August 5, 2024
Ottawa Lighting Market Shifts as Acuity, Signify Trade Reps
Third partner in four years for both Signify and BDA Lighting Group
The commercial lighting market in Ottawa, Ontario has seen recent significant changes as two major manufacturers have just begun new agency partnerships, effective August 1. Acuity Brands has moved to BDA Lighting Group, while Genlyte Solutions – a Signify business – has aligned with WSA Light Energy Design.
These latest shifts cap a four-year period of frequent changes in manufacturer-agency relationships in the Canadian capital's lighting market.
With a population in the Ottawa-Gatineau region of just under 1.5 million people, this region may not be Canada's largest lighting market, but it holds significant importance, particularly in federal government work and specification influence.
Agent Swap
Signify's Genlyte Solutions brand has made its third agency move in four years, now represented by WSA Light Energy Design. This follows representation by MVP Lighting from 2020 to 2022 and a two-year stint with BDA Lighting Group from 2022 to 2024.
Acuity Brands, after ending a long-standing relationship with WSA Light Energy Design, has now partnered with BDA Lighting Group. An Acuity spokesperson confirmed the change took effect August 1. This marks BDA Lighting Group's third anchor line in the last four years following a two year stint with Genlyte Solutions.
Agent headcounts according to each website:
- BDA Lighting Group, 31 employees
- Waterman Sales, 16 employees
- WSA Light Energy Design, 15 employees
- MVP Lighting, 12 employees
Recent History of Agency Movements
There have been a number of important shifts in Ottawa's lighting industry dating back to 2020, coinciding with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. That year, Genlyte Solutions implemented wide-ranging changes across Ontario, including the Ottawa market where it partnered with MVP Lighting.
MVP Lighting: Currently represents Current, a relationship dating back to the GE Current era. In 2022, the year GE Current and Hubbell Lighting merged to become Current GLI and HLI, MVP went all in with Current after its partnership with Genlyte Solutions ended.
Cooper Lighting & Waterman Sales
Amid the frequent changes, one partnership has remained constant. Cooper Lighting Solutions and Waterman Sales have maintained a long-standing relationship throughout the period of market upheaval.
These agency shifts reflect broader industry trends and may impact customer relationships and other market dynamics in the region.
