When Raj Patel looks down from an airplane, he doesn't see streetlamps dotting the ground. He sees potential business partners.

Patel founded Ferndale-based Midwest Circuits, now a municipal LED street-lighting manufacturer, in 1995 with another sector in mind: automobiles.

But with Midwest's subsequent development of a proprietary metal core printed circuit board, he decided the new technology fit better with thermal management needs for LED lighting design.

In 2007, Midwest Circuits partnered with the Lansing Board of Water and Light to test a prototype of its LED circuit board with products from companies like Philips and Future Lighting Solutions to create a high-quality street-light fixture.

Midwest found that not only does LED lighting save energy while illuminating more effectively, but LEDs cost less to maintain than the street-light standard high-pressure sodium and metal halide lamps.

Patel discussed several effects of "green" LED lighting, and directions for Midwest Circuits with reporter John Turk.

Business Review: Has Midwest always been an LED manufacturer?

Patel: No. We create our own propriety technology on metal core circuit boards, and we used to focus on the automotive industry. A couple of years ago I started to look at LED lights, because they are the future of the lighting industry.

What is Midwest focusing on?

On 50 percent energy savings in LED lighting. Our lights have an even longer life, at 15 years, than metal halide lamps, which only last about two years.

What are benefits for the Lansing Board of Water and Light and Midwest Circuits?

The energy saving is 50 percent to 60 percent, so maintenance and replacement saving is a lot, because maintenance cost is big money. If you look at metal halide lamps, their life span is two to three years. They have to be changed a lot, which obviously costs more. Also, metal halides only really last a little over one year. You can also see better with our LED lights. As far as the environment goes, right now everyone is looking to cut out the flow of carbon dioxide, and LED does just that. CO2 emissions are being greatly cut because the trucks used for maintenance aren't being used as often.

Also, we have no mercury in our lamps.

Are LED lights promising for Michigan's economy?

Any Michigan-based company is going to help to attract jobs to Michigan. Some municipalities, like Royal Oak, have many street lamps and don't want to replace the fixture. We save them money by replacing just the actual light.

What types of marketing strategies does Midwest have?

We are working all over the U.S. We are also working on parking garage lights and looking at different types of lighting to broaden our product selection.

What about the future?

At Midwest Circuits, we feel like 2008 will be more like a starting point for business, and 2009 will be the big one.

by John Turk