by admin on March 16, 2010
It is cliché to state, but we live in an unprecedented age. Every point in time has seen advances unforeseeable to generations prior. The tool that seems to define our age, as the assembly line defined the early 20th century, is the internet. Recent data shows that nearly 75% of North Americans have access to the internet. It has become so pervasive that many people, 17% of US adults, have smart phones with internet capability. It is no surprise, then, that commerce has capitalized on this proliferation of technology.
One has to strain to think of an item that cannot be sourced by some internet vendor or another. I have made two purchases, of late—a seat for my bicycle and a vehicle. Though I researched both purchases on the web, I was only comfortable making one of those transactions online. The technical specifications along with a money back guarantee were enough to entice me to pull the trigger on the bike seat. However, I was not so eager to make a vehicle purchase based on specs and reviews alone. I needed to get behind the wheel and be assured that all of my ineffable requirements were met.
What is the point of all of this? Some products demand demonstration. And while the internet is a very important medium in commerce, it will not and should not fully replace the well educated sales person/savvy consumer dynamic. Recently, while giving a presentation on our new Helios, I spoke at length on the technical specifications, diagnostic capabilities and thereby advantages that a vehicle mounted thermal imaging system had to offer the public and private utility sector. The response I received was incredulous at best, that is until we took the unit out and identified a lightning arrestor that was hot and on the verge of failing. Without the demonstration the five occupants of that truck may never have seen the value of the Helios, but afterward there was no question.
by admin on February 18, 2010
Jerry Gohl of Golight, Inc. at Culbertson was recently presented the Champion of Small Business Regional Award from the Nebraska Business Development Center and the University of Nebraska at Omaha College of Business Administration.
Gohl’s development of his company from its beginning in 1994 to supply the agriculture market to a leading global designer and manufacturer of remote controlled and handheld lighting solutions lead to his nomination for this award. In addition to building a viable employer in the rural Curtbertson area, Gohl offers his time to helping other people in becoming entrepreneurs. He regularly speaks to students at the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture in Curtis and to students at Mid Plains Community College. Gohl takes time to work with inventors that come to him with ideas to help them see if they are viable business ideas. He is also a member of the McCook Economic Development Corporation Board./
His nomination was made by Scott Knapp of the Nebraska Procurement Technical Assistance at the Nebraska Business Development Center Kearney office and Jason Tuller, Director of the Nebraska Business Development Office in North Platte.
by admin on January 19, 2010
In the summer of 1994 Jerry Gohl boarded a plane back to his home state of Nebraska, and in the cargo hold of that 747 sat 18 Golight, model 5149s. Those 18 lights were the first ever Golights produced, but they represented more than a first production run, they carried with them the fate of a fledgling company. In December of 1992 the idea for a remote controlled spotlight was spawned. Jerry parlayed a connection with a design engineer, Al Gebhard, into engineering drawings and eventually a prototype and by late 1993 tooling had been completed. With 18 lights in tow, Jerry set about explaining to buyers across the country what they had been missing prior to the Golight. The task was vast as was the implication; 5000 additional Golights were being manufactured and they needed shelf space.
Since then, Golight has set the industry standard in remote lighting. Our lights are in service around the world lightning the way for everything from MATVs in Afghanistan to snow plows in Alaska. The rest, as they say, is history, or so we thought. Recently a gentleman came strolling into our offices here at Golight. The gentleman, a rancher, had a Golight. It had been in his possession for a number of years, he couldn’t be sure exactly how many. Though his light was still in good working order, he wanted to inquire about upgrading to one of our wireless models. We gladly obliged and when we took a look at the serial number on his original light it was revealed to be one of the original 18 Golights produced. Jerry persuaded the gentleman to part with his light and it is now proudly displayed in a showcase in our foyer.
Over the course of the 16 years that light spent in service, numerous updates have been made to the original Golight, new technologies have been utilized and new models have been added to the line. However, the commitment to quality and durability that Jerry demanded of his first 18 lights has remained unchanged. We can’t go so far as to guarantee that your light will work without issue for 16 years, but we can guarantee that we’ll stand behind your Golight with unparalleled warranties and service.
Spotlight on Golight: Duck Hunting Bliss! A picture worth a thousand words!
December 14, 2009With hunting season well underway, we received a great photo from Lance Peck of Tulsa, OK, a “RAVENOUS” Golight fan. Pictured is his son and dog with a limit of Mallards on their duck hunting boat. The Golight he is using is 9+ years old and has seen some harsh use over the years, [...]