Taking an out-of-the-box approach to solving customer problems is in Crossroads LED’s DNA.
By Scott Meacham
There isn’t a better place to see the stars than in the night sky that canopies the Black Mesa State Park in the Oklahoma Panhandle. If you haven’t traveled to the western tip of our state and witnessed the God-given beauty of that panorama, go online or better yet, add a visit to your bucket list.
Black Mesa lies in Cimarron County — the least populous county in all 50 states. The park is about 30 miles from the nearest town. That is why the nighttime skies are some of the darkest in the entire country — an astronomer’s dream, dark enough to see the Milky Way.
Across the state is Crossroads LED, an Oklahoma original and the industry leader in LED lighting. What could possibly connect Black Mesa, one of the darkest and best places to observe stars and this advanced technology business that is all about lighting up municipalities?
A lot more than 400 miles of US-412.
Dark Sky Friendly
Crossroads LED was recently honored by the International Dark-Sky Association for the firm’s revolutionary “Astrophile Series.” These unique LED amber streetlight luminaries are certified Dark Sky compatible — ground-breaking solutions that put light only where it is needed, are safe and efficient, and protect the dark sky.
“Today, 80 percent of the U.S. population cannot see The Milky Way,” said Dana D. Stefanoff, Crossroads LED president. Light pollution is the introduction of artificial light into the night sky. The lighting creates an effect named “sky glow,” which obscures the stars and creates perpetual twilight.
“In the past, the focus on dark sky has been in consideration of wildlife, specifically nesting sea turtles,” Dana said, “but now studies show that the effects of living in perpetual twilight, as most of our country does, affects not just natural ecosystems, but human health. Streetlights are the primary cause of light pollution and sky glow. We are seeing small communities all the way to very large communities and metro areas seeking outdoor lighting can be dark-sky friendly.”
Lighting has an overall effect on all species. Lighting affects humans physiologically and psychologically.
“When LED lighting first came out,” Dana said, “the joke was that there was no light that was too bright, but over the last couple of years, we began to receive inquiries from cities regarding if there were any products that could reduce or eliminate light pollution in their neighborhoods and town centers. We studied the market and realized that there is a shift moving toward preserving our dark sky while still being able to provide adequate, safe and effective lighting for cities and towns.”
Taking an out-of-the-box approach to solving customer problems is in Crossroads LED’s DNA. “One of our greatest partnerships has been with the International Dark Sky Association,” said Dana. “We are able to share with them what we are doing in research and development and what independent third-party testing is proving about our technology. Customers who are seeking dark sky solutions don’t have to take our word for it. There is data to back it up.”
When Dana and her husband Buddy, Crossroads LED vice president and chief engineer, founded the company 12 years ago, big names, including GE, dominated the LED market.
“We were just a small Oklahoma company going up against international companies with decades of distribution,” she said. “We knew we wouldn’t distinguish our business by making just another widget. We vowed that our technology would always stay at least three years ahead of the market.”
Leading the Market
The company stays true to its word. Crossroads LED is leading the market and proving to customers across the Southwest and beyond that achieving Dark Sky goals is not an either/or proposition.
“Light pollution can be changed at the speed of light,” Dana said. “With our new technology, we offer multiple Dark Sky compatible solutions to put light exactly where you need it, at the brightness you need, and nowhere else.”
It is uplifting to live in a state that offers both the Black Mesa Park, so beautifully isolated and untouched by technology, and a groundbreaking firm like Crossroads LED that is using advanced technology to restore access to the sky’s natural beauty in densely populated cities and aspirational towns.
Scott Meacham CEO of i2E Inc., a nonprofit corporation that mentors many of the state’s technology-based startup companies. i2E receives state support from the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology and is an integral part of Oklahoma’s Innovation Model. Contact Meacham at [email protected].
Taking an out-of-the-box approach to solving customer problems is in Crossroads LED’s DNA.
