About Us

Maintenance Engineering is the #1 Premium Quality Industrial Lighting Company in the United States and Canada. What this company sells in one year could illuminate an eight foot wide hallway from New York City to San Francisco. In a country where nearly 5.5 million light bulbs are sold annually, Maintenance Engineering is the largest independently owned industrial lighting firm.

With 39 years of experience, proven sales methods and commitment to excellence; we provide our sales team all the tools and resources to a successful career.

Company History

Maintenance Engineering was founded on January 17, 1974, in Fargo ND, by co-owners Curt Kesselring and Dennis Leno.

Curt and Dennis met while working for a shopping mall development company. Many nights were spent sharing business ideas and getting to know each other's strengths. When the development company began experiencing difficulties, they were forced to look for other job opportunities. A short time later Dennis called Curt to tell him about a new business idea. Dennis' idea was to start a company selling high quality light bulbs.

The lighting company Dennis and Curt founded provides a product that everyone needs, plus solves the burnout problems most people experience with their current lighting. Curt's math and physics background convinced them that a product could be made that would last longer than most companies were offering. Dennis' commitment to the needs of his customers was the basis and foundation Maintenance Engineering was built on, Premium Quality Products and Service.

The name, Maintenance Engineering, was chosen because of the company's focus on maintenance engineers, the people who would benefit most from lighting products.

The company's first office was in Curt's basement, but was soon moved to rented stalls in a large warehouse. As the Company grew, more spaces were rented and walls were moved until the whole warehouse was occupied by the ever-expanding company. In 1983 the company was experiencing space problems and the decision was made to build. Some of the features they required in their new office were: land for future expansion, a working atmosphere that employees would enjoy, a design where productivity would be paramount, and a building everyone could be proud of. Their office complex is a tremendous source of pride and includes a kitchen, dining area and a complete fitness facility.

In 1979 the warehouse was moved to Chicago because of its central location, and the fact that it is served by virtually every shipping company in the nation. As the Company continued to grow the distribution center was moved to a larger warehouse in Dolton, IL. In 1999 the distribution center was moved into a new state of the art warehousing facility, custom built for the needs of a fast growing company. Our new distribution center is located in Homewood, IL (a suburb of Chicago). This warehouse is designed to hold 3 times more product, and includes a quality control test lab.

In 2000 Maintenance Engineering acquired Duro Test Canada, a 47 year old company that shares Maintenance Engineering's commitment to product quality and service. Headquarters for the company are located in Toronto, Ontario. The company is under the leadership of Tony Mastrovito.

The attitudes and beliefs that Curt and Dennis founded the company on allowed Maintenance Engineering to become the #1 Premium Quality Industrial Lighting providers in the nation. Their commitment to quality is reflected in the company's long-term repeat customers, their sales force, employees, and in their first rate facilities. These principles insure a solid and profitable future for Maintenance Engineering, their employees and salespeople.