DEAN LYONS
BRITE NITES
Brite Nites is proof that some of the best ideas start with a small seed of inspiration and the willingness to take matters into your own hands. Brite Nites started out with just its founder, Dean Lyons, a ladder, the desire to light things up, and the willingness to do it himeslf! Now, with over 20 years of experience and over 50 employees, Brite Nites is Utah’s oldest and most reliable holiday and landscape lighting company.
“I ABSOLUTELY LOVE WHAT I DO. I GET TO DELIVER THE MAGIC OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON TO HOMES AND BUSINESSES ACROSS THE STATE, AND THAT’S WHAT GETS ME OUT OF BED IN THE MORNING… THE MOMENT WE TURN ON THE LIGHTS AND GET TO SEE THE JOY THAT THESE LIGHTS AND OUR WORK GIVE TO PEOPLE—THAT’S WHAT MAKES IT ALL WORTH IT. ”
-Dean Lyons, Brite Nites
What services do you offer?
We primarily offer residential and commercial holiday lighting installation, but we also do landscape and event lighting year round.
What geographic areas do you serve?
Most of our clients are in the Park City/northern Utah area, but we have also done work in Oregon, Washington, Colorado, California, and Idaho.
When did you know that you wanted to go into this field and what motivated you?
It started when I was building homes and a client asked me to take down his holiday lights. I saw a need that needed to be filled, so I started installing Christmas lights myself.
What inspires you? 
I absolutely love what I do. I get to deliver the magic of the holiday season to homes and businesses across the state, and that’s what gets me out of bed in the morning.Describe your process—how do you work with clients, contractors, designers, and architects?
Our design team is trained to listen to clients, but also to provide creative and appropriate lighting solutions. After working with the client, the design team member works with our in-house designers to come up with a lightscape that fits the clients wants and needs. When we have large custom projects, we love reaching out to other designers for input and collaboration.
What other specialties do you have in-house?
While we are mainly known for our lighting products and installation, we also offer custom greenery and decor. We love doing custom projects. Our team starts by creating digital renderings, and then we begin building the individual pieces.
What project(s) are you the most proud of?
We have been lighting up the Draper Tree for a couple years now, and it has become a sort of tourist attraction. People from all over come to see our work on this willow tree that has over 65,000 bulbs of lights in it!
What word(s) do people use to describe your work?
Beautiful, brilliant, and creative.
What is the most exciting new product or development in your field?
We have just started promoting RGB lighting, which is awesome. It’s permanent lighting that can change color or pattern with the click of a button. It’s common to see on commercial buildings, but we’ve had a lot of residential interest lately.
What do you enjoy most about your line of work?
The moment when we turn on the lights and get to see the joy that these lights and our work give people—that’s what makes it all worth it.
Do you have a favorite sport or recreational activity? What do you enjoy about it?
When I’m not at work you can find me outside. Whether it’s mountain biking, skiing, hiking … I love it all!
What is sure to make you laugh?
My beautiful wife; she always knows how to make me smile.
What’s on the top of your list as a great getaway? 
My cabin in Sandpoint, Idaho. My family loves spending weekends and summers up there.
Favorite season? Why?
Definitely winter. I love outdoor winter sports, and of course Christmas!
What do you enjoy most about living and working in Park City?
There is an energy here unlike anywhere else. People in Park City are active, motivated, and friendly, and it has been a joy to live and work alongside them for so many years.
JENNIFER BRASSEY
JOE ARDOVINO
ELUME
Elume is a full-service lighting showroom offering personalized lighting consultation and fixtures—architectural or decorative. Serving mostly Summit County and the Wasatch Front, Elume also ships fixtures all over the United States and Canada. Under the direction of husband and wife team, Jennifer Brassey and Joe Ardovino, Elume has been nominated four times for Residential Lighting Showroom of the Year and has won the much coveted ARTS Award for Showroom of the Year in the western U.S. twice. The team at Elume is passionate about lighting and great service.
What is your professional background?
[Jennifer Brassey]: I have vast experience in the construction industry. After working for Boise Cascade as a contractor salesperson for four years, I worked for Caffall Tile and Marble for 16 years selling Corian, granite, and tile. I also managed a construction office for over 10 years and partnered on some high-end spec homes during that time.
[Joe Ardovino]: I graduated from the University of Alabama in 1985 with a degree in electrical engineering. Since then, I have worked for many large manufacturing companies holding numerous management positions, and I currently own DH Marketing and Sales, which sells industrial hardware to the sheet metal industry across North America.
What inspires you?
[Jen]: Great lighting—layers and layers of lighting from architectural to decorative. And using light to define the space, highlight the architecture, elevate the mood, and inspire the occupants.
How do you see lighting design changing in the next five to 10 years? 
[Jen]: LED has been the greatest innovation that we have seen in the lighting industry in recent years. The industry has embraced this technology and now the decorative fixture vendors have gotten on board. We see LED becoming the norm and incandescent and fluorescent fading into the background. We have seen the market swing more toward contemporary styles, which has made it much easier to integrate LED technology. I hope the contemporary trend continues, and we just keep perfecting the light output, but if the trend moves back toward more traditional lines, I see that driving LED integration in that area.
