Dario Gristina is the Chief Executive Officer for PleXus Health Science

Okay, not too far.

Oh, here we go. Hi everyone, it's Adrienne. It has been. So I've got— so today is very exciting. I have Dario Cristina, who is into energy but also has something else. So Dario and I are meeting for the first time. Dario is in Boca Raton, I'm in Daytona Beach, so we're talking about how beautiful our weather is here. Even though we were cold this morning. Were you cold this morning, Dario?

Indeed, was a little bit chilly, but still beats New York.

So let's start, let's jump right into this. Can you please tell everyone your bio? Because it's pretty amazing, but for laymen like myself, I was a little confused with the electric part of it. So can you introduce yourself to us?

Sure. So my name is Dario Cristina. I'm the chairman and CEO of a company called CPL Group. We started the company back in the mid-'80s with my father, and our thrust back then, and still is to some extent, is electrical engineering and specialized services that we offer to large commercial real estate properties in New York City and beyond. We have since developed a number of different technologies and been in different businesses. We had internet companies and elevator consulting, electrical construction, etc. And now my father unfortunately is no longer with us, but my brothers and I carry on the companies and we have a very nice business that delves into also PoE lighting control systems. And that's where Plexus UV-C was born. During the lockdown, one of our engineers turned our attention to UV lights and the power that UV-C light has against viruses and bacteria and pathogens in general. So we started researching that, and we realized quickly that it was something that was definitely merited our attention, and we designed and tested and prototyped some units because we believe that in order to help fight the current pandemic and whatever pandemics are unfortunately expected to come down the road, we needed to create something that was affordable but easily deployable and had the, the same power and technology that hospitals use to sterilize their operating rooms. So we created the Plexus UVC. We call it the SunSlinger. It's a cute name that our PR firm came up with. And we had it tested independently by a company called Microchem Laboratories in Texas. And we have— our results are amazing. I mean, it reduces— it kills viruses to the 99.9999% level. With 6 nines within a very pretty short period of time. And it's like anything else, it's a light-emitting device, so anything that it hits, whether it's the air surrounding it in a 360-degree radius, surfaces, or what have you, it just, you know, kills pathogens that are lingering in the air or on surfaces, etc. So we wanted to be able to provide our clients and, you know, society in general another tool to combat the pandemic. And we have done it. We have some great clients and we continue to expand as we speak.

So did you start this in 2008 or actually last year during the pandemic?

Well, yeah, so CPO Group has been around since 1986, give or take. So we're a longstanding company, but the actual UV component was really started in late March when the lockdown happened in 2020. Wow. And we raced from discussions to design to engineering to prototyping, and we did it rather quickly. And we were able to actually build our first batch of UVC lights and equipment by the end of August. So we really started marketing very recently and moving forward with distribution, et cetera.

Wow, okay, so I apologize. I thought I had read that 2018 there was discussions of this. So for your— You said affordable. Is this something that I— because I think I read somewhere that some of the piece— some of the other, like, robotic, uh, cleaning, UV cleaning run about $70,000. You were able to bring that price point way down.

Yes. I mean, we have seen prices that are, you know, skyrocket. I mean, some of the robot units that you're talking about, that we've seen them as much as $120,000. $7,000. And units that are comparable to ours usually would retail in the $20,000 to $40,000 depending on, you know, the manufacturer, etc. Our unit currently retails for $7,000 or $6,999. And we, you know, watt per watt is really the cheapest on the market right now.

Wow, that's awesome. You know what, so I could get using it in a hospital and in an airport. I love that you're selling it to airports. I saw restaurants and I was wondering if there was like, if you're able to rent the machine, like you could go to like your U-Haul or whatever and actually have it available there. Was there any thought so that someone didn't have to buy it outright, but they could rent it if they had a COVID breakout in the restaurant?

Yeah, so we have, we're working with some companies that are poised to provide the sterilization as a service. So we have a couple of companies that we're dealing with right now that we're finalizing agreements with. But we, it's not 100% ready just yet. Yet, but yes, that is definitely one way to go, is to be able to offer a service to go in and if there's somebody had a breakout, go in and sterilize the areas and offer it as a one-time or recurring monthly service or something along those lines.

I think that's great. Thank you for coming out with something because we're all anxious to get back to real life. I was at an event on Friday and they had a machine that was doing the sterilization of the air and not— and I guess the space too, but it wasn't using UV light. So how are you sterilizing the air? How does that work with a UV?

Well, it's, uh, look, the UV light is part of the light that we get from the sun, right? So when you tan, when you go outside and tan, That's because the UV component of the spectrum of light coming from the sun is providing light at that wavelength, and it makes you tan. So within UV light, there are different components. UVC is at 254 nanometers. Okay, that's the wavelength of light. At that wavelength, and given the powerful enough light, that light will disrupt the DNA of living organisms. So obviously the smaller the living organism, the more disruption. So the light at that wavelength expands, you know, just from a light source in 360 degrees. So anything that's suspended in the air, it will hit and destroy. So obviously, like everything else, it's when you go tan, you tan for a certain amount of time and then you get out of the sand, the the sun, right? So depending on the amount of exposure depends how much tan you have. The same thing with our light system. The more time you expose an environment, the more pathogens become inactivated or killed. So, but because the light is so powerful and so many watts of energy are being irradiated, it really requires very little time. So in 5 minutes, You could do a room, an average room of 700, 800 square feet, and you can go all the way up to 2,500 square feet in 15, 20 minutes, and to achieve a 99.99% kill area, if you will. Is that clear?

