Acuity to Sell NYC Agency to Philadelphia Rep

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Acuity Brands is selling its agency, New York Digital, to Illuminations Inc., the current Acuity Brands agent in Philadelphia

In a move that appears to be a win-win-win, Acuity Brands exits the front-line agency business while the New York Digital team can serve specifiers with more independent autonomy that will play well in a "non-package" market like NYC. Illuminations, Inc's home market of Philadelphia will soon be its 2nd largest market.

This is the second time in two months that a Philadelphia agent moves into New York City. In January, Synergy Electrical Sales and Pyramid Lighting Group joined forces.

With the move, Illuminations Inc now has North Jersey surrounded, but long-time Acuity Brands stronghold, Liberty Lighting Group is seemingly well-entrenched and not going anywhere.

Let's load up the E-ZPass and see how this one plays out. Below is the press release from Illuminations, Inc.

West Chester, PA February 18, 2021 – Illuminations Inc., headquartered in West Chester, PA, is pleased to announce the expansion of its agency into the metro New York City market on March 1, 2021. As part of this growth, Illuminations is excited to announce that they have acquired New York Digital from Acuity Brands, Inc. (NYSE: AYI) and will operate in the metro New York city region under the name Illuminations, Inc. “Over the last decade, we have seen enormous synergies emerge between the metro Philadelphia and the greater New York City market,” said George Lyngarkos, CEO of the Illuminations, Inc. “More designers, contractors, distributors and developers than ever before are doing major work in both markets – the fact that we are now the first major lighting agent to service both of these key regions will be a massive benefit for our customers as they utilize our best in class service platforms and product line offerings.”

The linecard for the metro New York City region will be announced shortly, but the list will be headlined by Acuity Brands, the largest fixture and controls manufacturing company in North America. Jose Cordova, Vice President of C&I sales for Acuity said in a statement, “We are thrilled with the expansion of Illuminations Inc. into the New York City market representing Acuity Brands. Their connectivity with customers, combined with Acuity’s ever-expanding service platforms, will be transformational in this market space.”

Joining Illuminations in Principal leadership roles will be Erik Frykholm and Chris McQuillan. Erik Frykholm, formerly the Vice President of C&I Sales for the Northeast for Acuity, articulated, “I have known Illuminations, Inc. and their staff for over a decade. The chance to be part of a legacy agency of their caliber at a crucial juncture in our industry’s history, in markets as dynamic as New York and Philadelphia, is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I look forward to working with all of our product lines to create the most dynamic, service oriented and forward-thinking manufacturer’s representative agency in the country.” Illuminations, Inc. and their staff of over 90 employees, will continue to operate out of their existing location in West Chester, PA. The New York operation will work out of office space at 5 Penn Plaza in Midtown Manhattan.

About Illuminations Inc.
In 30+ years in business, Illuminations, Inc. has grown into a full-service agency representing the entire spectrum of lighting, controls, and shading systems – a combination that enables us to provide comprehensive solutions for any project. We partner with world class manufacturers and make quality investments to operate at the forefront of our community. Our dedication to hard work, responsiveness, and diligence has fostered lifelong friendships and relationships among the Specification, Distributor and Contractor communities. We value the diverse professional backgrounds of our team - from an array of design, construction, sales, and manufacturing roles - which strengthens our well-rounded expertise. Devotion to excellent service from project inception to completion sets us apart from our competition. Through a fundamental belief in providing extraordinary service, we emerge as the clear choice for all your project solutions.
https://illuminationsinc.com/