Rough Service Incandescent light bulbs made in South Carolina

Nov. 30, 2012 - PRLog -- Instead, Americans are told to purchase the “green” compact fluoresce bulbs made mostly (75%) in China, but also in Korea and India.

In essences, taking jobs away from Americans and giving them to the Chinese, Koreans, and Indians.

That is until the owner of a small specialty light bulb manufacturing company located in Summerville, SC, had an idea on how to provide Americans with regulation approved 100-watt bulbs, and manufacture them in South Carolina.

“Not only do these new light bulbs adhere to the specific specifications outlined in the new law, they are completely manufactured, packaged, and distributed in South Carolina; ensuring that South Carolinians retain their jobs,”  Bob Rosenzweig, president and owner of AAMSCO Lighting, and who has been in the lighting business for over 40 years.

Since the AAMSCO facility in Summerville, SC, isn’t supplied with natural gas, an essential element in the production of light bulbs, Rosenzweig contacted a small manufacturing plant in South Carolina that is supplied with gas and has the right equipment.  Rosenzweig contracted with the owner to manufacture the new light bulbs.

“By adding us as a customer, it allows the factory to expand their production to five days a week,”  said Rosenzweig. “It was very important to me to keep Americans working.”  

To continue the “Made in South Carolina” theme, AAMSCO chose a South Carolina packaging company to manufacture the boxes.

“Once those bulbs and the packaging material are delivered, they will be assembled at AAMSCO’s Summerville plant and be available on-line on www.AAMSCO.com the first of  November,” said Rosenzweig.  

More about AAMSCO
AAMSCO has been a leading innovative lighting company since 1975, and a proud South Carolina manufacturing employer since 2000 when their headquarters was moved to Summerville, SC.  

AAMSCO employees manufacture, package, and distribute specialty light bulbs – including antique FerroWatt bulbs, incandescent, LED, and specialty florescent – lamps, and fixtures, like luminaries, backlit mirrors, and candle lamps. AAMSCO lighting fixtures and light bulbs can be found in some of the most famous public buildings, hotels, restaurants, and private homes in more than 23 countries.

More about the new Law
As a result of the Energy Independence and Security Act signed in 2007,  Congress passed a law that would phase out incandescent bulbs in favor of energy-efficient compact fluorescents and light-emitting diode bulbs starting in 2012.  As of October 1, 2012, standard 100-watt incandescent light bulbs can no longer be manufactured or imported into the US.

The law imposes no sanctions on users of old bulbs. Consumers can stockpile and use conventional bulbs or purchase energy-saving incandescent bulbs. So, if you covet your old 100-watt light bulbs, you can still get them at your favorite store, “as long as the current supplies last.”  Packages of these bulbs will not be removed from store shelves, but once they are gone, they are gone.

Most of these compact fluorescents are cheaply manufactured in China and contain hazardous material – namely mercury, which poisons our water and is lethal to humans, should it enter the bloodstream, via a cut with a broken bulb.  

Incandescent convert less than 5% of the energy they use into visible light (with the remaining energy being converted into heat). Some applications of the incandescent bulb deliberately use the heat generated by the filament (incubators, reptile and fish tanks, your daughter’s Easy Bake Open!)

“People like the warm glow given off by the incandescent, as opposed to the harsh blue fluorescent light,” said Rosenzweig.  “We read the government spec very carefully and crafted our bulbs to comply with the regulations.”