Michigan-based AP Lazer® announces expansion of U.S. and Canadian operations after doubling sales of its patented laser engraving machines in past two years
Pandemic pivot from in-person trade shows to online marketing efforts fuels leads, spurs innovation
LANSING, Mich. (April 4, 2022) – AP Lazer, a North American manufacturer of patented open architecture laser machines, able to engrave small to large items from peanuts and mugs to picnic tables and monuments, has announced plans to expand its operations and facilities in the U.S. and Canada, after experiencing a 50 percent sales jump since the first pandemic shutdowns began in March 2020. The company, founded by CEO Tong Li, Ph.D., attributes its dramatic increase in sales to its transition from in-person trade shows to digital marketing initiatives during the past two years, as well as to the evolving Covid-era business climate inspiring individuals who want more flexibility, meaning, and creativity in their careers to become entrepreneurs.
AP Lazer has purchased a 3,000 square-foot building at 1326 Ottawa Street, Windsor, Ontario, which will house a new public showroom and technical support center. This is in addition to the company’s 12,500 square-foot Windsor manufacturing plant at 1153 Tecumseh Road, where AP Lazer builds six open architecture laser machine models which engrave and cut wood, granite, brick, acrylic, glass, ceramic, marble, tile, cloth, leather, and other materials. AP Lazer, currently based in Lansing, is also in the process of purchasing an 85,280 square-foot building at 2325 Jarco Drive in Holt to house its headquarters. The company has a Las Vegas showroom, and branch offices in Texas and Florida, as well.
Prior to the emergence of the coronavirus, AP Lazer participated in up to 20 trade shows annually, targeting business customers in the funeral, kitchen and bath, woodworking, signage and printing, education, pet, home furnishings, and other industries, which were the company’s primary source for sales leads. As AP Lazer transitioned to a remote workforce and initially furloughed 70 percent of its workforce when the pandemic began, Tong Li and his son, AP Lazer General Manager, Dillon Li, analyzed the situation and market changes, and began marketing aggressively on Facebook and Google.
“When COVID hit and trade shows went dark, we had to be fast on our feet,” said Dillon Li. “We quickly evolved from dabbling in digital marketing to making it our number one lead generation source.” AP Lazer shifted the company’s quarterly LazerCON! trade shows from in-person to virtual, to continue to give new prospects, existing customers, educators, and entrepreneurs opportunities to see the machines in action, understand their capabilities and competitive advantages, and get to know AP Lazer’s sales, management, and tech support teams.
The new marketing tactics worked. Through much economic uncertainty, AP Lazer began bringing back furloughed employees in mid-May 2020. After receiving its first PPP loan, AP Lazer quickly regained all lost momentum incurred at the outset of the pandemic, posting the most profitable quarter in its history at the end of June 2020. Its dedicated employees adapted to changing circumstances while operating under tremendous pressure, continuing to provide personalized, one-on-one training and 24/7 North American-based technical support 365 days a year to its customers, who feel part of a cohesive AP Lazer family.
“The Great Resignation has led to creative individuals with entrepreneurial spirits taking control of their own destinies, and AP Lazer offers them the freedom to enter the world of entrepreneurship,” said Tong Li. “Ninety percent of our new sales since March 2020 are with business startups. Our customers
no longer want to work traditional jobs. We have individuals, couples, and retirees building home-based businesses that unleash their creativity, provide flexibility, generate profit, and add meaning to their lives and the lives of others.”
The company’s approachable leader engages daily with customers on the company’s Facebook User Group Page, answering questions, providing encouragement, and offering advice. Tong Li says businesses who understand and embrace what he calls “The Emotional Marketplace” are poised for unlimited success.
“It is well documented by psychologist Abraham Maslow that our need for connection, happiness, and love drives us and runs deep. When personal sentiment is engraved on something, it instantly becomes meaningful, cherished, and treasured. Brands spend billions of dollars on advertising campaigns designed to elicit emotions, but the products they’re selling have no lasting, intrinsic value. When consumers and service providers connect one-on-one, bonding as they create timeless keepsakes with sentimental meaning, trust is built, hearts are filled, and profits result.”
Tong Li immigrated to the U.S. from China and earned a Ph.D. in physics from Michigan State University. He founded AP (All Purpose) Lazer in 2009 when he was unable to find a versatile laser engraving machine to mark large granite and marble monuments that his other company, SuperNova, sells to the funeral industry. After more than two years of research and development, he designed and patented the first AP Lazer machine system to engrave and cut materials of virtually any kind, size, or weight.
Click here for AP Lazer photos (photo credit AP Lazer).
About AP Lazer®
Headquartered in Lansing, Michigan, AP Lazer is a privately owned designer and manufacturer of patented, open architecture laser machines that can engrave and cut a variety of materials and objects of all sizes. AP Lazer provides 24/7 tech support 365 days a year. Its customers are located throughout the U.S. and on six continents. For more information, visit https://aplazer.com/.
