Man from Alabama builds a business in RI.

Company: Horton Controls, Inc.

Type of business: Design and manufactures controlled lighting systems

Owner: Pete Horton

Founded: 1985

Location: Warwick

Employees: 38

Annual revenues: $10 million

A twist of fate may have brought Horton Controls Inc. to Rhode Island, but company officials believe good business planning will keep it here.

Horton Controls, based in Alabama with a plant in Warwick, specializes in the design and manufacture of controlled lighting systems. The company started 15 years ago when founder Pete Horton began working with the lighting branch of the General Electric Company (GE), which was located in Warwick. At that time Horton did not have a Rhode Island facility.

After years of working with GE from its Alabama base, Horton last year tried to buy GE's lighting division. Instead, however, it found itself in competition with GE, which decided it …