Lighthouse for the Blind-Saint Louis Breaks Ground for New Building Expansion

Nov. 16, 2010 - PRLog -- St. Louis, Missouri…Lighthouse for the Blind-Saint Louis, a non-profit corporation that helps legally blind people maintain dignity and independence by offering Employment, Education and Support Services, today celebrated groundbreaking for a new, 17,000-square-foot manufacturing and warehouse addition at its facility in the city of Overland in St. Louis County.



Lighthouse President John Thompson, with St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley, St. Louis County Economic Council Chair Sheila Sweeney, Overland Mayor Michael Schneider and Lighthouse Board Members, shoveled freshly broken earth on the construction site at 10440 Trenton Avenue as dozens of blind and visually-impaired Lighthouse employees cheered them on.



“I am proud to say our labor hours attributable to Blind Employment are at a ten-year high,” said Thompson. “The year 2009 has been our most successful in terms of business growth, job growth and expansion of our programs.  



“We recently added several new visually impaired employees to our manufacturing supervisory staff, and we are preparing for an exciting new level of business expansion in 2011,” said Thompson. “We are expanding our service region to include the entire state of Missouri starting in 2011, and we expect that more people will take advantage of the programs and services that we offer.



To support this anticipated growth, the Lighthouse is adding more than 17,000 square feet of climate-controlled manufacturing and warehouse space to the Trenton Avenue facility and hiring several new legally blind employees. The Lighthouse will occupy the new addition in the Spring of 2011.



“I thank all of our supporters, employees, and certainly our business customers and partners, for another very successful year of employment growth and program growth at Lighthouse for the Blind-Saint Louis -- Congratulations to You!” Thompson said.



Also known as LHB Industries, the Lighthouse was founded in 1933 and today maintains offices and manufacturing facilities that currently employ more than 60 legally blind persons at two locations in Saint Louis County, including another in the city of Berkeley a few miles from the Trenton Avenue facility.



The Lighthouse and its employees manufacture, assemble, warehouse and sell high-quality products for government and business customers nationwide including first aid kits, medical kits, catheters, aerosol and liquid paints, aerosol and liquid cleaning products and many others. The Lighthouse also is expanding its popular line of eco-friendly products.



All sales revenues directly support Lighthouse programs including Professional Career Development; Special Technology and Adaptive Resources for Students (STARS); Summer Jobs for Students; Continuing Education; Arts & Entertainment Accessibility; Low Vision Aid; and many others available for legally blind and visually impaired individuals in Missouri and Southwestern Illinois.



At the groundbreaking ceremony, Charlie Dooley said, “Lighthouse for the Blind-Saint Louis offers essential services for the metro St. Louis community, the state of Missouri and Southwestern Illinois. Its impressive business operations for customers nationwide, and its skilled employees, contribute greatly to sustaining economic development in St. Louis County.” Dooley presented Thompson with an official proclamation declaring November 16, 2010, “Lighthouse for the Blind Day in St. Louis County.”



In September 2010, the Lighthouse was awarded the “Marcus Velazquez Service Award” by the St. Louis Deafblind Task Force, which is part of the Missouri Deafblind Technical Assistance Project to develop partnerships, coordinate service networking and provide training for individuals with vision and hearing impairment, their families and service providers.



Lighthouse for the Blind-St. Louis is a non-profit 501c3 corporation. For more information, contact Abby Barnett, marketing manager, at toll-free 800.542.3697, or 314.423.4333, or visit the website http://www.lhbindustries.com.



Media contact: Jeff Dunlap at 314.993.6925.

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Also known as LHB Industries, the Lighthouse was founded in 1933 and today maintains offices and manufacturing facilities that currently employ more than 60 legally blind persons at two locations in Saint Louis County, Missouri.