December 1, 2025
Musco Lighting Acquires LED Screen Business
Acquisition brings Insane Impact’s video walls and event screens into Musco brand
Musco Lighting, the Iowa-based sports lighting leader, is making a play for screens. On November 26, the company announced its intent to acquire of Insane Impact, a Des Moines maker of mobile LED display trailers and custom video walls — used everywhere from tailgates to municipal events. The transaction is expected to close "later this year" and terms were not disclosed.
Founded in 2015 by Tod Puetz, Insane Impact is in the business of high-brightness, high-durability LED screens designed for outdoor environments. Its business is split between permanent LED wall installations and the rental or sale of self-contained mobile trailers, often used for live event viewing, branding, and video playback.
The deal marks a convergence of two collaborating companies. Puetz told The Des Moines Register that Insane Impact and Musco had worked together for “the past three or four years” on projects where lighting and video came together. The acquisition, he said, is about “growth,” with Musco looking to offer a one-stop shop for venue lighting and visual media.
The Des Moines location of Insane Impact will remain open, and all 90 employees were reportedly offered jobs under Musco, with plans to add 15-20 more in the coming year.
A Peculiar Layoff Notice
But two weeks before the announcement, Insane Impact filed a layoff notice with the state of Iowa, signaling the complete closure of Insane Impact. That filing raised eyebrows.
Company officials later described the layoff notice as a “formality that comes with the acquisition,” according to The Des Moines Register. That explanation may well be accurate — but it's not automatic. Layoff notice filings are only legally required in the event of mass layoffs or closures, not for acquisitions.
In practice, attorneys sometimes advise companies to file a legal layoff notice out of caution — particularly if the sale structure technically terminates employment before rehiring under the new owner. Still, the filing suggests there were at least some uncertainties in the background, even if the endgame was positive.
For Puetz, who launched the company ten years ago as Monster HD Productions before rebranding as Insane Impact, the deal marks a turning point. “This is very, very exciting stuff,” he told the Register. “We’re celebrating 10 years... this is the start of the new chapter.”
