There’s Still Money in (Replacing) CCFLs

If you’re willing to take on work that others have overlooked, and you do that work well, you might just make a nice business for yourself. Endicott Research Group (ERG) in New York State is doing just that. ERG specializes in power conversion products for LCD backlights, including DC-AC inverters and LED drivers. ERG also does a brisk business in CCFL to LED replacements. Plenty of legacy CCFL products are still out there, especially in medical or industrial settings where equipment tends to have a longer life span. ERG’s Ron Evancho says the company does so much CCFL legacy work that it accounts for about 50% of its business. Such products include drop-in LED drivers and LED rails designed to slide into existing older displays. The other 50% of business involves creating plug and play solutions for new displays that often don’t come with drivers. The company supports more than 300 panels from most major manufacturers.

LED drivers may not capture the public imagination like big colorful TVs do, but they are viable products that companies really need. With regard to the CCFL replacements: “There are not a lot of people who are willing to do that,” says Evancho. “This part of the business is actually picking up.” –Jenny Donelan