Ron Smith is president and CEO of Curtis H. Stout Inc. of Little Rock, a manufacturer’s representative specializing in the lighting industry.
Bio: Ron Smith
Background: Smith attended McNeese State University at Lake Charles, La., before moving to Little Rock in 1974.
Experience: Smith owned his own company, Lighting & Electrical Sales, before merging with Curtis Stout in 1997. Curtis Stout, which is owned by a group of 23 investors, has become one of the largest sales representatives for electrical equipment manufacturers in the nation, with offices in Little Rock and Fayetteville; Memphis; Jackson, Miss.; New Orleans, Shreveport and Baton Rouge, La.; and a single employee in Tulsa.
How have the manufacturers you represent changed their product lines as the incandescent bulb is phased out? The incandescent bulb is not being totally phased out. Many bulb types are being regulated toward energy efficiency. But new LED technology will continue to displace both incandescent and compact fluorescent lamp sources. If you are a consumer of electrical energy and you have not researched LED lighting to determine its viability in your facility, you should do so through a reputable company. LED lighting is a revolution, and very soon the technology with dominate the market. Improved illumination coupled with the potential of 70 percent energy conservation is hard to pass up. In most cases, LED lighting would offer a very attractive return on investment.
The lighting industry has been hurt by the slump in residential and commercial construction, but, on the other hand, the idea of cost savings through energy efficiency is very popular. Have the two trends canceled each other out? When new construction slows down, renovation and retrofit opportunities start to increase. Everyone is jumping on the "go green" bandwagon. The rapid growth of the energy-efficiency sector will most certainly not replace new construction, but it will help close the gap.
Lighting isn’t all you sell. What other product lines are trendy? We present product lines across the entire electrical industry: lighting, utility, GE switchgear, electrical products, energy and turnkey audiovisual systems. Anything sustainable on the electrical side, video teleconferencing and interactive Smart Boards for the educational sector lead the way in audiovisual.
Do you represent any manufacturers in Arkansas? We represent Next Gen, a manufacturer specializing in LED products. It is located in Fayetteville.
How many employees does Curtis Stout have, and has that number been stable? We currently have 106 employees and are still expanding.
Which of the states in your footprint have been hardest hit and which have weathered the recession best? We are very fortunate. Business has remained very stable in all four states: Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee.
What kind of revenue projections are you making for 2012 and beyond? We are a privately held company with annual merchandise sales in excess of $200 million. Our company enjoyed a 23 percent growth pattern in 2011. We are very optimistic and projecting 15 percent growth for 2012.
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