US Veterans “Kick-Start” Campaign To Manufacture Solar Flashlights In USA

US veteran run company seeks crowd-funding to start US production of solar powered flashlights and pledges to hire as many veterans as possible; depends on the number of lights

Quantico, VA (I-Newswire) January 9, 2013 - A group of American military veterans have joined together to commence production of innovative solar powered flashlights in Virginia and they are looking for a little help. They approached the popular crowd-funding site “Kickstarter” and were turned down; they wanted to move production on-shore and assemble an existing popular product here in America, not invent a new one.

So, being composed of mostly former active duty Marines and Army Special Forces, they re-grouped and decided to by-pass the middle-man and approach the American people directly. Their new company – American Light Works – www.americanlightworks.com is led by Mark Bent, who served in the Marines, Navy and the CIA.

Mark originally started the company in 2006 and, like most entrepreneurs at the time, took his plans and ideas to China to have the products manufactured under-contract. While the company – BoGo Light – was and is a success, he and his colleagues from his military service days wanted to offer jobs to fellow veterans and bring production back to the US.

The lights they produce were designed with the assistance of the Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program, supported by NASA and with a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation. Over 500,000 have been distributed in the developing world via the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, US Agency for International Development, the Clinton Foundation and a number of other organizations. BoGo stands for ‘Buy one-Give One’ and this program, strongly supported by the American people, will continue; with close to two billion people living off the grid, a lack of lighting impacts health, education, safety, security, economic development, agricultural productivity and overall quality of life.

The American Light Works team is in contact with the Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment, located at the Marine Corps base in Quantico. They will offer jobs to returning wounded veterans and in fact, the COO of the company is a 100% disabled Marine no longer on active military service.

Their goal, as outlined on their website, is to become the number one flashlight company in America. The lights they produce provide years of illumination before the need to replace batteries, light up a room and are always ready for use. They are offering lights at a discount and they note – the more lights purchased by the American people – the more veterans they will hire.

Additional information on the website at www.americanlightworks.com and they can be contacted at info@americanlightworks.com or 713-408-2485. [/url]