From NASA to the world – Streamlight celebrates 50 years in high-performance lighting
Streamlight Inc., a provider of high-performance lighting and weapon light/laser sighting devices, is marking 50 years of manufacturing high-quality flashlight products. Since its founding in 1973, Streamlight has grown from a small company with a single product to a global manufacturer with a broad range of high-performance lights for law enforcement, military, firefighting, industrial, automotive, outdoor, and DIY users.
Fifty years ago, NASA was interested in developing a solar simulator for the space program to simulate sunlight outside the filtering of the atmosphere. A group of engineers set up a laboratory in Fairfield, NJ, and designed a product that generated 25 million candlepower of light. This research was later used to design and develop a handheld unit that produced one million candlepower, which was then marketed to the military and law enforcement market sectors.
A private investor from the Philadelphia area moved the fledgling company to King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, and, in 1973, created the company that today is known as Streamlight, Inc. Steady growth and a continually expanding product line led the company to move to its current 240,000-square-foot headquarters in Eagleville, Pennsylvania, in 2001. The company has more than 350 employees, and its products are sold in 90 countries.
An ISO 9001:2015 certified company, Streamlight designs, manufactures, and markets high-performance lighting, weapon light/laser sighting devices and scene lighting solutions for professional law enforcement, military, firefighting, industrial, automotive, and outdoor applications. With over 525 U.S. and Foreign Patents, and over 135 U.S. and Foreign Trademarks, the company is a pioneer in the development of rechargeable lights and helped to revolutionize LED lighting. During its half century of operation, the company has become known for its expert engineering approach to creating lighting products that feature extraordinary brightness while also offering high value and durability.
Streamlight helped spearhead the development of a uniform rating system for flashlight products called the ANSI (American National Standards Institute)/PLATO (Portable Lights Trade Organization) FL-1 Standard, designed to help customers rate and compare the most important features of personal lighting tools.
“At Streamlight, we have always taken pride in designing and manufacturing lighting products that make our customers’ jobs easier, improve their productivity, and keep them safe in trying conditions,” said Streamlight President and CEO Ray Sharrah. “As we celebrate 50 years of operation, we pledge to continue to leverage the latest advances in LED and battery technologies to produce ever brighter, more useful lighting tools, while still maintaining our same high-quality standards.”
Sharrah said, the company’s most recent innovations include:
- USB-rechargeable flashlights and headlamps that offer the convenience of charging on the go from a USB charging source
- Multi-fuel flashlight “systems” that use a rechargeable battery but also can accept disposable batteries for alternate sources of power
- New scene lights that are waterproof and offer powerful brightness in situations involving smoke or water
- A series of compact work lights that fit in tight places, can be used hands free or hanging, and rotate on their bodies for light wherever it’s needed
- A growing line of weapon-mounted lights that fit a variety of long guns, shot guns, and handguns
INDUSTRIAL SUPPLY MAGAZINE
The March/April issue of Industrial Supply magazine features an in-depth cover story about Joyce Lansdale and Vallen. Plus, we're featuring articles by contributing writers Dirk Beveridge, Frank Hurtte, and David Kahle, as well as interviews with numerous product and distribution industry experts.
