November 8, 2022

Acuity Brands to Discontinue Winona Custom

Company to divest custom architectural business by August 2023

In 2010, Acuity Brands acquired four lighting and controls companies including Minnesota-based Winona Lighting – a brand of decorative, architectural indoor, outdoor and asymmetric lighting products that was also among the first outdoor architectural brands to offer RGB LED outdoor lighting for landscape applications. Winona Lighting had been owned by lawyer turned lighting entrepreneur, Steve Biesanz.

Over the years, Winona’s standard made-to-order architectural products were shifted to other sister brands like Hydrel, while the Winona brand morphed into Winona Custom – focusing on lower-volume, specialized custom fixture solutions for the architectural market. Need a 18½ -foot diameter bowl fixture? Ask Winona. An elaborate cluster of antique bronze pendants for a house of worship? Winona. How about a large scale, custom RGB bridge installation? Winona.

Acuity Brands, a $1.6 billion company when it acquired Winona and now a $4 billion company, announced today that the Winona® Custom architectural lighting solutions business will be discontinued in the months ahead. The company’s lower-volume architectural products manufacturing facility in Winona, Minnesota will continue to operate and produce products for other brands including Mark, Peerless, Healthcare Lighting, Hydrel and A-Light.

Acuity Brands explained that the lighting market “has evolved with changing project expectations” and cited customer expectations and supply chain challenges that led Acuity to the “tough and carefully considered decision to wind down and close the Winona custom business…”

Timeline and more details:

Open orders: All projects currently in the backlog will be serviced.
Pending approvals: Projects that are currently out for approval will be completed if the release occurs before December 31.
New orders: No other new orders will be accepted; effective immediately.
The Custom Architectural Lighting Solutions team will support Winona Custom as the business winds down – and then eventually join the Specialty Technology Integration Group which develops new technologies for Acuity Brands’ lighting business.
Winona Custom Architectural Lighting Solutions will be discontinued by fiscal year end, August 31, 2023.

Cathy Lewandowski, Acuity Brands' External Communications Senior Manager, shared with us, "We do not take these decisions lightly, as we recognize the impact on our associates who have been on this journey with us. We value our people and are providing impacted associates with information and support to assist them with the transition."