Asbury’s Vice President of Corporate Development and Real Estate, states, “Exterior LED upgrades are among the most impactful of energy-efficiency opportunities. The ROI for LED technology is meaningful and is only going to get better as products and pricing continue to evolve.” Auto dealerships generally list electricity as one of the largest overhead expenses, and lighting can account for up to 40% of the monthly electric bill. Noribachi’s partnership with Asbury has already resulted in many successful lighting upgrades, vastly improving light color and output while drastically reducing costs at several of Asbury’s southeastern dealerships. Nalley Lexus of Roswell in Georgia has seen significant reductions in exterior lighting energy expenses after upgrading to Noribachi LED lighting. Additionally, due to long, useful lives and reliability of LEDs, maintenance costs are nearly non-existent.Working closely with Asbury facility managers at four major dealerships, Noribachi crafted custom-designed LED retrofit solutions for each dealership, at times providing four or more bulb configurations to perfectly adapt to the exact lighting requirements of each location.With several more Asbury dealerships slated to be upgraded to Noribachi LED lighting in the near future, Noribachi is pleased to feature Asbury as a case study in an upcoming educational symposium about leading sustainable initiatives in the automotive industry.“Both Noribachi and Asbury are extremely forward-thinking when it comes to their respective industries. Asbury’s sustainable strategy is at the forefront of auto dealership efforts nationwide, while Noribachi’s rapid ideation and innovative solutions reflect a vigorous and youthful corporate personality. Noribachi is well-suited to exceed the expectations of a complex and prominent corporation like Asbury,” says Rhonda Dibachi, CFO of Noribachi. “Noribachi brings a unique viewpoint to the LED lighting industry. Not only do they care about providing the highest quality, most innovative solutions, but they are also forward-thinking and are doing very exciting things to shape the future of the industry. We look forward to being a part of that future,” concludes Karolis.ABOUT NORIBACHI Noribachi defines the future of illumination and grid interaction with its suite of LED and solar smart lighting products, power management solutions, and engineering and design services.Noribachi products challenge traditional relationships with energy and design, driven by a passion to advance lighting technologies while reducing grid dependence. Noribachi embraces the idea of the modern artisan with products crafted of the highest quality components and hand assembled in Noribachi’s LA headquarters. With over one thousand installations – including world class hotels and luxury automobile dealerships – representing a diverse variety of markets across the US and internationally, Noribachi drives the lighting industry forward. Noribachi is a privately held company incorporated in the State of Delaware with offices in Los Angeles, CA and Albuquerque, NM. For more information please visit noribachi.com. ABOUT ASBURY AUTOMOTIVE GROUP, INC. Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. (“Asbury”), headquartered in Duluth, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta, is one of the largest automotive retailers in the U.S. Built through a combination of organic growth and a series of strategic acquisitions, Asbury currently operates 79 retail auto stores, encompassing 99 franchises for the sale and servicing of 30 different brands of American, European and Asian automobiles. Asbury offers customers an extensive range of automotive products and services, including new and used vehicle sales and related financing and insurance, vehicle maintenance and repair services, replacement parts and service contracts. ###
Contact
Celestyna Brozek 310-644-8975
E-mail:[email protected]
Web Site:noribachi.com
