As previously reported in LightNOW, China has signaled that it may use its near monopoly on rare earths–used in a wide variety of products including fluorescent lamps and LED lighting–as a weapon in its trade war with the United States. David Shiller, President of Lighting Solution Development, argues that while this may be disruptive, there may be a bright side.
Lighting Industry
Bain, Carlyle Offers to Buy OSRAM for $3.8 Billion
A bidding consortium composed of Bain Capital and The Carlyle Group has presented to the boards of OSRAM Licht AG a legally binding transaction offer for the public takeover of all the shares of the company.
Signify Launches Trulifi
Signify recently announced it has launched a new range of LiFi systems, branded Trulifi, which leverages existing and future professional luminaires. Instead of using radio signals (such as WiFi, 4G/5G, Bluetooth, etc.), Trulifi uses light waves to enable reliable and secure two-way wireless communications at speeds far above most conventional workplace wireless technologies.
Acuity Brands Announces Acquisition of WhiteOptics
Acuity Brands, Inc. recently announced it has acquired WhiteOptics, LLC, a New Castle, DE-based manufacturer of advanced optical components used to reflect, diffuse, and control light for LED lighting used in commercial and institutional applications.
Detroit Sues Leotek Electronics Over Failed Streetlights
The City of Detroit has filed a lawsuit against California-based LED lighting manufacturer Leotek Electronics USA, claiming more than 20,000 of the 25,000+ streetlights purchased and installed less than five years ago are failing, with the manufacturer refusing to honor its 10-year warranty.
H.E. Williams, Inc. Acquires Platformatics, Inc.
H.E. Williams, Inc. has announced the acquisition of Platformatics, Inc., a provider of network-based systems for the smart building Internet of Things (IoT) industry.
ElectricalTrends.com Identifies Selling Direct as Potentially Growing Trend
Distributor-focused website ElectricalTrends.com’s Q418 Pulse of Lighting survey found that lighting manufacturers selling direct was frequently mentioned as a market dynamic among respondents. Not only are smaller companies engaging in direct sales but larger, well-known companies as well, respondents said, potentially marking it as a trend. Citing examples such as Acuity, Cree, and LSI, the [...]
IoT Ready Alliance Folds Into Zhaga Consortium
Zhaga and the IoT Ready Alliance recently announced that they have agreed to align their efforts and to proceed as a single organization under the Zhaga Consortium. The objective is to foster a harmonized, global set of interface specifications for sensor-to-luminaire integration and to remove confusion in the industry.
Cree to Sell Lighting Business to IDEAL INDUSTRIES
Today, Cree, Inc. announced the execution of a definitive agreement to sell its Lighting Products business unit (Cree Lighting), which includes the LED luminaires, lamps, and corporate lighting solutions business for commercial, industrial and consumer applications, to IDEAL INDUSTRIES, INC.
Egret Consulting Survey Evaluates Lighting Manufacturer Rep Market
ELECTRICAL WHOLESALING recently published an article contributed by Egret Consulting’s Ted Konnerth, which evaluated the results of a company survey of lighting manufacturer reps. Key conclusions include the big firms have gotten bigger, firms are adding more lines and dealing with greater complexity, and major manufacturers are prioritizing projects over a stock-and-flow business.
Lighting Solution Development
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