September 22, 2025
Cooper Lighting Buys Nemalux, Eyes Industrial Market Share
Canadian heavy industrial LED brand gives Cooper new access to specialty verticals
When Cooper Lighting Solutions spun out from Eaton five and a half years ago, it stepped into Signify’s global world of lighting with a wide-ranging commercial and industrial portfolio — but it did so with a noticeable gap. Legacy hazardous and heavy-industrial lighting, once the terrain of Eaton’s Crouse-Hinds division and its Pauluhn brand, stayed behind. That lighting frontier — chemical plants, oil refineries, military installations — remained the domain of a handful of entrenched players. This week, Cooper made a decisive move to reclaim ground in that world.
Cooper has announced plans to acquire Calgary-based Nemalux, a 20-year-old manufacturer specializing in hazardous location LED lighting. Known for engineering rugged fixtures suited to the most unforgiving environments — marine, mining, oil and gas, and beyond — Nemalux will join Cooper Lighting Solutions as part of the Signify portfolio.
The acquisition was announced at 6:00 p.m. Central European Time; after the Amsterdam Stock Exchange had closed, where Signify shares are traded. As of press time, no financial filings have been disclosed, a possible sign that the transaction may be immaterial to Signify’s financial statements. The deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter.
A Strategic Plug in the Portfolio
Hazardous location lighting is not the highest volume category. It’s not high bays for warehouses or wall packs for parking garages. It’s a niche — but a critical one — with exacting certification standards and punishing environmental demands. It’s also one where reputations are earned slowly and lost quickly.
Brands like Hazlux (ABB), Killark (Hubbell) and the ever-dominant Crouse-Hinds continue to lead the charge. But until now, Cooper Lighting’s portfolio had few answers for industrial specifiers seeking harsh-location solutions through agent-supported, distribution-centric channels.
This acquisition gives Cooper more than just new SKUs. It’s a move that repositions the company in key verticals like oil and gas, chemical processing, and defense. It also puts a specialized industrial brand into the hands of Cooper’s agent network — many of whom never had access to Eaton’s Crouse-Hinds line even when both were under the same Eaton umbrella.
While Nemalux is currently represented by Cooper Lighting agents in select markets — such as Reflex Lighting in New England and JJM Associates in Richmond, Virginia — it does not appear to have a widely published or expansive network of agent partnerships. If the brand is indeed only represented by a small number of non-Cooper agents, the acquisition is unlikely to create major channel conflicts. Instead, it could present upside for Nemalux, gaining immediate exposure and broader reach through Cooper’s established agent network.
The acquisition also broadens Cooper’s high-abuse offerings, which under the Fail-Safe brand already span critical-use environments such as healthcare, cleanrooms, correctional facilities, and vandal-resistant applications.
Under New Leadership, But Long in the Making
The deal is also the first acquisition to be announced under Signify’s new CEO, As Tempelman, who officially took the reins in Eindhoven on September 1. In the world of mergers and acquisitions, it’s safe to assume that negotiations were well underway before Tempelman’s arrival. Still, his name is now attached to a transaction that could signal a more surgical growth strategy under his tenure.
For Cooper, the acquisition brings a new manufacturing footprint — its first in Canada — and an expanded offering for North American markets. “We are thrilled that Nemalux is joining Signify,” said Kraig Kasler, President of Cooper Lighting Solutions. “With its demonstrated success, established reputation and consistent high performance, we will be adding a very talented team and a highly competitive offering to drive harsh and hazardous lighting growth in the attractive North American market.”
A Canadian Firm with Technical Depth
Founded in 2003 by physicist Jode Himann, Nemalux has grown from a small startup into a respected player in hazardous location lighting. Himann’s early vision — rooted in applying LED technology to real-world industrial and environmental challenges — helped position the company for long-term relevance in highly specialized markets.
Today, Nemalux is led by CEO Samuel Pogosian and remains headquartered in Calgary. The company expanded its capabilities in 2018 with the acquisition of Toronto-based CRS Electronics, further strengthening its engineering base. Nemalux’s product development has remained focused on mission-critical applications, and its Canadian manufacturing operations will remain in place following the acquisition.
For Signify and Cooper, this is more than portfolio expansion — it’s a step toward restoring a category that had become less represented since Cooper’s departure from Eaton. Whether the move shifts market dynamics in harsh and hazardous lighting will depend on how well the integration unfolds, but the foundation is now in place.
