Get to know a NEO CEO
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E
llis Yan has served since 1993 as founder, president and CEO of the
world’s leading energy efficient lighting manufacturer, Technical
Consumer Products, Inc (TCP), based in Aurora.
In 1996, TCP introduced a ground-breaking energy efficient compact
fluorescent lamp (CFL), the ―SpringLamp,‖ which revolutionized the
residential lighting industry for the first time since Thomas Edison’s
invention of the light bulb.
Although only a fraction of the size of its competitors, TCP controls a
significant share of the U.S. CFL market and has more than doubled its
sales since 2001, reaching $154 million in 2006. Yan has doubled the
number of employees at it’s corporate headquarters to more than 200
people and has tripled TCP’s manufacturing capacity, producing more than 1,000,000 CFLs daily.
Yan came to America from China at 20 years old to study at Cleveland State University. He has
received numerous awards for his business leadership and contributions to energy efficient
lighting including being named to the Forbes 2008 list of Notable Chinese Americans and the
2002 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year in Science and Technology.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I appreciate and enjoy that every thing I do today will have an impact on the future. Every day
when you wake up, you have to tell yourself the things you want to accomplish. I always think
about my goals each day, looking forward thinking where I will be in one year and in three
years. But the most important thing is how I connect the one day goals to the three year goals.
When you talk about light bulbs, you have to talk about Thomas Edison. I feel like he is looking
over my shoulder every day, challenging me, saying ―how are you going to take this lighting
that I invented into the next phase, into the future?‖ This is a huge challenge to me— and I like
to face extreme challenges.
What has been your most rewarding professional accomplishment?
Accomplishing computer age lighting products was huge for me and for the lighting industry.
Sometimes I still can’t sleep because I’m so excited.
What do you think is Northeast Ohio’s greatest attribute?
In business, you always consider location. If you put a 500-mile
radius around Northeast Ohio, you’re able to cover more than two-thirds of the population of
this country and the majority of Canada.
I also like the people here. In general— employees, business associates, etc.— are positive and
excited. You don’t find these types of people everywhere. I don’t understand why more people
don’t invest in Northeast Ohio. This is a good, solid place with good, solid people.
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Get to know a NEO CEO—February 2010
Ellis Yan, president and CEO
Technical Consumer Products
Aurora, Ohio
Get to know a NEO CEO
Ellis Yan, Technical Consumer Products
Get to know a NEO CEO—February 2010
What do you think Northeast Ohio needs to do be more
competitive and/or attract more business?
I think our public officials need to go out and sell this area more. When I
drive to the airport, I always see Michigan advertisements. But I don’t see
Ohio advertising Ohio in other places I travel. We need to tell people who
we are.
Ohio needs to create a perception that we are a very good place to have a
business. When I go out of state – they know the Indians, LeBron James,
the Cavs and the Cleveland Orchestra. But they don’t realize Ohio is a very
good state to do business. We should use these attractive resources to
build these things together.
Recommended reading?
One of my favorite books is It's Not the Big That Eat the Small...It's the Fast
That Eat the Slow: How to Use Speed as a Competitive Tool in Business by
Jason Jennings and Laurence Haughton. It explains how speed makes the
difference in a computer age. That’s what I believe in, and that’s how I try
and do things.
What would you love to own?
I don’t want to own anything. People usually want a fancy car...I don’t. All I
really want is to light up the world with my light bulbs. (pause) I know what
I want to own! Every single socket in the world.
Do you have any pets?
I have two Dobermans– Angel and Achilles. One is four and the other is
one. We’re buddies. I try to teach them how to guard the house, but they
still just come up and lick visitors.
What is your favorite dinner/meal?
Normally I eat lots of fish and vegetables, but my favorite meal would be
my wife Ann’s spaghetti with homemade sauce and spicy sausage.
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“People usually want a
fancy car… I don’t. All I
really want is to light up
the world with my light
bulbs. ―
—Ellis Yan