The Exit Light Company receives recognition as a Top Company in the San Diego Metro Area on the Inc. 5000 for 2010. Founded in 2000, The Exit Light Company celebrated an 83% growth rate between 2006 and 2009. Inc.com ranks the company in 60th place in San Diego for 3 year growth rate.
By Jenna Frazier of San Diego Metropolitan Magazine
She comes across as modest and unassuming, proud of her accomplishments yet wary of praise and not at all eager to talk about herself. But Jeannette Carrico, founder and CEO of The Exit Light Co. and recipient of the Small Business Person of the Year Award from the San Diego district office of the Small Business Administration, is nothing short of a trailblazer.
Inspired by what she perceived to be an unfulfilled niche in the emergency lighting industry, Carrico helped generate the idea of providing a service that would maintain these systems according to federal and state mandates in April 2000 while residing on the East Coast with her husband, Paul, now the company’s CFO. The couple founded the company with two other partners, who left early on amidst initial struggles. In 2003, the Carricos moved to San Diego County to be closer to family and found new ways to expand their Vista-based business, which currently serves over 35,000 customers in all 50 states as well as internationally.
“We realized we could make additional revenue by retrofitting businesses with more current products,” says Carrico. “Soon after, we launched our e-commerce store, which allowed us to expand business contacts and lay a foundation for providing low-cost, quality products and good customer service.”
The Exit Light Co.’s business model includes working directly with manufacturers in order to obtain privately labeled products that are quality-assured and low cost. With safety and energy-efficient, environmentally friendly products as closely guarded values, the company proved in at least two separate case studies that some of their products reduce wattage by 80 percent without losing performance.
“The continued growth and success of the company shows that there is value in engaging in a business built around the concept of increasing public safety and risk management,” Carrico says of her company, which grew from three employees in 2000 to 12 today.
Asked why she believes the SBA chose to recognize her and what has contributed to the company’s success, Carrico cites unlikely odds and dogged determination.
“I’m a woman in a male-dominated industry,” she says. “I was involved from the inception of this company, and I’ve always had this drive to make it succeed.”
Carrico, who grew up in the Carmel Valley area, says a mutual drive to succeed brought her and her husband together when they first met at a friend’s wedding. Now married for close to 17 years, Carrico believes their shared values and goals have propelled them to prosperity. “We really formed a great partnership from the beginning,” she says. “It was a foundation that made it easier for us to enter this business together.”
While Carrico manages correspondence, daily operations, marketing, graphics and design, her husband prefers to stay behind the scenes and manage finances. “We’re different, yet alike enough — or should I say alike yet different enough — that being in business together works for us,” she laughs.
Philanthropy is second nature to Carrico, to the extent that she doesn’t think to mention it unless pressed. Opportunities to contribute abound, and she uses insight and creativity to find the most profound uses for The Exit Light Co.’s carefully carved niche.
“In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, we were able to contribute extra signage and emergency lighting to nonprofit organizations to assist with rebuilding,” Carrico says as an afterthought. “We’re trying to fulfill a need that can help businesses succeed and save lives.”
Disaster played a significant role in the Carricos’ inspiration for founding The Exit Light Co. Both worked in offices across the river from the World Trade Center during the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
“We personally witnessed that horrific event,” Carrico recounts. “I kept thinking of all those people stuck inside who couldn’t find their way out, and how terrifying it must have been.”
Carrico says that on average, four out of 10 commercial buildings today lack functional emergency lighting. “We’ve heard of nightclubs burning down, people who have lost their lives because they couldn’t find the door,” she says.
Despite the company’s progress, and accolades she has garnished in the last decade — including three other business awards this year alone — Carrico says she constantly seeks new avenues for improvement. “We may have 95 percent of our orders shipping out the same day,” she says. “But I always find myself thinking, can’t we make it 96? Our customers are satisfied, but can’t they be ecstatic?”
She extends the same rigorous self-reflection to her employees, and personally screens every new addition to the company. “We try to be good listeners and encourage active communication, in addition to looking for the usual qualities like dedication, self-motivation, diversity and the ability to prioritize,” she says. “We like our company to feel like a family.”
“We strongly believe that you can’t ask an employee to do something you can’t do yourself,” she says. “It helps that we’ve created this business from the ground up, so we know everything about how it functions.”
Part of that includes helping staff reach personal goals. “I’m always challenging them to see how we can all improve as individuals in our job responsibilities,” she says. “This improves the bottom line and improves their happiness within the company.”
Carrico says she believes her employees’ diverse backgrounds are part of the company’s success. “Our employees deal with customers across the nation and the world. Diversity is so important to society today, and it allows our staff to relate to a wider range of people.”
The Exit Light Company CEO, Jeannette Carrico, is a winner of the 8th Annual 2010 Enterprising Women of the Year Awards, an annual tribute to North America’s top women entrepreneurs. The award winners were recognized during a three-day tribute held in their honor March 17-19 at the Marriott Doral Golf Resort & Spa in Miami, Florida.
The Exit Light Company is proud to announce that we have been selected for the 2010 Top 100 Asian Pacific American Owned Businesses in the U.S by DiversityBusiness.com
The Diversity Business Organization recognizes outstanding businesses throughout the country. Over 650,000 businesses in the United Sates had the opportunity to participate in their 10th annual business survey. Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The Exit Light Company has distinguished themselves as one of the top entrepreneurs in the country. This award is the basis of their annual “Top Business List” which is seen by over 15 million people and is used by Fortune 500 companies and large buying organizations to find new business partners.
The list is the most comprehensive look at the most important segment of the United States economy- America’s privately held companies. This esteemed, elite list is coveted by the most successful companies in the U.S. The list has become the most recognized and respected compilation of companies that truly differentiate themselves in the market place in a time when doing so has never been more important.
Congratulations to The Exit Light Company, our employees and customers on this momentous occasion. The Exit Light Company is thankful for the recognition and will continue to strive for excellence.
The Exit Light Company is proud to announce that we have been selected for the 2009 Best of San Diego Award in the Lighting Fixture Repairing & Maintenance Category by the U.S. Commerce Association (USCA).
The USCA “Best of Local Business” Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USCA identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.
Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2009 USCA Award Program focused on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the USCA and data provided by third parties.
The Exit Light Company appreciates the recognition and will continue to maintain our commitment to excellence.
As always, thank you for your continued support.
The Exit Light Company is proud to announce that we have been selected as a finalist in the category Excellence in Customer Service by the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Being listed as one the of the top 6 companies out of a field of over 245,000 Southern California Businesses is a great achievement.
Companies were judged on the following criteria:
The Exit Light Company appreciates the recognition and will continue to maintain our commitment to excellence in customer service.
As always, thank you for your continued support.
The Exit Light Company is pleased to announce that we have been featured as a Spotlight Store by Miva Merchant. MIVA Merchant has provided reliable and flexible e-commerce solutions since 1995.
As always, thank you for your continued support.