5 Things to Know: January 17

Kevin Poyck, CEO of Genlyte Solutions, used a recent Chief Executive interview to redraw the outlines of what Genlyte is — and what it’s becoming. Within Signify’s global structure, Genlyte is being repositioned as a more autonomous, North America–focused operation, with greater control over strategy and day to day execution.

Poyck’s most pointed remarks came in his framing of artificial intelligence — not as a product story, but as an internal tool. Genlyte is deploying it to sharpen workflows: accelerating design, streamlining quoting, and optimizing product search. In other words, not “AI lighting,” but AI for lighting professionals.

And then there’s the brick-and-mortar reality. It’s nothing new for those inside the ecosystem, but it’s uncommon to see the full factory footprint laid out in one place — a useful snapshot of how Genlyte is built to serve the North American market:

United States

• Littlestown, PA — Indoor & outdoor luminaires; 3D-printed architectural lighting (Hadco, Lightolier, Day-Brite CFI). Not mentioned by Poyck, but Cooper Lighting’s Prentalux is made here, too.
• New Oxford, PA — Metal component foundry
• Dallas, TX — Entertainment lighting; controls and power (Vari-Lite)

Canada

• Boisbriand, QC — Outdoor lighting (Lumec)
• Langley, BC — Indoor architectural lighting (Ledalite)

Mexico

• Camargo, Chihuahua — Manufacturing facility
• Monterrey, Nuevo León — Manufacturing facility

For the sixth time in four months, Cree Lighting appears poised to make yet another announcement, and stakeholders across the lighting industry are bracing for déjà vu. Based on the company’s pattern since October 1, an employee memo and partner communication are expected Wednesday or Thursday.

The last five updates, issued just days before each projected return date, have extended the furlough each time. Each message has offered optimism. None have delivered a restart. The current furlough is set to expire on Friday, January 23.

This time, the stakes are higher. Employees still on payroll are operating amid uncertainty about the company’s next steps. Many furloughed team members have moved on. And a fatigued channel is preparing for whatever’s next — whether that’s a comeback, a carve-out, or a quiet wind-down.

Back in December, Inside Lighting examined six ways this saga might actually end. Here’s what we flagged then:

• Majority asset sale to a buyer seeking select product lines
• Temporary restart funded by short-term bridge financing
• Gradual wind-down without formal bankruptcy
• Court-supervised Chapter 7 or 11 bankruptcy filing
• Strategic buyer rescue (unlikely)
• Full, immediate return to operations (very unlikely)

Whatever Cree Lighting announces next should help answer the question: is this a turning point, or just more time on the clock?

A sprawling cache of professional lighting gear — from strobes to followspots to DMX gateways — is hitting the auction block as Tiger Group opens bidding on more than 700 lots from Solotech’s Las Vegas rental depot.

Lighting professionals will spot familiar names like ETC, Chauvet, and High End Systems among the offerings, which include ellipsoidals, moving washes, and long-throw followspots. While most lots appear to include well-seasoned rental-grade equipment, Tiger Group claims that hundreds of pieces remain in factory boxes.

Although the auction spans AV categories — including video walls, consoles, projectors, and audio rigs — the lighting inventory alone reads like a backstage rider for a stadium tour. Bidding runs January 15–22 at SoldTiger.com, with in-person inspections available January 21 in Las Vegas.

As reported by The San Diego Union-Tribune, at San Diego International Airport, a lighting fault forced a 35-minute runway closure just before dusk on Sunday — an inconvenient window at one of the country’s most space-constrained major airports. Notably, the airport has just one runway.

The issue, tied to edge lighting along the runway, was flagged during a routine inspection. Crews completed repairs before nightfall, but inbound flights were delayed by as much as 40 minutes, according to the FAA.

A new study led by Mariana Figueiro of the Mount Sinai Light and Health Research Center explored a deceptively simple question: what happens if blue light is filtered from just one eye during night shifts?

Conducted over six nights, the trial found that short-wavelength filtering on one eye helped preserve melatonin levels without reducing alertness or task performance. Unlike earlier studies that fully occluded one eye, this approach maintained binocular vision and visual function.

It’s a small but intriguing result, particularly for lighting professionals designing environments for shift work. The full study is available via SAGE Journals.