At Kirlin, we recognize the benefits of specifying, purchasing, and installing lighting products that are made in the USA. There are many programs and government statutes for which our products and manufacturing processes qualify. You can read more about each of those below. But more than any one government program or certificate, our approach to manufacturing Kirlin luminaires at our Detroit, MI headquarters can be summed up in a simple maxim: “Made-in-America products support our workers, families, and communities, while limiting environmental impact.”
Made-in-America products support our workers, families, and communities, while limiting environmental impact.
Build America, Buy America Act
As of 2022 the Build America, Buy America Act is in effect for federal agencies. Denoted in Sections 70901 through 70952 of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act of 2021 (Public Law No. 117-58), this statue requires that manufactured products for federal projects be produced in the United States, meaning: “the manufactured product was manufactured in the United States, and the cost of the components of the manufactured product that are mined, produced, or manufactured in the United States is greater than 55 percent of the total cost of all components of the manufactured product, unless another standard for determining the minimum amount of domestic content of the manufactured product has been established under applicable law or regulation.”
Any Kirlin product that carries the “Made in the USA” mark on its specification sheet qualifies as “produced in the United States” under this definition. You can find a general letter showing our compliant product families here. Our team is happy to furnish project- or product-specific compliance letters on request; please contact us for assistance!
Buy American Act
The Buy American Act applies to all U.S. federal government agency purchases of goods (articles, materials, or supplies) valued over the U.S. micro-purchase threshold (currently set at $10,000). When purchased by federal entities for public use, the Act requires that these goods be produced in the United States.
To be considered as being “produced in the United States,” goods must be manufactured in the U.S. and at least 50% of the cost of their components must come from domestic sources. Any Kirlin product that carries the “Made in the USA” mark on its specification sheet qualifies as Buy American Act compliant.
Buy America Requirements
The U.S. Congress has enacted a number of Buy America requirements applying to purchases of iron, steel, and other manufactured products (including lighting fixtures) used in infrastructure projects that receive federal funding from specific departments and agencies.
On projects for Amtrak, the Federal Railroad Administration, and the Federal Aviation Administration, all manufactured goods must comply with varying levels of domestic content and domestic assembly rules. The vast majority of Kirlin products comply with these requirements, but please consult the factory for a Buy America certification letter to ensure that the most up-to-date requirements are used.
SBA HubZone Certified
HUBZone is a company-level diversity certification that helps businesses located in distressed areas with low median household incomes, high unemployment, or both (Historically Underutilized Business Zones) gain access to additional federal procurement opportunities. The HUBZone program is in place to increase employment opportunities, investment, and economic development in these areas. The HUBZone program has a goal of awarding at least 3% of federal contract dollars to HUBZone-certified companies each year.
To be eligible for HUBZone certification, an organization must be an SBA-registered business, be owned and controlled at least 51% by U.S. citizens, be located within a HUBZone, and at least 35% of its employees must reside in a HUBZone. Kirlin’s factory and headquarters on Detroit’s east side has been located in a HUBZone since 1998 and Kirlin has been a certified HUBZone business since 2021.
SBA WOSB Certified
Woman Owned Small Business (WOSB) is a company-level diversity certification established to ensure that woman-owned businesses have equal opportunity to federal contracting. The WOSB program limits certified organizations to specific NAICS codes, including 335122, lighting fixture manufacturing.
To be eligible for the WOSB program, a company must be at least 51% owned and controlled by a female U.S. citizen. The WOSB program has a goal of awarding at least 5% of federal contract dollars to WOSB-certified companies each year. Kirlin has been woman-owned since 1993 and has been a certified WOSB since 2021.