RETAIL OPERATIONS

In addition to providing employment opportunities in our manufacturing and administrative divisions, South Texas Lighthouse for the Blind also provides opportunities in its Retail and Government Services division. In 1997, the Lighthouse began operating three base service centers (BSC's) in Texas at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Naval Air Station Kingsville and Naval Station Ingleside. Formerly known as "ServMarts," these stores, now called "1 Store Solutions," provide a convenient location on military installations where personnel can purchase office supplies and the janitorial/sanitary supplies required by the various commands on base. In 1998, the Lighthouse began to operate the BSC at Travis Air Force Base in California and opened the BSC at NAS Meridian in Mississippi in 2005. In addition to the convenience of shopping at the base store, there are over 13,000 products that can be ordered online at www.1storesolutions.com.

Shortly after acquiring the BSC at Travis Air Force Base, the Lighthouse also added the individual equipment element (flight gear, gloves, boots, etc) and hazardous materials operations at Travis AFB. The Texas Navy bases also turned over their hazardous materials operations to the Lighthouse. We are also under contract with NAS Kingsville to provide their personnel with flight gear and similar products.

In addition to the base service stores, individual equipment element and hazardous materials operations, the Lighthouse provides service contracts to Corpus Christi Army Depot's publications department and their safety store.

All of these operations have contributed greatly to the Lighthouse's ability to provide employment opportunities to individuals who are visually impaired. Not only have these operations provided retail jobs, the base stores also sell the products that are manufactured by blind employees at South Texas Lighthouse for the Blind and other similar agencies across the country.