Acuity to Close Minnesota Facility in November
Last week Acuity Brands announced its Winona Lighting factory will be closed permanently by November 30.
According to several area news sources in the Winona, Minnesota area, Acuity Lighting will be shutting down its Winona Lighting production facility and headquarters by the end of November. Approximately 86 employees will be laid off.
In Minnesota, a WARN notice is issued if 100 or more full-time employees will be laid off, or more than 50 at a single site. Acuity Brands Lighting issued a WARN notice on June 17 that provided formal notice that it would be closing its facility on or around November 30, 2026 (or during the 30-day period following that date). The closure is expected to be permanent.
Some of the impacted employees are represented by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW). As such, those workers have “bumping rights,” which as detailed by the Winona Post, gives them the option to relocate and take a job at a different Acuity facility, if it is held by a less senior employee.
In addition, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) offers programs to assist workers following mass layoffs.
Winona Lighting had a long history in the area. It was founded in 1960 and specialized in stained glass lighting before segueing into architectural and performance lighting products.
Acuity (as Acuity Brands) acquired Winona in October 2010 as a cash transaction. At the time, the company said, “Winona Lighting serves the commercial, retail, and institutional markets with a product portfolio of high-quality and design-oriented luminaires suitable for decorative, custom, asymmetric, and landscape lighting applications.”
Noted Acuity’s then-President and CEO Vernon J. Nagel, Chairman, “The acquisition of Winona Lighting strengthens our presence with the design community, while providing opportunities to further leverage our capabilities and broad market access across their entire product portfolio. This includes the integration of design with advanced new technologies such as performance optics, solid-state lighting and lighting controls.”
