Last year marked Flash Technology’s 50th year of lighting innovation and the team is optimistic about the future of the macro tower industry. From FirstNet to federal broadband funding, the outlook is both busy and bright, and Flash plans to light the way as the global leader in obstruction lighting products, technologies and services.
“We’re more than the lighting guys,” says Mitch Bateman, Sr. Manager Business Development. “We now offer turnkey services on non-lit towers.” That means services on all towers, not just lit towers. Flash handles tower inspections, TIA inspections, safety climb inspections and provides nationwide call center services. Its National Operations Center (NOC) is available 24/7/365, says Bateman. 
Expanding into “cradle-to-grave services” was a natural fit, according to Wade Collins, Director of Business Development. “We were the first OEM to offer monitoring back in 1996. From there we expanded into our current family of nationwide services.”
To date, Flash Technology has completed 49,000 broadcast and telecom system installations, 24,500 service projects and 20,000 wind turbine installations. Through its investment in company infrastructure and staffing, Flash is able to handle the entirety of the lighting process, from providing a product with a multiple-year labor warranty to compliance, installation, monitoring and maintenance. “This way, clients can focus on their primary competency,” says Bateman.
Flash Technology joined the SPX Corporation brand portfolio in 2003, bringing in the largest third-party monitoring operation in the United States. Strong corporate resources also paved the way for global growth. In 2019, SPX purchased three business lines – airfield, obstruction and Sabik Marine — from Carmanah Technologies and just last month, SPX announced the purchase of Sealite and affiliated entities Avlite Systems and Star2M. “We are fortunate to gain new perspectives on technology and innovation that can be applied globally to our family of products,” says Collins.
SPX is a global provider of aids to navigations (AtoN), says Bateman. Key products focus on technologies for obstruction lighting, marine signal lighting and airfield ground lighting with five business facilities and sales units in 15 countries. Together, Flash Technology, Sabik Marine and Sealite provide “a stronger, more competitive solution to better serve the global AtoN equipment market.”
However, a global footprint means navigating inconsistent rules and regulations. “You have to become an expert in each country’s policies,” says Collins. France and Spain, for instance, have very different lighting guidelines despite being in relatively close geographical proximity. “You have to deal with different time zones, perspectives, supply chains, regulations and languages,” adds Ivor Lewis, Product Manager. Still, it provides Flash Technology an advantage, as they’re able to collaborate and apply learnings and best practices from one region to another.
In the United States, as of September 11, 2020, the FAA rules that require IR LEDs went into effect, says Bateman. Any tower that was built on or after this date, or towers that get refiled, have to adhere to the new regulations so that night vision goggles, which use thermal imaging, can identify the lights. Flash Technology works to educate its customers and the general public on such updates. “We keep people informed via social media, tech bulletins, articles, webinars and direct one-to-one interaction,” adds Lewis.
Through its flagship Flash University program, instructors conduct at least one class each quarter at Flash’s headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee, and offer onsite training options throughout North America. Following NATE safety standards, training sessions cover the various stages of product installation, safety practices, timesaving techniques, manufacturer requirements and the latest FAA and FCC regulations.
Flash Technology also recently received the Tennessee Occupational Health and Safety (TOSHA) reaccreditation, and was recertified as a Volunteer STAR site for the tenth year, according to Lewis. Patterned after OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Program, the Volunteer STAR Award promotes effective safety and health management. It recognizes sites who perform below the national average for injury and illness rates, have critical safety and health management systems in place and involve their employees in safety and health issues. “Flash Technology is one of 2,112 sites in the United States and 35 in Tennessee that hold this distinction,” explains Lewis.
Product and technical superiority, manufacturing excellence and exceptional levels of customer service are the pillars of Flash Technology’s success, according to its team. All of Flash Technology’s FAA obstruction lighting products are 100% designed, assembled and supported from its 64,000 square-foot headquarters and manufacturing facility in Franklin, Tennessee, including the Vanguard product line. They are reviewed by Flash’s internal division dedicated to quality control. Plus, they’re ETL and CSA certified, and undergo state-of-the-art quality testing before shipment. The company provides solutions for L-856, L-864, L-865, L-866, L-885 and L-810 telecom tower lights in high intensity, medium intensity and catenary lighting categories. Their integrated solar lights are manufactured in Plano, Texas.
“You must have a good product to be viable. In addition, we continue to invest in customer support infrastructure that provides our customers turnkey services to include installation, extended warranties, monitoring and ongoing maintenance on a nationwide basis. The breadth of our services offers our customers options for more time to focus on their core business,” says Collins.
Visit Flash Technology’s website for more information about services, training, and products, including a new high intensity obstruction light for 700’+ towers.
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