Gas Monkey Garage is arguably America’s most recognized hot rod shop. Founded in 2004 by charismatic serial entrepreneur Richard Rawlings, the Dallas, Texas garage is a state-of-the-art restoration and fabrication operation, well-known for turning out stunningly restored, show-stopping rare cars and hot rod creations, all under the watchful eye of millions of TV viewers each week.
Driven by huge demand for its top-notch work, GMG has recently begun expanding its shop to make room for more builds and other endeavors to support the Gas Monkey brand. For a business that focuses on precision work, outstanding aesthetics and edgy design, lighting is a critical factor in the facility.
“Our business depends on being able to see clearly, whether that be to see the finest paint details or to safely work with our equipment,” Rawlings said. “Dim, unreliable lighting was simply not an option for our facility.”
In addition to the demand for visual clarity, GMG has zero room for downtime in its incredibly tight production schedules. The crew cannot afford to stop work and move cars and other equipment around in order to maintain lighting in the facility. Time is money, and time spent changing lightbulbs is wasted money.
Looking for a cutting-edge lighting technology that would meet GMG’s stringent standards for quality and performance—and live up to its demand for maintenance-free equipment, Rawlings and GMG turned to Dialight, the world leader in high-performance, industrial LED lighting for new fixtures in its workshop, “man cave”, merchandise warehouse, paint booth and exterior areas.
“We know a thing or two about industrial grade performance and design,” Rawlings said. “When we saw the Dialight fixtures, that was it. The rugged design, performance and longevity of these fixtures sold us, and we’ve been blown away by just how much better we can see now versus the fluorescent fixtures we used to have.”
Inside the main shop, GMG replaced all of its 8-foot, two-lamp T12 and 4-foot, four and six-lamp T8 fluorescents with 152 of Dialight’s DuroSite 4-foot Linear fixtures. The fixtures provide the crystal-clear clarity and brightness the mechanics and fabricators need for precision work in a safe environment.
In it’s new “man cave” and outdoor lounge area, the team chose Dialight’s 26,500-lumen Vigilant High Bay fixtures to replace the 4-foot, four and six-lamp T8 fluorescents, and another 44 DuroSite Linears went into its expanded merchandise building.
Outside, GMG installed a combination of 5 new Dual Vigilant Flood Lights and DuroSite single floods, along with 8 40-watt Vigilant Area Lights to replace it’s antiquated 250-watt HID wall packs. While the primary goal in outdoor illumination was to improve exterior aesthetics, presence and security, the energy savings from the high-efficiency fixtures is an added bonus.
“Upgrading to Dialight LED High Bay and Linear fixtures meant we were actually able to use fewer fixtures, saving money on top of significant energy savings from the superior efficiency of these fixtures,” Rawlings said. “Plus, these lights will last for the long haul without any maintenance. I can’t say that for fluorescents.”
“We are extremely happy with the Dialight fixtures and now we use them throughout our entire site,” Rawlings added.
To learn more about Dialight, the preferred lighting partner of Gas Monkey Garage, and its world-class industrial LED lighting solutions, visit www.dialight.com.
