September 16, 2024
Current Moves Ohio Operations for Second Time in Two Years
After decades in Nela Park, Current is reportedly relocating to Mayfield Heights following a brief Beachwood stint
Current Lighting is seemingly set to relocate its Ohio operations to Mayfield Heights after a brief two-year stint in Beachwood, marking another move for the company with deep roots in the metropolitan Cleveland area.
According to legislation approved by Mayfield Heights City Council on Monday, Sept. 9, the city will offer Current Lighting a Job Retention and Creation Grant to facilitate the move. The company's lease at its Beachwood location on Science Park Drive ended in August, as reported by Cleveland.com.
The relocation is expected to bring significant economic boost to Mayfield Heights as Current cites a $10.8 million payroll. This figure represents a notable change from the company's projected payroll when it moved to Beachwood in 2022. At that time, according to the City of Beachwood, Ohio, Current was expected to bring 115 employees with an associated payroll of $14.5 million.
The Mayfield Heights city government confirmed the approval of Ordinance 2024-17, which authorizes the mayor to enter into a memorandum of understanding with Current Lighting, LLC, regarding the Job Retention and Creation Grant Program.
Above: Mayfield Heights’ grant program seems to offer Current a $2.7 million incentive based on current payroll
Questions About Current's Relocation
When asked to clarify details surrounding Current Lighting's move to Mayfield Heights, the company offered no comment. Inquiries referenced the Cleveland.com report stating that the company’s Beachwood lease had expired in August and sought clarification on what the company has been doing in the interim. Additionally, we inquired about the reduction in Northeast Ohio payroll from $14.5 million to $10.8 million over the past two years, but the company chose not to provide further details.
Current’s Legacy and Recent Changes
Current's history in Northeast Ohio is extensive. The company traces its origins to General Electric's Nela Park location in East Cleveland, where it began as GE Lighting. Nela Park, recognized as the world's first industrial park and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was sold in May 2022 for $5 million to Wisconsin-based Phoenix Investors.
The company has undergone several transitions in recent years. After GE's lighting business was divided and sold, with the residential segment going to Savant Systems and the commercial-industrial portion to American Industrial Partners, the newly-named Current eventually moved its headquarters to Greenville, South Carolina. This location was previously home to Hubbell Lighting, which Current acquired in 2022.
