June 04, 2024

DuraBrite and Perko Begin Transition: What it Means for You

DuraBrite is thrilled to announce the historic alliance with Perko, bringing forth a transformative moment within the marine lighting industry. This strategic alliance is synergistic and poised to redefine the landscape of engineered lighting solutions.

We understand this announcement has sparked curiosity among our peers, sales channels, existing customers and future prospects. We have therefore put together this memo to talk about the future of DuraBrite products, regarding the access of the existing product lines, how it will affect the lighting plan of your existing and upcoming vessels, warranty of your existing products, who you should talk to regarding product inquiry and after sales support.

Rest assured, while our Original Series in their current form - the Pro Series, Mini Series, and Nano Series - will be relabeled as the Perko Lightship Series, all customers will continue to have access to essentially the same lights, which will continue to be built by the same team of highly trained technicians on the same production line in the same factory. Our original lines have been field tested in the harshest environments through marine and tactical applications alike, proven to hold its function and form, and tried and true over the course of 10 years, making the transition out to Perko a strategic way to broadening distribution of our one-of-a-kind technology.

To help visualize the upcoming transition, please refer to the image below to see the direct correlation between the DuraBrite Original Series and the Perko Lightship Series:

Transition Timeline

This official relabeling will start on September 1st, 2024. Customers within the USA may continue to purchase the Original Series up until the cut-off date.

After September 1st, customers will no longer be able to purchase these lights with the DuraBrite label. However, scheduled deliveries past the cut-off date will be supported up until the end of 2024, if the purchase is made before September 1st and the delivery is scheduled for a later date. So for those who have been thinking of getting a set of DuraBrite Original Series, now is the time to review your options.

On or after September 1st, should you want to purchase this lighting spec, you will have to purchase the Lightship Series, which will be available on the DuraBrite website, with a dedicated page just for the Lightship Series. Alternatively, you may buy the Lightship Series via Perko sales channels. Perko does not do direct eCommerce retail like DuraBrite, so they will not be available for purchase on the Perko website. However, we expect retailers, such as West Marine, will carry the Lightship models. Also, Perko's pricing, warranty coverage, and return policy of the Lightship Series will go into effect upon the launch of the Lightship Series on September 1st. The DuraBrite Original Series will be pulled from our website and will no longer be available for purchase online.

Note:
For the time being, Non-US customers can continue to buy the DuraBrite branded Original Series through our certified DuraBrite international resellers. The cut-off date for international customers and resellers will be announced on a later date.

Pricing

Perko’s suggested retail price of the Lightship Series will be as follows:

Warranty

As for warranty coverage, any lights containing the Lightship logo will continue to enjoy a 10-year warranty, but Perko's Limited Warranty terms may further apply. More information regarding warranty coverage will be announced and provided by Perko at a later date.

Repairs and Returns

Warranty claims and RMAs for the Lightship products will be covered by Perko’s Limited Warranty and must go through Perko’s approval process. In other words, all RMAs of the Lightship Series should be approved and processed by Perko and they should be shipped to Perko directly. Perko will then work directly with DuraBrite to review, assess, and repair electronics, as required. Returns of Lightship products will not be accepted by DuraBrite if the return was not processed through Perko according to their policy. Unannounced returns will not be processed and customers will be responsible for shipping fees and labels to be reshipped to Perko.

The Future of DuraBrite

Entering the new era, DuraBrite will be introducing quite a few new and exciting models to continue to serve our customers. We have been listening and observing carefully over the years regarding the problems, pain points, challenges, and desires of our customers. As a result, our upcoming products are targeted squarely to address these concerns to further the safety and pleasure of commercial and recreational boaters, so they can maximize their time, improve their work efficiency, and enhance their enjoyment, comfort, and confidence while on the water.

Gen 2 will be introduced. It is based off of our beloved Original Series, but with pleasant surprises and advanced performance only DuraBrite engineers can create. For those who desire to continue buying the classic models to match what they have already installed, the Perko Lightship Series is the answer and will be available on our website.

Beside Gen 2, a new line of Dual Modes (the DM Series) will be introduced and solidified over the coming months and we will keep you apprised as updates become available. As of today, the first model of this Series has been introduced. It is the DM White/Red Dual Mode.

Tap or hover over the images below to see the Dual Mode in effect.

Photo courtesy: NYPD Harbor Unit

The versatile combination of red + white optics in one unit is designed to enhance navigation etiquette and to reduce glare, providing a more eye comforting navigational experience at night by preserving night vision without sacrificing the powerful brightness our brand is known for, at a flick of a switch. Plus, 2 lights in 1 simplifies your wiring requirement, and saves you 100% of installation time and efforts, not to mention real estate on the roof or mast, and of course your hard earned money! Other dual mode combinations will subsequently become available, such as red and amber, and white and amber.

Further, we are proud to introduce DuraBrite’s infrared (IR) lighting solutions to complement any night vision setup you may have, to make them massively more effective during moonless nights and near pitch black conditions. We are here to help ensure you can tackle the darkest nights and harshest conditions with maximum confidence, using the best navigation tools available at your fingertips.

Closing Remarks

The collaboration between DuraBrite and Perko not only underscores our unwavering commitment to delivering substantial values to our customers, but also enables DuraBrite to do what we do best - continued innovation and execution with engineering excellence to solve industry’s toughest lighting problems.

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