Our Story
Built from the Install Van Up
Lighting Partners grew from one lighting business with a proven playbook into a national franchise system with active territories, ten open markets, and a model proven in every climate from the Sonoran Desert to New England winters.
The Founder
Travis Piepho
Travis Piepho built a holiday and permanent lighting operation from the ground up, systematized what worked over multiple seasons, and turned it into the franchise playbook Lighting Partners operators use today. The playbook exists because someone ran the route first.
The operational challenge was never finding clients. It was building systems reliable enough to scale: install SOPs, pricing templates, crew training protocols, supplier relationships, and a customer communication cadence that turns a seasonal job into a recurring annual relationship. That is the playbook every franchise partner now runs.
Today the network spans active territories across MI, MN, OH, MA, AZ, IL, VA, CO, IN. Travis leads territory development, brand standards, and direct franchisee support.
Lighting Partners LLC is the holiday and permanent lighting franchisor headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Businesses with similar names are part of the Lighting Partners franchise system only if they are listed at lightingpartnersllc.com/locations/.
Travis Piepho
Founding Partner, Lighting Partners LLC
2
Revenue Streams
9
Territories
10+
Open Markets
Leadership
The Team Behind the Playbook
Travis Piepho
Founding Partner
Built a holiday and permanent lighting operation from the ground up and systematized what worked into the Lighting Partners playbook. Leads territory development, brand standards, and franchise partner support.
Dan Piepho
Partner
Partner at Lighting Partners. Brings operational depth and business development expertise to the franchise system.
Brand History
From One Crew to a National Network
The Route
Running the Business First
Travis Piepho built a holiday and permanent lighting operation from the ground up, systematized what worked over multiple seasons, and turned it into the franchise playbook Lighting Partners operators use today. The playbook exists because someone ran the route first.
Playbook
Playbook Development
Install SOPs, pricing frameworks, crew training protocols, and the recurring customer model are codified across multiple full seasons.
Franchise
Franchise Structure
Lighting Partners LLC is formed as the franchise vehicle, headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Territory agreements and brand standards are developed. First external partners begin onboarding in Michigan and Virginia.
2023
Multi-State Expansion
Network grows to 5 active territories: Minnesota, Michigan, Virginia, Northeast Ohio, and South Chicago. Prospectr lead pipeline integrated as the standard franchise marketing system.
2024
Coast to Coast
Phoenix, New England, and Denver territories launch. Network now spans 8 states: desert, mountain, midwest, and northeast climates all covered under a unified brand standard.
2025 - Present
Active Territories, Ten Open Markets
Lighting Partners continues territory development with ten priority markets actively recruiting. The brand operates the largest independent professional holiday + permanent lighting franchise network in the country.
What We Stand For
The Lighting Partners Standard
Every territory in the network operates under the same brand promise. The standard is non-negotiable; it is what the name is worth.
Commercial Grade Quality
No consumer-grade product touches a Lighting Partners install. Every fixture, every connector, every run of wire meets or exceeds commercial outdoor standards. Clients expect it. The brand demands it.
Locally Operated
Every franchise is owner-operated in its market. Clients deal with the owner or a crew the owner trusts. The national brand sets the standard; the local operator delivers it. That combination is the competitive advantage.
Recurring Revenue First
The business is engineered for repeat customers, not one-time transactions. Most customers rebook year after year in holiday lighting, and multi-year service agreements in permanent lighting compound franchise value every year.
Transparency with Partners
Franchise partners see the real numbers (the margins, the seasonality, and the customer acquisition costs) in the Franchise Disclosure Document. Travis built the business he now franchises. There are no surprises in the data.
Innovation in the Craft
The playbook improves every season. New fixture technology, new installation techniques, new marketing systems. Franchise partners benefit from network-wide R&D on a service that most operators run the same way they did in 2010.
Community Impact
Lighting transforms how a neighborhood looks after dark. Professionally installed lighting elevates curb appeal, increases the time families spend outdoors, and makes commercial corridors more welcoming. The work matters beyond the transaction.
Become Part of the Story
The network is growing. Qualified operators in open territories can connect with the franchise team and get territory availability within 48 hours.