Ceriass Store USA

04/02/2024

So, I'm on a job site yesterday that I did an landscape lighting installation a few years back and go to my transformer and see this!...a mess of line voltage add-on at the power source my transformer was plugged into. This is what many of us find by 'landscapers', 'handymen', and others who think they can do electrical work! All I'm saying...Keep it to the electricians who have licenses!

In this photo, I have 3 colored circles...Circle #1 is "red"...this is where the power flow begins and where the modifications started--the person plugged in an extension cord which feeds to circle #2. Circle #2 is "green" and it's the first modification--the person drills a hole in the side of the J-box to make connections and to add another receptacle/outlet. Another device (outdoor timer unit for holiday lighting) is tied into this J-box and fed down to circle #3. Also, a green extension cord is plugged into this receptacle that feeds to a small water feature in another planter. Circle #3 is "blue" and shows the timer device that feeds into another J-box to feed something else...unknown?

You'll note a couple of things: 1) the J-boxes with the 120v cables feeding in and out of them are only partially sealed around the holes with silicone...and No strain-relief connectors used. Also, the green extension cord feeding the water feature...is a 'permanent-use' application...Not 'temporary-use' as extension cords are supposed to be...it's also just buried slightly under the bark to get to this other planter.

To put it all lightly...Yikes!!! Homeowners.....Hire an electrician that's qualified!

Professional Landscape Lighting Design & Consulting Service.

Trade specific writer. Preservationist of this specialty discipline's history--particularly that of Frank B. Nightingale, the "father of garden lighting".

03/28/2024

Who remembers this stupidity?

03/12/2024

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT: ELLI Member Benefits Just Got Better!

Recently, ELLI had a board meeting with its advisors and key staff members. We discussed several things for the growth of ELLI, specifically, the desire to remove limitations or constraints causing people to pause in their learning opportunities.

Let's face it, we all work with an annual budget...finances are limited. In many cases, education is not at the top of the list. So, to counter this conflict, ELLI has decided to waive all online course costs to our members! YES...you read this right! All ELLI members will now receive this type of training at 'No Cost', as part of their Membership.

Moving forward, we will be working with select entities (manufacturers, distributors, and other high-quality individuals) to help "Sponsor" our courses, webinars, and mentor group studies. This will allow us to pay our instructors and any administrative costs, as well as for us to serve our sponsors in promoting their efforts.

This will be a 'win-win' for all parties, and it will allow our participants to no longer hold back in gaining this valuable learning, which is necessary for advancement. The ONLY way you can benefit from this is by becoming a Member of ELLI. You should note, too, that our membership rates will increase starting in July of this year, so don't wait to sign-up!

Lastly, the membership cost currently is incredibly cheap for the amount of education you will gain...this is a huge ROI, no doubt about it. To learn more, please visit our website and sign-up: https://lnkd.in/gwEFhEVU

02/28/2024

ELLI Update--Industry News

Well, it's official...Q-Tran just acquired Excelsior Lighting! This is great news, as Excelsior is a great landscape lighting manufacturer based in Fresno, CA. Jerry Carter founded this company and will be transitioning this acquisition with the Q-Tran team. There are big plans to ramp up operations, which is exciting news for the professional landscape lighting industry.

ELLI did a one-on-one interview, as part of our 'Legacy Series' with Jerry this past month and we will be sharing this video production with ELLI members--another reason to join!

Congratulations Q-Tran! Best wishes into 2024...we are excited for you.

02/27/2024

Course Launches--Upcoming in March

I wanted to update everyone, we have pushed back the start up of our Design Centric Client Relations course one week--it will now begin on 3/6/24, Wednesday evenings. We've had a couple of late additions to the course and we needed the extra time to get content sent out. Chris Mitchell, our instructor is excited and ready for this wonderful business course.

Also, we looking at doing something different with our course offerings...this will be awesome news to many, as it would allow our "members" to gain our course offerings at 'no charge'!! As you know, most of our courses run between $400-$1100 each, per person, so this is a huge advantage and ROI for our members.

We are going to be offering a test run of this with our 'Business Leadership' course that is taught by retired, LTC Oakland McCulloch, who has 40+ years direct experience in combat, peace-keeping, and disaster-relief missions, as well as working with board of directors. Only our "members" will have access to this 7-week program! This is NOT to miss...everyone can gain from this offering, no matter what business you are in.

If you are not a member yet, then "now" is the time! Our prices for membership will begin to ramp up once we hit July, so don't wait. To sign up, please visit our website: https://lnkd.in/gwEFhEVU

02/21/2024

ELLI Mentor Group Study Announcement

To all of our members, we will have our first Mentor Group Study taking place this next Monday, 2/26/24 at 6pm EST. I will be leading our group with other seasoned pros on the topic of "Gateways & Pass-Throughs".

We will look at how and why we might provide illumination for these landscape features, as they are a key feature in many landscapes. There's an obvious need to direct pedestrian flow through these elements, but there are different lighting applications to consider depending on the purpose of the space, the atmosphere, and how they fit into the composition.

These studies will occur with our ELLI senior lighting designers and we engage in discussions with members attending each session. These studies are "free" to our membership--another reason to join, if you haven't already. To learn more, please see our Membership page: https://lnkd.in/gwEFhEVU

02/19/2024

Hey Landscape Lighting Practitioners...Are You Out There?

I'm asking this question because I'd like to know how You feel about the education we are offering at ELLI. We realize there have been several events going on lately...expos, tradeshows, AOLP conference, and ILLI course coming in another month or so, but I have a few questions:

1) Do you have a tight or limited budget for education at this time?
2) Does ELLI provide the type of training you desire?
3) What are you looking to learn/gain skills in?
4) Are you nervous about the economy/what's looming later this year?

ELLI is currently looking at ways to provide the best options for you, so we hope you can at least answer these questions for us. If you would like to provide more insights, then please contact me at: [email protected] or call at (916) 532-9699.

We have a lot of great content and educational opportunities coming out shortly, but if there are challenges you face, we need to know. Thank you for your time and consideration in responding to these questions.

02/14/2024

ELLI Membership--Why Sign-Up?

There are several reasons to sign up, as follows--we have 'real' benefits:

1) Monthly Webinars & Mentor Group Studies by respected, seasoned pros--this month includes "First Contact" in sales approach, and "Illuminating Gateways & Pass-throughs" in design (only to members).

2) 'Legacy Series' Video Productions--interviews & historical content--Michael Gambino of Gambino Landscape Lighting is out now (only to members).

3) Best rates for Consortiums, Conference, Live-Training, and Events (only to members).

Although this is a short summary of what we offer, ELLI is taking landscape lighting design to a new and higher level--giving it equal representation to technology and sales, which seem to always dominate our world.

Please take a moment to review our Membership page and website to see what we are all about. We have a big vision for the future generation of this profession and everything we are doing is to help benefit them. We need your help and involvement if we are going to make our industry stronger.

https://lnkd.in/gGiS22ja