future is very bright for Nashua manufacturer, The

There's a floor lamp in the lobby at Nashua-based Advanced Renewable Energy Company with three different light bulbs--a 60-watt incandescent bulb, a compact fluorescent light bulb and a bulb that contains six tiny LEDs. While this may sound like a setup to a joke, it isn't. Instead, the lamp demonstrates the efficiency of LEDs, or light-emitting diodes, over other light sources, explains ARC chief executive and co-founder Dr. Kedar Gupta.

Monkey fist rope ball, pounds 37 (www.pebblestosand.co.uk, 01295 738531)Antique French linen/cotton cushion, pounds 70 (www.barbaracoupe.co.uk, 020 7720 1415)The Capital-Journal"We are trying to make people consume less for the same comfort level," says Gupta.While the Guptas are busy drafting plans for future projects and expansion, they remain tight-lipped, keeping the company Web site in "stealth mode."There is "only one secret," says her husband: "Treat people right and demand performance."Round chrome porthole mirror (28cm diam), pounds 49.95 (www.nauticalia.com, 01932 235550)Brocante wrought iron folding table (60x60cm), pounds 195 folding chairs pounds 250 for two (www.lavenderandsage.co.uk, 01323 871775)Transportation Safety Consultants Inc. has relocated to 1105 N.W. Lower Silver Lake Road from its Forbes Field location. The new facility offers two acres of concrete parking for semitrailers and a modern training room. With the expansion of the company to include locations in Kansas City and St. Louis, a larger general office was needed and staffing has grown to nine employees."At that time, nobody was talking about green, but we saw an opportunity to be in a new technology," says Gupta, who retired from GT Solar in 2006.Medium cabin porthole mirror (38cm diam), pounds 99.99 (www.nautical-living.co.uk, 0845 603 1966)LEDs last more than 20 years--compared to one to two years for incandescent bulbs and three to five for CFLs--and use 90 percent less energy than incandescent light.TSCI has more space, more employees"We shouldn't take all the credit. We have a good group of people," she says, who says the most important thing learned working at GT Solar was how to treat their employees.Nevi's by the sea mugs, pounds 12 each (www.emmaball.co.uk, 0115 985 8081)While the Guptas have had great business success in the last two decades, Renu Gupta says, it's important that they remain humble.Hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.Offroad now does more than SUVs"We work with [our customers] very closely," says Kedar Gupta. "We always want to be ahead in technology. We don't want to be following somebody. We are not followers."UNIQUE TECHNOLOGYHeavy rope doorstop, pounds 24.99, The Contemporary Home (www.tch.net, 0845 130 8229 )

"We work with [our customers] very closely," says Kedar Gupta. "We always want to be ahead in technology. We don't want to be following somebody. We are not followers."

Author: Callahan, Kathleen