Wow, that's really— yeah, it does. That really helps me. So now I just want to, in my mind, envision the item. So is it heavy? How tall is it? Is it like a robot?

So it does not move by itself. It's on wheels. It has a— it's about, give or take, 6 foot tall so that it can, you know, cover a pretty wide range of area. And it weighs about 80 pounds. Most of the weight is on the bottom so that it's hard for it to tip over. You would have to try really hard to tip it over. And it's really simple to use. It also has safety features. We included a— on top of the unit there are sensors, so if you happen to walk into a room when the unit was operating, it'll shut off. Because the power of the unit is such that if you stare at it for any length of time, it may cause eye irritation. And just like any other form of UV light, that's why they tell you don't stay in the sun too long because it's not good for you. So you don't want to be exposed to that light at that wavelength for any extended period of time. So we included those safety features just to make sure that our clients are well served and there are no hiccups here and there. But it's simple to use. You program it, you tell it how long you need to expose the area for. For, and then you tell her how long you need to evacuate the room. So say you need 30 seconds to get out of the area, you put that in, you clock it for 5 minutes, and then 30 seconds after, the unit turns on and does its thing. Pretty simple.

Wow. So, all right, so I can, I can imagine you've got a large demand, but how is your supply? And is this something that's being like mass manufactured? Is it something that really is more tooling that takes time? How will that work to when you start getting your orders in?

Yeah, so the manufacturing time is, uh, you know, anywhere between 30 and 45 days, give or take. We currently have units in stock, so, you know, we can take orders immediately and deliver immediately. And the future— and, and as we deplete our stock, we'll, you know, build more and make more available depending on market demand. But one of the things I wanted to add, it's the applications for the unit is really any interior space is really— so whether it could be a preschool, it could be a nursing home, it could be, you know, a doctor's office or one of those places where we go get our blood drawn. So any interior space that needs especially a special level of care to make sure that there is no transmission. So those are, and restaurants and things, things of that sort are obvious, but there are a wide range of interior spaces that really the unit is indicated for.

I think that's great. I really appreciate that you have created something like this that's affordable and that we can have in our community here at Daytona Beach. That we could get out and feel safe. So, so you had said something, you grew up in a family business. Can you tell me about that? Did your dad start a business? Were you and your brothers in that business?

Yes. So we immigrated from Italy back in 1981. I was, I just turned 17 years old and dad was a professor of engineering, electrical engineering in Italy. So Shortly after his arrival, through, you know, one thing leads to another, he was offered the opportunity to start a consulting engineering firm in Manhattan because he was terrific at figuring out energy and distribution grid for big electrical distribution grid problems. So we started the business back in '86. I had graduated from college with a degree in electronic engineering. So my emphasis was a little different, but my dad, you know, taught me what I missed in college when it comes to power engineering. And we started the firm back in '86, had a lot of success, and then that spawned other companies, and we still provide the services. So for instance, the Empire State Building is one of our clients where we map and manage the distribution grid for that big building with all the tenants and all the power and all the different requirements that it has. And that's an example. I mean, we have a lot of other clients, but that's really the marquee client that everybody knows, the Empire State Building. And we have enjoyed—

That is so complicated.

It is, I guess, if you're not Just like chemistry is complicated to me, I guess, you know, because it's not my forte, even though I studied it. But yeah, it is tedious and complicated, but we figured out a way to manage that. And we even have a few patents in the field of energy management, real-time energy management, et cetera. So we've innovated in our own way and contributed to society. Which is part of why I love it.

I love that. Could you share some of what your dad's, um, leadership— did he have some things that he did or he said or how he treated his employees, how he treated his children? What can you share?

Well, my father was an amazing individual. He was He was an entrepreneur by heart. He always had ideas and followed through and was very steadfast. I remember we still have employees that started with us back 30 years ago because we treated and we still treat everyone as a family, as members of an extended family, if you will. And my dad did so many things in his lifetime. He started an institute, the Italic Studies Institute, back in New York along with a couple of friends, created events to sponsor and foster the Italian heritage here within the United States. And overall, he was a great family man. Me and my two brothers are together today, many years after, also because we had a great mom and dad. Dad was a real example, and we find, in fact, that very seldom brothers or family members are capable of sticking together in a business for an extended period of time. In fact, when we talk about it, people say, "So you've been with your brothers and your partners for all these years?" I'm like, "Yeah, yeah." We fight, we have our disagreements, But at the end of the day, we coalesce and we have each other's backs, and it's a wonderful thing. I'm the oldest, but my brothers are equally as capable, if not more capable than I in a lot of different things.

So, so a little humility. So what are some of your leadership skills and tips that you give to those that are new coming into the business?

