August 26, 2023
5 Things to Know: Week Ending August 26
Former Acuity Brands CEO lands a new Board appointment. Plus, WHTM reports on a legendary 115-piece custom fixture order.
Here's a roundup of some of the week's happenings curated to help lighting people stay informed.
1. Vern Nagel joins Board of Directors of Fortune 1000 company
Vern Nagel, who served as Acuity Brands Chief Executive Officer for over 15 years before retiring in 2020, has joined the Board of Directors of South Carolina-based ScanSource. ScanSource is a Fortune 1000 company that connects devices to the cloud, offers tech solutions, and assists businesses with point-of-sale performance.
This isn't Nagel's first post-retirement Board appointment as he currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Southwire, a leading provider of wire, cable and other electrical solutions and The AZEK Company (NYSE: AZEK), a provider of sustainable outdoor living products.
2. More on Signify’s China Commitment
China Daily has published Signify bullish on China biz with 'long-term commitment' which includes more insights into Signify's recent increased investment in China. Signify recently announced the opening of its new factory for light sources and luminaires in Jiujiang, Jiangxi Province, China, which is its largest in the world.
Signify CEO, Eric Rondolat, highlighted the "timely support" offered by the local government during construction and also shared:
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"Government officials paid visits to the construction site on weekends to check the latest progress."
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"I have been involved in the country's development over the past 20 to 25 years. The local governments are always very supportive of our businesses and help us to develop our capacity quickly. That is one of China's major strengths."
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Deeming China Signify's "another home market", Rondolat said: "Our strategy in China is long-term. We don't ignore the frictions around the world; we adapt to them. But it doesn't mean that our presence in China and our fundamental strategic decision to be in China will change.
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"We also understand how we can export from China to other countries, given some of the tariffs that are in place and so on. But this is what companies are doing. Our commitment to China has never changed."
3. Custom Hershey Kiss fixture heads: Quantity, 115 pieces.
The WHTM-TV I-Team, regarded as one of the top news teams in Pennsylvania's Susquehanna Valley, recently reported on the history of Hershey, Pennsylvania, streetlights shaped like Hershey's Kisses. The fixture design dates back to the 1960s.
The Hershey Archives said that three major manufacturers, Westinghouse, General Electric, and Line Material were asked to create prototype fixtures. During this process, they were asked to make them into the shape of a Hershey’s Kiss. Ultimately, Line Material was chosen.
According to the report, there are 105 streetlights that are in the shape of the Kiss on Chocolate Avenue and that 54 are wrapped, and 51 are unwrapped. There are also 10 on Park Avenue, five wrapped and five unwrapped.
4. Michigan Wolverines flex their new Musco Lighting stadium lights
We love sports. And we love lighting. Which also means we love when Sports Illustrated publishes articles about sports lighting.
"The Big House" at the University of Michigan is one of hundreds of football stadiums that have upgraded to LEDs in recent years. However, the more recent widespread trend of adding dazzling lighting controls was highlighted in SI's recent article, Michigan Stadium Shows Off New Lighting System.
Football pundits generally consider the University of Michigan, a Big Ten Conference member, as one of the strongest and most prestigious college football programs in the entire state of Michigan.
5. Insights from a multi-year ½ million streetlight project
New York’s Capitol Pressroom recently reported on the state’s project that recently converted 500,000 street lights to LED fixtures. WCNY’s David Lombardo talks about the milestone and what comes next, with Maribel Cruz-Brown, the interim head of commercial operations for the New York Power Authority, which has been leading this lighting transition.
“It used to be that the utilities own the streetlights, and now they are transferring ownership to local towns and municipalities. And with that, came the increased costs to the municipalities to pay for the streetlights."
