Annual Energy Savings:
$15KTotal Five-Year Savings:
$80KThe Backstory:
Perdue Farms’ meat processing facility in Rockingham, North Carolina, was running on aging 400-watt metal halide fixtures. As one of the largest poultry farming companies in the country, Perdue can’t afford downtime, making fast delivery and short lead times top priorities. Perdue needed a partner with in-stock food grade fixture inventory that could ship immediately.
Motion Industries, Inc., the distributor leading the project, reached out to LED Lighting Supply and worked with Product Specialist Tyler Greene for expert, consultative support in selecting the proper lighting solution.
The Challenge:
The 120,000+ square-foot facility relied on legacy metal halide fixtures that were gradually failing. In a food processing environment, metal halide fixtures raise sanitation and food safety concerns that food-grade NSF (National Sanitation Foundation) LED fixtures are designed to address. NSF evaluates and tests equipment used in food-related spaces to confirm the materials are food-grade and easy to clean. This helps prevent the buildup of bacteria in sensitive processing areas. NSF-rated LED fixtures use corrosion-resistant materials, making them a better fit for the strict sanitation standards food processing facilities require. LED Lighting Supply offers a large variety of NSF-rated light fixtures designed for food-related facilities like Perdue.
Inconsistent, low light levels compounded the operational issues on the work floor. Combined with the need for fast delivery and food-grade fixtures, these factors led to Perdue's first order with LED Lighting Supply.
* NSF certification requirements can vary. Facility inspectors use NSF certifications as the baseline for food-safe compliance. Confirm your facility's exact requirements with your local health authority or food safety inspector before finalizing your fixture selection. Our Product Specialists can help identify NSF-rated lighting options that align with your project needs.
Strategy & Solution:
LED Lighting Supply understood the challenges a high-volume food processing facility faces when selecting the right fixture type. Our team started by evaluating the space and existing lighting setup. From there, Tyler recommended 150-watt food-grade light fixtures for the facility’s first metal-halide-to-LED upgrade in 2023. The fixture choice paired with LED Lighting Supply’s personalized process worked well for both Motion Industries and Perdue. That early success gave Motion Industries the confidence to standardize that same strategy across the entire facility, reordering the same fixture for Perdue consistently over three years.
Completed Projects at Perdue Farms’ Rockingham, NC Location 2023-2025:
| Year | Fixture | Qaunity |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | MLLG-X-LED-FD3-150-50-120 | 11 |
| 2024 | MLLG-X-LED-FD3-150-50-120 | 17 |
| 2025 | MLLG-X-LED-FD3-150-50-120 | 46 |
| Total | MLLG-X-LED-FD3-150-50-120 | 74 |
The order pattern reflects a phased approach to replacing the lights in a large facility. The larger order quantities, such as the 46 units purchased in 2025, cover wide-area installations as Perdue expanded upgraded LED lighting coverage to additional sections of the facility. While some orders took advantage of manufacturing downtime, others swapped out failing metal halide fixtures as they failed.
The Results:
The additional purchases of 74 units across 8 separate deals over three years signify a strong, trusting customer relationship. Motion Industries never had to re-evaluate the lighting replacement process after the first order. The fixture selection delivers consistent light levels while keeping the facility food safe.
Photo from Perdue Farms on LinkedIn
Alongside the improved lighting levels, LED Lighting Supply’s support delivers measurable energy and payback savings for the Perdue facility.
Before: The legacy metal halide fixtures drew 400+ watts each, producing roughly 149,000 kWh (kilowatt-hour) of energy use every year.
After: The LED upgrade cuts that to about 48,600 kWh annually, alongside the uniform lighting levels the facility gained.
That reduction translates to $15,070 in annual energy savings and $16,180 in annual total savings. Maintenance savings add another $1,110 each year. With a total project investment of $19,240, the facility reaches full payback in just 1.19 years. Five-year net savings reach $61,660, with a strong 320% return on investment.
Perdue’s Estimated Savings & Payback From Choosing Our LED Lighting Solution:
| Savings | Within 1 Year | Within 5 Years |
|---|---|---|
| Total Energy Savings | $15,072 | $75,358 |
| Maintenance Savings | $1,110 | $5,550 |
| Total Savings (Energy + Maintenance) | $16,182 | $80,908 |
| Net Savings / ROI | Full payback in 1.19 years | $61,668 net savings (320% ROI) |
* Savings and payback estimations are based on the local utility rate of $0.15 per kWh for commercial and industrial buildings in Rockingham, North Carolina, and calculated by our LED savings calculator.
The project at Perdue’s Rockingham, North Carolina, meat processing facility demonstrates the possibilities of a simplified lighting upgrade process, guided by LED Lighting Supply from start to finish.
