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Lighting firms string up success during holidays

Posted 11/30/21

Jonathan Johanson wants you to stay off your roof this holiday season.

Johanson, 38, owns Stay Off Your Roof, an outdoor lighting company that designs lighting displays for both residential and …

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Lighting firms string up success during holidays

Posted

Jonathan Johanson wants you to stay off your roof this holiday season.

Johanson, 38, owns Stay Off Your Roof, an outdoor lighting company that designs lighting displays for both residential and commercial clients where business booms this time of year.

The business provides the lights and installation for customers including a virtual rendering so clients can get a sneak peek of what their home or business will look like being lit up for the holiday season. The business also does landscape and architecture lighting throughout the year.

This year, he has nine installers serving the entire Valley by putting up festive Christmas lights.

Johanson’s passion for lights started in 1997 while in junior high school. He and his father, Bert, started a tradition where the two decorated their house during the holidays.

“We won the neighborhood lighting contest,” Johanson said. “...I started attracting a lot of attention. The Tempe Trolley would come by our house. It was just a lot of lights — probably 25,000 lights back then.”

The business has gained a following and is booked for this holiday season, Johanson said.

Typically, he said an average home costs about $3,000 depending on the square footage and if there are trees on the particular property. In-person quotes are what determines a project’s cost. On average, the company completes about nine houses per day in a season that starts the second week in October and runs until about Dec. 15.

Designs include animated pieces such as barber shop pole lights that move.

His company does commercial jobs such as projects at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess. “We are so full, we are giving our current clientele chances to sign up (next year),” Johanson said. “(That means) there are minimal (chances) for new clients.”

One client, Debbie Gill Gross of Ahwatukee, said she’s satisfied with the work of the company, according to a review posted on social media.

“I couldn’t love (the company) more if I tried,” Gill Gross said. “They do amazing work, quickly, professionally and the results are simply spectacular.

“I spent the whole year thinking about how much I loved our Christmas lights (I am not kidding). I looked to see if I could find someone cheaper to do the same quality of work and every company I talked to said there was no way they could do as clean and beautiful job as this. I highly recommend these guys to anyone looking to have a completely memorable holiday light experience.”

Another company, britenites, serves the Phoenix and Scottsdale area. The company is seasonal and exclusively does Christmas light projects.

Jaime Lyons, spokeswoman for britenites, said the company covers 14 states including Arizona, California, Oregon, Washington and Florida.

The company has 15 full-time installers in the Valley for the Christmas season. The company charges a minimum of $1,500 and projects can go up to $4,500, she said.

Prices are based on roofline square footage and how big the trees are on the property.

“(Our company does) just Christmas,” Lyons said. “That’s the number one question we get. We plan, we make things better and are more organized (than other companies).”

Britenites provides customers with the lights, installation and crews take down the lights after the Christmas holiday, she said.

She said the service is designed to give clients experience without the hassle.

“We understand deadlines and (common) issues that go along with the holiday season,” Lyons said. “We do what we say.”

Johanson, who has been doing the lighting job for 25 years, said interested customers should book early for next December.

Even though it’s become part of his job, Johanson seems to have fun designing light displays. This year, he said he’s in competition with a neighbor for the best lights — à la Clark Griswold of the “Christmas Vacation” movie.

“I’ve just always loved lighting.”

For more information visit, https://stayofftheroof.­com/ or www.britenites. com.