March 23, 2024
5 Things to Know: Week Ending March 23
109 lighting people face layoffs. Plus, a potential LEDucation - LightFair date conflict is alleviated
Here's a roundup of some of the week's happenings curated to help lighting people stay informed.
1. UPDATE: Signify’s Texas Facility Shutdown
As reported in February, Signify is set to realign its North American operations by gradually moving the production of its Genlyte Solutions portfolio from San Marcos, Texas, to its facilities in Camargo, Mexico, and Littlestown, Pennsylvania, in 2024. The move aims to consolidate manufacturing processes and enhance operational efficiency across the board, leading to a complete shutdown of the San Marcos manufacturing facility.
In a recent development, Signify has notified the Texas Workforce Commission about its intention to lay off 109 employees at the San Marcos site by May 16, 2024, as part of this strategic adjustment.
2 . LEDucation numbers and future dates
LEDucation 2024 attracted 10,750 registrants, with 8,480 badges printed onsite. The total number of participants will include virtual-only attendees, though their numbers were not available at press time.
LEDucation has announced its future dates, ensuring there is no overlap with LightFair, thereby alleviating potential scheduling conflicts. This development comes after LightFair disclosed its intention to hold LightFair 2027 in Las Vegas sometime during March 2027, an unusual exception to its late April to June cadence. Should LightFair select the last week of March for its event, there would be a narrow 11-day window between the two industry gatherings.
Year |
LEDucation |
LightFair |
|
2025 |
March 18 – 19 |
May 4 - 8 |
|
2026 |
April 14 – 15 |
No show |
|
2027 |
April 6 – 7 |
March (TBD) |
|
2028 |
March 14 – 15 |
No show |
3. Two big Brands make Southeast moves
Signify adds Philips & Advance to SESCO and Old Dominion line cards
Signify has announced adjustments to its sales representation across much of the Southeastern United States, clarifying that these changes will not affect Genlyte Solutions representation but will incorporate two primary distributor-focused product categories into the existing lineup.
Starting March 16, 2024, Old Dominion Lighting Associates and SESCO Lighting will represent the Philips and Advance brands in specific regions. Old Dominion will cover most of Virginia (not including Metro D.C.). SESCO's representation extends to Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Eastern Mississippi, the Carolinas, and Tennessee. However, SESCO's sales territories in Louisiana, Arkansas and Central/Western Mississippi were not mentioned in Signify's update.
Current Appoints new roadway lighting rep in Florida
Current has appointed LightWorks Inc. as the representative for its Roadway Non-Metered Municipal products in Southeast Florida. The collaboration aims for growth in the region, leveraging LightWorks' extensive experience in lighting solutions. The partnership covers counties including Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, and others in Southeast Florida.
4. That “Classic” Neon Look. And Performance.
As reported by Spencer Schacht of the KOB4 I-Team, shortly after its debut near the Convention Center, parts of Albuquerque's new neon welcome sign began malfunctioning, with some letters failing to illuminate. The $60,000 sign, installed just a month ago on Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, is not fully visible at night due to these outages.
The city has enlisted Dalkia Energy Solutions for an inspection, despite claims of the sign's operational status. Persistent issues, visible since March 17, have prompted further inquiries, yet the city awaits contractor feedback. Zeon Signs, the manufacturer, suspects a transformer or neon failure could be causing the problem, with a definitive diagnosis expected after a scheduled inspection.
5. NY Lighting Distributor Faces New Lawsuit
In Westchester County, New York, JT Roselle Lighting and Supply Company is being sued by Local 1783 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Pension and Insurance Fund for failing to provide essential labor pension information.
The lawsuit alleges that the company violated their collective bargaining and trust agreements, as well as the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, by refusing an audit to verify pension plan contributions from January 2019 to December 2022. The Fund seeks an audit, unpaid contributions with interest, 20% damages on those contributions, audit expenses and attorney fees.