Describe your process—how do you work with clients, contractors, and architects?
[Jen]: We like to get on the construction “team” early on, before construction even begins, if possible. We like to schedule selection meetings here at the showroom and job site walk-throughs as the project develops. We have the most talented and committed team at Elume and we all agree that the most exciting part of what we do is seeing a project finished.
What other special products do you have in-house?
[Joe]: In addition to light fixtures, we offer lighting controls and switches and outlets (Lutron and Adorne), mirrors and lighted mirrors (Electric Mirror), bath hardware and house numbers, table and floor lamps, art, rugs, and accessories.
What project(s) are you the most proud of?
[Jen]: We are proud of the projects that are chosen for publication or featured in the Park City Showcase of Homes. It’s rewarding because so many more people can experience and appreciate the lighting.What is the difference between good design and great design?
[Jen]: Great design happens when you look at the big picture—all the surrounding elements from architecture to textiles and natural light. Combining that with interesting, inspiring decorative fixtures creates great design. Then the whole is so much more than the sum of the pieces.
How did you get your start?
Jen: Hard work and being open to opportunities! I started working for Prospector Lighting and ended up purchasing the company, renaming and rebranding, and building a new showroom that reflected our new image. 
If you didn’t own a lighting showroom, what would you be doing?
[Joe]: We would most likely own another business. We like to be our own bosses!
What’s on the top of your list as a great getaway?
Our favorite place in the world is on a beautiful lake that is so calm that you can’t tell where the bank ends and the mirror image starts, only disturbed by the ski boat cutting through the water!
“GREAT DESIGN HAPPENS WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE—ALL THE SURROUNDING ELEMENTS FROM ARCHITECTURE TO TEXTILES AND NATURAL LIGHT. COMBINING THAT WITH INTERESTING, INSPIRING DECORATIVE FIXTURES CREATES GREAT DESIGN. THEN THE WHOLE IS SO MUCH MORE THAN THE SUM OF THE PIECES. ” -Jennifer Brassey, Elume
KODI FARNWORTH
ADVANCED IRRIGATION SOLUTIONS
From irrigation design and central control systems to water conservation strategies and 
water audits, Kodi Farnworth, president of Advanced Irrigation Solutions, says, “I’m really interested in working in water conservation. To date,
I have saved over 70 million gallons per year on various landscape irrigation systems I have designed or adjusted. My motivation is to save water by educating people in the irrigation industry about proper design, uniformity, matched precipitation, the use of the correct materials for the new installation, methods to remodel existing systems to cut there water use by 30 to 60 percent.” Farnworth’s AIS is experienced with large-scale commercial projects as well as residential projects.
“ ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO, I COULD SEE WERE THE FUTURE OF WATER WAS HEADED, AND I UNDERSTOOD WE NEEDED TO CHANGE OUR APPROACH. I DECIDED TO EDUCATE MYSELF IN WATER CONSERVATION AND START A COMPANY THAT WOULD HELP CONSERVE WATER USE IN LANDSCAPING AND AGRICULTURE. ” -Kodi Farnworth, Advanced Irrigation Solutions
What geographic area(s) do you serve?
Sun Valley, Twin Falls, Idaho Falls, Jackson. Eventually, everywhere!
What are some of your special qualifications?
I am a certified backflow tester and I’ve taken the certified landscape irrigation auditor class, and the certified irrigation contractor class, as well as courses in advanced irrigation design for water conservation. I’m a level 3 Maxicom Certified Central Control manager.
I’m also currently working on my certified irrigation designer classes.
What inspired you to work towards water conservation?
About 10 years ago, I could see where the future of water was headed, and I understood we needed to change our approach. I decided to educate myself in water conservation and start a company that would help conserve water use in landscaping and agriculture while still keeping plants alive.
Who do you admire?
People who are willing to make a difference in water conservation.
What are some notable projects you have worked on?
Huntsman Springs in Jackson, The Lodges at Fish Creek in Jackson, and the Latter Day Saints Temple in Twin Falls.
What’s your process?
I meet with clients to determine their needs, and often meet with the landscape architect as well. I then determine the current state of the site. If it’s an existing system, I look at what it will take to correct the existing issues. I aim to cut the water use of each system by at least 50 percent. On a new site, I design the best system to water efficiently and pair that system with smart technology to manage the site.
Could you share a few projects with which you have had notable success?
I recently designed a system for a property in Sun Valley that now uses 70 percent less water than houses of the same size with comparable lots. I’ve outfitted Sun Valley’s Blaine County School District with central control and water management tools and by doing so, reduced the water usage by 50,000,000 gallons a year.
What is the difference between a good irrigation system and a bad one?
A good (or great!) water system can be achieved for less than 10 percent more than the cost of a traditional water system. In addition, a good water system uses 40 to 60 percent less water than a traditional system, both conserving water and saving considerable money on water bills.
What do you enjoy doing when you are not working on ways to conserve water?
Riding my horse and just being at peace in the mountains.
What is a book you would recommend?
Cadillac Desert—to get a solid understanding of our water issues in the West.
