October 20, 2023
5 Things to Know: Week Ending October 21
Three electrical distributor acquisitions just happened. Plus, another NYC lighting agent is expanding into North Jersey.
Here's a roundup of some of the week's happenings curated to help lighting people stay informed.
1. LEDucation Extends Trade Show Hours
North America's largest annual lighting industry trade show, LEDucation, will be lighting up the New York Hilton Midtown on March 19-20, 2024. In a recent conversation with show organizers, we learned more about LEDucation's plans for the extended schedule for the first day. While the first day of exhibits normally conclude at 6 p.m., attendees will now be able to engage with exhibitors and other lighting people until 8 p.m. Adult beverages and appetizers will be served in each exhibit hall during these extended hours.
The shift promises an enriched experience, allowing industry experts to mingle and share perspectives amid a vast array of products from hundreds of lighting and controls exhibitors. We asked show organizers which brands of bourbon would be served, but they were unable to provide a response before press time.
2 . Acuity Brands opens new factory in Mexico
Acuity Brands recently announced the opening of its state-of-the-art Santa Rosa Production Facility in Nuevo Leon, Mexico. Located approximately 140 miles from Laredo, Texas, this facility is in close proximity to the company's existing operations in the Monterrey area.
This newly constructed 240,000-square-foot facility is not merely an expansion; it's a significant upgrade. It replaces a previous factory situated roughly 20 miles away in Mezquital.
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Acuity Brands tells us that over 98% of employees from the older facility chose to transition to Santa Rosa.
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Production lines will manufacture an assortment of luminaires and components
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With 65% of Acuity's supply chain and other facilities located within a 30-mile radius, Santa Rosa is well positioned to significantly streamline production processes.
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An automated, high-efficiency paint system is in place. This system, spanning 42,000 square feet, promises to generate over 60,000 painted parts daily at peak capacity
Above: Acuity Brands CEO, Neil Ashe, addresses the 200+ guests who attended the opening ceremony of the Santa Rosa Production Facility.
3. SDA Lighting & Controls Expands Sales Territory to Northern New Jersey
SECAUCUS, NEW JERSEY — The Big Apple has long held the distinction of being home to more lighting agencies than any other U.S. market, with many representing lighting manufacturers along both sides of the Hudson River, including Northern New Jersey.
Trends in recent years have seen even more NY-based specification-focused agencies expand into Northern New Jersey. Queens-based SDA Lighting & Controls, once an exception, is now joining the movement. Following years of market speculation, SDA is indeed venturing into Northern New Jersey. They have reportedly secured several brand partners and are actively seeking more to represent in the area.
This move comes on the heels of SDA's loss of long-time manufacturer partner, Leviton Lighting Controls, to a competing agency, Diversified, known for its very strong presence in Northern New Jersey. In another controls-related shake-up earlier this year, SDA lost the Douglas Lighting Controls line when the company abruptly ceased operations.
SDA’s recent agreement with Lumenwerx, hinted at vaguely in Wednesday's inside.lighting InfoLetter, encompasses both Northern New Jersey and NYC territories. Notably, the partnership with Lumenwerx coincides with Coronet LED's November departure from SDA's line card. Insiders within New York lighting circles report that Coronet garners an impressive 8-figure total of annual revenue in the New York metropolitan area. Coronet LED, based in Passaic County, New Jersey, is still finalizing its NYC coverage plans.
Agents who succeed in Northern New Jersey point to the market's distinctly different dynamics compared to NYC. Unlike the spec-driven NYC, which is not a package market, Northern New Jersey is predominantly a package market. Here, established contractor relationships primarily drive project business. Additionally, two distributor chains, Turtle & Hughes and Sonepar’s Cooper Electric Supply, dominate a significant portion of the electrical distribution business.
Related: NYC lighting market »
Related: North Jersey market »
4. Three Electrical Distribution Acquisitions Just Happened:
ILLINOIS – Viking Electric to acquire Sunrise Electric Supply: Over the years, Sonepar has expanded its presence in Chicagoland through several acquisitions, including Brook Electric Supply, Platinum Electrical Supply, and now, Sunrise Electric Supply. Sunrise Electric Supply will now operate under Sonepar's Viking Electric division.
With its sole location in the Chicago suburb of Addison, Illinois, the addition of Sunrise brings Viking Electric's total to 22 operating locations across Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Chicago. The transaction is expected to close on October 31, 2023.
MASSACHUSETTS – GMES acquires Massachusetts distributor: Vermont-based Green Mountain Electric Supply (GMES) has announced its acquisition of Atlantic Electrical Distributor Services, a single-location distributor in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts. This acquisition marks GMES's inaugural presence in Massachusetts, bringing the company's total number of locations to 27, spread across Vermont, Upstate New York, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania.
INDIANA – Eckart to acquire ACES: Eckart Supply of Corydon, Indiana has signed a letter of intent (LOI) to acquire Automated Controls and Electrical Supply, LLC (ACES) based in Richmond, Indiana. Jeff Slifer and Ron Ebacher, current owners of ACES, along with the entire ACES staff, will join the Eckart team.
5. Correction: Recent Update to Declare Labeled Lighting Products
Our recent article titled "100 Lighting Products Now Have Declare Labels" listed a spectrum of lighting products showcasing the industry's impressive stride in embracing eco-conscious choices.
However, a subsequent review of certain products in Declare database revealed a discrepancy in the count of products listed under CSI Division 26. Initially, the database had returned six or seven Q-Tran products, but later, the count increased to 21 products from the same manufacturer. This adjustment was not a result of an oversight on the part of our editorial team but appeared to stem from the manner in which the Declare database had previously delivered its filtered results or classified certain products. The database now appears to deliver more accurate results, especially regarding Q-Tran.
This means that, contrary to the initial report, the count of lighting products with Declare labels has risen from 34 in our 2022 report to 115 in the latest tally, marking an even more remarkable growth of roughly 238% within 18 months. Given this new number, it’s possible that some lighting products may be listed outside of the Declare database's CSI Division 26, suggesting the actual count might be even higher.
Our team has since updated the original article to reflect the accurate count and provided a note explaining the reason behind the discrepancy. We appreciate the collaboration and open communication from all parties involved, particularly Q-Tran and the International Living Future Institute.
