By TIM YOVICH

By TIM YOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
HUBBARD -- Lighting Products Inc. may never make up for the economic loss felt when Delphi Packard Electric Systems moved out of town, but it's providing some jobs.
Since December, Lighting Products has been assembling light fixtures for trucks, motorcycles, buses, recreational vehicles and boats at its Myron Street plant.
At the height of Delphi's production in the early 1990s, more than 700 were employed at its Hubbard plant.
By the time Delphi moved out in early 2000, it took with it 350 workers who were paying between $150,000 and $180,000 in city income tax, according to Michael Villano, city auditor.
Lighting Products employs 65 people, generating nearly $13,000 in taxes to the city.
Judi Melnik of Coitsville, human resource specialist at Lighting Products, said the company opened in 1995 in Mentor, but it quickly outgrew that facility.
With the cooperation of Mayor George Praznik and the Ohio Department of Development, Seymour S. Stein, an engineer and company president, decided to move to Hubbard, Melnik said.
Lighting Products is a subsidiary of ATC Lighting & amp; Plastics Inc. of Geneva. Under the same umbrella are ATC Nymold Corp. in Brooklyn Heights, Ohio, a plastic molding facility, and Advanced Technology Corp. in Geneva, a metal stamping plant.
Although there is some assembly in Geneva, most of it is done at Lighting Products, said Sherry Epstein of Geneva, head of marketing and Stein's daughter.
"The local community is very helpful," Epstein said as a reason for moving to Hubbard.
Epstein said sales were down during the recent recession and the number of employees dipped to 48.
Accepting applications
Now back to 65 workers, Melnik said Lighting Products' goal is to employ 85 from the area.
"Things are pretty positive," Melnik said, noting the company is accepting applications and wants to hire from the area.
"They have an interest in the community," Melnik said.
As part of the community, Lighting Products has two Youngstown State University engineering students working in the plant in a cooperative program. It also leases a baseball field to the city for $1 a year.
The company sells its products worldwide, sending lights to Canada, Mexico, Brazil and Argentina.
Epstein noted that training is a large part of Lighting Products.
Not only are employees trained for their jobs and working other jobs, but they are also given training in life skills such as how to use a fire extinguisher and other knowledge that can be used in the home.