A Conversation with John Luhrs, Our General Manager

Why does CantoUSA “focus” on houselights and followspots as its products?

The follow spots and houselights are the two product lines that we started with and they remain our two core product lines. We are continuing with innovative product development which will branch out into other areas of the lighting market.

How did you start your career in the lighting industry?

When I graduated from college, my first job was with a lighting company that’s no longer around. The company did both advertising and lighting, and I was working in the lighting division. After about a year and a half, a co-worker and I left and started our own lighting company.

CantoUSA makes customer service a priority—it’s even in our mission statement. Why is that so important to you?

Well, you have to keep your clientele happy. We want to make sure that when people buy a product, that the after-sale support is beyond reproach and just as thorough, dedicated and customer oriented as the service received before and during a sale.  Customers should always feel they are taken care of when they buy a product from us. It’s our number one concern. I was in some previous jobs where there was some horrific customer service condoned by management.  Therefore, the need for great customer service was so ingrained into me that I have made it my number one priority in all of my business dealings.  After all, in order to keep your customers loyal, you need to give them great customer service before, during, and after a sale.

What’s something you’d like our customers to know about you?

That I will always do what is right for the customer even though it may not make the perfect business sense for us to do it. After customer service, our second main priority is innovative products built to last.