The EdisonReport recognizes The Lighting Digest as the 2023 Representative of the Year, a title freshly minted in response to their extraordinary impact on the industry. This accolade crowns a year of achievements by Ashley Williams and her team, propelling them to the forefront of the lighting community in Chicagoland.
The Lighting Digest has swiftly ascended to prominence since opening its doors on January 16, 2023. With Ashley Williams at the helm, the agency has been on an aggressive growth trajectory, spurred by her vision. Your humble editor interviewed Ashley at LEDucation in March, where she stated, “Chicago desperately needed a new agency to come in and gain market share and have fun doing it. I’m devoted to bringing on the best people, getting the best lines, and being a fantastic agency in Chicago.”
With Cooper at its inception, Williams quickly managed to secure contracts with pivotal brands like Xico, Spitzer, and Core Lighting. This foresight meant that on day one, The Lighting Digest was already a beacon of growth and potential, starting with eight employees and quickly accelerating to a robust team of 36.
The numbers speak for themselves—The Lighting Digest boasts an impressive roster of 122 lines, including 26 under the Cooper umbrella, a jump from a total of 52 at LEDucation. Within less than a year, they’ve acquired influential lines such as Acclaim, Amerlux, ERCO, Louis Poulsen, CSL, Prudential, Selux, Kirlin, Sternberg and many more, bolstering their market position and signaling their rising influence. This exponential expansion exemplifies their unprecedented momentum in the highly competitive Chicago market.
“The energy and passion we bring to this market have been stagnant for quite some time,” Ashley remarks. “Morale and culture are very important to me.” It is this very ethos that has enabled The Lighting Digest to capture the essence of innovation and growth within the lighting industry.
The Lighting Digest’s success is not just a result of strategic line acquisition but also the cultivation of a vibrant company culture that values collaboration, energy, and fun. These principles have attracted top talent, such as Lars Christensen, co-founder of Light AZ, who is set to join the spec sales team and serve as an ambassador for brands like Louis Poulsen, Flos, and ERCO.
The agency’s physical space in Geneva, Illinois, mirrors its approach to business—innovative and collaborative. The inside team works in-office from Monday to Wednesday, with remote work on Thursday and Friday, allowing for a balanced, flexible environment that fuels productivity and morale.
Ashley Williams’s has faced unique challenges on her journey to the top, particularly as she overcame biases associated with being a young woman in the lighting industry and the wife of Jim Williams. Facing skepticism and unfounded assumptions—that her husband was the silent architect of her success—Ashley has consistently proved her detractors wrong. “There have been barriers after barriers from day one,” she admits, but emphasizes her independent rise. With resilience and unwavering focus, she has turned the “noise” into a symphony of success. With the agency’s biggest month in November and continuous month-over-month growth, the results speak volumes of her leadership and the team’s collective efforts.
With a strong investment in specification work, the foundation laid today promises to yield exponential growth in the years to come.
EdisonReport’s decision to award The Lighting Digest the Rep of the Year 2023 is a reflection of the disruptive energy they’ve brought to the Chicago lighting scene, dismantling outdated stereotypes. It is a celebration of Ashley Williams’s vision, her team’s accomplishments, and the innovative spirit that drives them forward. This award is not just a reflection of their success but a testament to the transformative power of leadership, innovation, and sheer determination in the world of lighting.