By Geoffrey Marlow, President, Marlow Advisory Group The construction industry has a dirty little secret: the specifications that owners pay thousands of dollars to develop are often treated as suggestions rather than requirements. Specifiers watch their carefully crafted documents get diluted through “equivalent” substitutions. Contractors proudly present value engineering proposals that slash costs while quietly…
In his recent article Why Electric Utilities Still Offer LED Rebates After Fluorescent Bans Mike Cham, CTO of Encentiv Energy, pointed out that utility companies are still providing LED rebates — even as more states are expected to ban fluorescents over the next several years. This is a good time for savvy lighting specifiers and…
Florida-based NEO Architectural Lighting has expanded its brand portfolio beyond F-L Lighting with the addition of three distinguished names in architectural and decorative lighting: PHOS, Nuura, and Made Specific. According to the company, this expansion represents a significant step forward in NEO’s mission to deliver high-quality, flexible, and forward-thinking lighting solutions for the architectural and…
By Sam Rabinowitz, CEO, Lantana LED As the data center industry heeds the call to rein in carbon emissions and energy usage, the spotlight has been cast everywhere but up — literally to the lights illuminating the buildings. Although lighting makes up 17% of all electricity consumed in U.S. commercial buildings, it’s a largely overlooked…
Charleston, S.C.-based Sonepar has announced Alan Rosenfeld, East Region President, will retire on January 3, 2026, following a distinguished 43-year career in the electrical distribution industry. Rosenfeld began his career in a manager trainee program at a regional distributor in California, which later became part of Rexel. Over the next 25 years, he rose to…
Georgia-based commercial and architectural lighting company Peachtree Lighting has launched a newly redesigned website. The rebrand and digital relaunch come under the direction of the company’s new president, Kyle Leighton. The revamped website has been designed to be user-friendly, highly visual, and informative, offering customers and partners easy access to Peachtree’s full range of products,…
Renowned Spanish lighting design studio FARO Barcelona has entered the U.S. market and will be displaying its new lighting collection by Héctor Serrano during BDNY in Manhattan next month. The company noted that the collection, designed and produced in Barcelona, is rooted in two essential principles: the desire to democratize 3D printing for large-scale design,…
Atlas Lighting & Home, a new wholesale importer and distributor of high-quality lighting fixtures, furniture, and décor headquartered in Georgia, has officially launched. With a mission to elevate everyday spaces through products that balance modern design and enduring quality, the company aims to become a trusted partner for the residential, commercial, builder, and hospitality markets….
Florida-based domestic lighting manufacturer Barn Light Electric – a long-time supplier to the residential, commercial, and hospitality channels – has been acquired by lighting solutions company ILLUMUS, parent of GREEN CREATIVE, ILP, and NUROAir headquartered in Sanford, Florida. According to a statement issued by ILLUMUS, the acquisition strengthens its position in the market and rounds…
One of the most popular venues for lighting manufacturers looking to expand their reach into the hospitality market is Boutique Design New York (BDNY), the trade fair and conference for the boutique hospitality design community. Returning to the Jacob K. Javits Center on November 9–10, this two-day event will showcase cutting-edge products, thought-provoking design conversations,…
Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve solicited the industry input into the pulse of the lighting industry in Q3. We had heard, nationally, and on average, that business was challenging, and, for the most part, that’s what the results came in as. Highlights Included: Overall, while there is uncertainty in the market, it was…
New York’s only trade show dedicated exclusively to lighting controls has opened attendee registration for its 2025 edition. NYControlled takes place Wednesday, October 15 at the Metropolitan Pavilion and is presented by the IESNYC and DLFNY. Now in its third year, NYControlled has become a popular event for those ready to learn, connect, and explore…
Renovating an existing building to a completely new type of use is certainly more complicated than new construction, but Bryan Wisniewski, LC, CEO & principal of Wizard Lighting Company in Michigan was up to the challenge. Wizard Lighting is a full-service agency covering the entire state, with offices in Metro Detroit and Downtown Grand Rapids….
By Atlas R, Innerscene Editor’s Note: The WELL v2™ pilot is the next version of the pioneering WELL Building Standard™, the first rating system to focus exclusively on the impacts of buildings on human health and wellness. Lighting has always been central to design, but today, it’s no longer just about how well we see…
Those in the commercial lighting industry might not have been aware of Becky Li before she was named President of WAC Group in May 2024, but her involvement in the company’s back office operations spans three decades. Li began her career with WAC 30 years ago as an accountant before her propensity for being a…
By Geoffrey Marlow, Marlow Advisory Group Where lighting representatives once carried a couple of dozen carefully curated manufacturers, today’s reps routinely represent 80, 100, and even 120+ product lines. This expansion reflects calculated strategic responses to fundamental industry changes driven by evolving specification practices, risk management needs, and complex channel dynamics. The Multi-Name Specification Revolution…