July 12, 2025
5 Things to Know: July 12
LEDVANCE doubles its stake in LED components maker. Plus, has UV light disinfection found its niche?
Here's a roundup of some of the week's happenings curated to help lighting people stay informed.
1 . LEDVANCE Deepens Ties with Bridgelux
LEDVANCE, a subsidiary of Chinese lighting company Mulinsen Co., Ltd. (MLS), plans to acquire an 18.77% equity stake in Purui Optoelectronics Xiamen Co., Ltd. for approximately 256 million Chinese yuan (about USD $35.84 million), according to Beijing Business Daily. The deal, funded through internal or self-raised capital, will bring LEDVANCE’s total ownership in Purui to nearly 36%, roughly doubling its previous 17% stake. The transaction is not classified as a major asset restructuring under current Chinese regulations. The 18.77% stake was sold by Taiwan-based Epistar.
According to Securities Times, Purui Optoelectronics — owner of the international LED brands Bridgelux and Intematix—is both the largest shareholder of, and a core R&D and manufacturing partner to, U.S.–based Bridgelux, Inc. By increasing its stake in Purui, LEDVANCE strengthens its direct access to Bridgelux’s upstream and downstream operations, enhancing MLS’s strategic positioning across the LED value chain.
2. Small Businesses Struggle Under Tariff Strain
In a recent opinion piece published by DC Journal, Nathan Frampton, CEO of Fanimation Ceiling Fans, outlines the deep challenges small American manufacturers face under current U.S. tariff policies. Drawing from his company’s experience, he argues that rather than protecting domestic businesses, blanket tariffs are threatening their survival.
- “For example, our products are now subject to a 30% tariff on ceiling fans and a 55% tariff on lighting components.”
These specific figures highlight the severity of the financial strain placed on small businesses by current trade policies. - “Many may not survive at all.”
A direct and sobering prediction about the viability of small manufacturers under sustained tariff pressure. - “Without immediate tariff relief, the pressures we face could hollow out precisely the kind of companies policymakers say they want to protect.”
Points to an unintended consequence: policies aimed at strengthening American industry may instead be undermining it. - “Without timely relief, it will not be the global giants that disappear, it will be the small businesses built in American garages, and the workers and communities that rely on them.”
Counters the assumption that tariffs primarily hurt multinational firms, stressing disproportionate impacts on small U.S. businesses and their communities. - “Ninety-five percent of residential ceiling fans sold in the United States are manufactured in China.”
Highlights the current dependence on foreign manufacturing and the lack of feasible domestic alternatives in the short term.
Frampton calls for targeted, immediate tariff relief as a pragmatic step toward supporting U.S. small businesses while maintaining long-term goals of economic independence. Without action, he warns, the very enterprises that fuel American innovation and employment risk being lost.
3. LED Roadway Lighting Lands $2M in AI Funding
As reported by The Laker News in Nova Scotia, LED Roadway Lighting and its smart technology division, Liveable Cities, have received $2 million ($1.46M USD) in federal support through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) to develop an AI-powered streetlight controller and camera system. The technology aims to cut energy use by up to 30 percent while offering real-time data to enhance public safety. The Halifax-based company said the project will create skilled jobs and strengthen its international market position in the growing smart city sector.
The announcement comes shortly after LED Roadway Lighting expanded its footprint by acquiring U.S.-based lighting manufacturer Evluma. The acquisition adds outdoor luminaires and lamps to LED Roadway’s portfolio.
4. Udderly Safe: UV Light Transforms Raw Milk
Ultraviolet light applications saw a spike in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly within the lighting industry, as interest surged in UV disinfection technologies. However, that momentum quickly faded across most sectors as early enthusiasm gave way to practical limitations. One area where UV is seemingly showing long-term potential, however, is in food processing — specifically in the treatment of raw milk.
Above: The ABC30 KFSN-TV I-Team milked this story for two whole minutes
Tamarack Biotics recently received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) acceptance for its TruActive® UV-based milk treatment, which eliminates pathogens without the heat used in traditional pasteurization. The non-thermal process preserves sensitive bioactive compounds — such as lactoferrin and immune-supporting proteins — positioning it as a new tool for producing safe dairy ingredients that retain raw milk’s nutritional profile. Initial FDA clearance covers powdered products like whey and milk protein concentrates, with future applications in liquid milk possible by 2027.
5. Dark Skies Program Threatened by Government Budget Cuts
As reported by The Guardian, the Trump administration is moving to defund the U.S. National Park Service’s Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division (NSNSD), a small agency focused on mitigating light and noise pollution across the national park system. Operating out of Fort Collins, Colorado, the division has played a central role in dark sky preservation efforts, retrofitting tens of thousands of fixtures at landmarks like the Grand Canyon and Mt. Rushmore to reduce light spill and improve nighttime visibility for both wildlife and visitors.
Established in 2000, the NSNSD works to maintain natural darkness for ecological and human benefit, with research and standards influencing lighting design and policy across more than 400 parks. Its efforts have helped protect migratory birds, mitigate impacts on plant life, and bolster dark sky tourism. Now facing elimination under proposed stewardship budget cuts — slated to drop from $375 million to $185 million — advocates warn the division’s science-based lighting and sound preservation work may quietly disappear. Groups like DarkSky International are urging Congress to act, citing the division’s unique role in preserving the natural sensory environment of public lands.
This Guardian feature was published on June 13. The Inside Lighting I-Team has been properly admonished for not covering this topic sooner.
