Our History

Our Story

Since its humble beginnings in a small warehouse on North Mesquite Street in Corpus Christi, stlb™ has grown from three employees to nearly 200, from a small building to a 70,000-square-foot facility on over seven acres, and from producing brooms and mops to offering office products, military supplies, government services, and training opportunities for members of the community who are blind. Although our locations and product lines have evolved over the years, the purpose and heart of the Lighthouse remain the same: to provide opportunities for people with vision loss to be productive and improve their quality of life.

Our Mission

Our mission is to provide employment opportunities for people who are blind or visually impaired.

We strive every day to fulfill our mission and make a positive difference for those we serve and the community as a whole.

A History of Growth and Opportunity

In the early years, stlb™ employees produced mops and brooms and packaged items for door-to-door sales. By 1965, the team had grown to ten employees, taking on new services and projects such as pallet and case repair for Coca-Cola, rubber doormat production, and small assembly work for Memorial Hospital.

After Hurricane Celia destroyed the Leopard Street facility in 1970, stlb™ moved to a new home on Leopard Street, expanding production to include sea-dye markers, helmet pads, portfolio cases, postal trays, binders, mouse pads, and candles — providing even more opportunities for blind citizens of Corpus Christi.

In September 1999, stlb™ opened a second manufacturing facility in Victoria, Texas. By 2002, with over 100 employees in Corpus Christi, the Lighthouse moved to its current 70,000-square-foot facility on Agnes Street. This modern space allows us to grow, hire more individuals who are visually impaired, and expand training services for employees and community members.