Well, you know, to young entrepreneurs, I say that first of all, business is not just business. It's personal. People call it, well, it's just business. Well, not really, because especially when you have so much invested and when you create something and you foster it, it's kind of like a little child, right? So there is a whole lot of personal feelings that are attached to that. The other thing is, you know, mind your partners. That's important. You got to make sure that you select good partners for you to go in business with. And it's very difficult to do it on your own. It's difficult to have a— to grow anything by yourself. It's impossible. So you need partners. Be steadfast and Believe in yourself even though a lot of people may tell you that it's not going to work out, but you have to do it. You have to see it through, and sometimes it doesn't work out. I mean, we've had a lot of trial and errors ourselves, you know, businesses that we started that didn't work out. So what do you do? You pick up the pieces and you move on to the next thing. So don't be discouraged and don't be afraid of that. And lastly, just know your banks are not your friends. So you have to be careful what you sign. And also, you know, if you have a CFO, make sure it's an honest CFO because we also have had the unfortunate experience of having a CFO of ours figure out how to steal from the company. I mean, he got caught, went to jail, all of that, but it was very disruptive to the business. So these are just some tidbits of my my experience. I know I probably went through very fast, but I know we don't have a lot of time, so I just wanted to give you that.

It was great. Thank you so much. I love that. So if, if there— so if, if watching happens to be the, um, the, the director of our Daytona Beach Airport, we have the Daytona Beach Executive Airport here in Daytona Beach. Have you seen it? Been here?

I've been to Daytona Beach.

Enjoyed our little small—

but I've been to Daytona Beach, uh, but not recently. It's been a while. I mean, I think some time ago there was a Harley-Davidson motorcycle get-together. I don't— my brother is into that, so I kind of like went along with him, but I haven't been there lately.

Well, so what I'm thinking is, how would someone in the community here— what if like a realtor says, oh, let's— like the Realtors of the Nation say, let's buy one And then we can make sure that if there's any issues with homes that we could have them in a home, you know, for homes that are for sale, like different avenues. Can they— where would they go to find more information on Plexus and to sign up to be able to learn?

So they will visit our website, PlexusUV.com or PlexusHealthScience.com. We have both. That lead to the same page. And you can see some videos there and some information. It has email contacts and contact forms and phone numbers for anyone to get in touch with. We have a few real estate clients already. One of them is Olympic Tower in New York City, a very famous building that ordered the units and are currently deployed there. Another one is Paramount Group is a REIT, a real estate investment trust, with offices and buildings in New York City, Washington, D.C., and San Francisco. So they order units for all their buildings and a number of other clients. But those are key because these buildings wanted to go the extra length to make their tenants and occupants feel better about the environment and to show that they're going the extra length to ensure safety or do the best they can to do so. So we're very thrilled about that.

I love that. You know what I do for a living? I grew up in a family business too. I sell logo merchandise, promotional products. So if there's a chance that you're looking for logo merchandise, something custom, like we could do a custom— take the robot and bring it down and do awards with it and a lot of other things. I would love the opportunity to give suggestions and ideas. So yes, I am pitching you, but I would love that idea because I've been doing it for 35 years, so it's in my blood. I'm also—

I'm all ears. Send me a separate email. I'll put it, circulate it with our chief operating officer, and we'll see what happens.

I love that. Thank you for talking business. I love business. I am a SCORE-certified mentor. I'm the vice president of our local Volusia Flagler SCORE score, and I do our workshops too. And so, you know, your advice and what you shared about father— so let me just ask one more question. Was your mom a stay-at-home mom, or was she involved in the business?

She did, she did work when I was very little, and when we came here, she also decided to work for a bit. But, um, for the, for the most part, over the past 30 years or so— well, maybe 25, uh, she was staying home and taking care of us and Dad and She's an amazing woman. She still drives.

Oh, I love hearing stories.

She still drives around and goes to buy her whatever she needs. She's very independent and, you know, she is surrounded by 3 very grateful sons.

Oh, that is so beautiful. Thank you for sharing that.

What—

that's just lovely. So nice to meet you. I will send you a separate email. Thank you for explaining about the Plexus. And oh, I do have one thing I want to share with you. Your LinkedIn page has a wrong website, I think. So if someone goes onto LinkedIn and onto your company page, just double-check because that website is not correct. Okay, they just edit it and change it so you get the new website. I love LinkedIn. I love LinkedIn. By the way, LinkedIn has this feature where you can have— you can all do it on your phone, mobile, but you can actually have 10 seconds. It's like a microphone, a speaker, and you can either say your name or you can use it for 10 seconds for something else. So just an FYI, if you need help with that, it's kind of fun, but it is on LinkedIn. So I connected with you on LinkedIn. If you go to my page, You'll see a little microphone if you click it. I tell everyone I'm on their— my tagline is, I'm on your team, but I'm not on your payroll. So I use that.

That sounds good. Well, yeah, we will come back.

You'll see it. All right. Thank you so much.

Send me a LinkedIn invite.

Thank you. I really appreciate it.

Thank you.

I will do that. I love that. Thank you so much for your time and energy. Thank you. Thank you. Bye-bye. This is great. Very nice.

And I'm going