EdisonReport’s Most Read Articles of the Year
Every year, the EdisonReport reflects on our most-read stories and publishes the Top 10 articles ranked by page views. The articles below are listed in alphabetical order. Notably, we excluded two articles involving our competitor in the spirit of goodwill.
Cooper Lighting Solutions’ Newest Rep: Jim Williams
This was an exciting story to cover, as I received the news while standing just a few feet away from members of the Cooper Lighting Solutions team. Due to an embargo, I couldn’t discuss it with them at the time–but I sure wanted to. I quickly arranged a Zoom interview with Jim Williams and published the article and accompanying video as soon as the embargo lifted.
Crestron Resizes
Rightsizing, re-sizing, layoffs—whatever you call it, these stories are never easy. They’re about people losing jobs, which makes them some of the most difficult articles to write. However, these updates are important for the industry to stay informed about who is hiring and who is reducing their workforce.
Dirk Wald Retires as President of WAC Lighting
This was a fascinating story for me personally, as I’ve known Dirk and Shelley Wald for many years. It’s been incredible to watch them grow WAC Lighting over time. I even had the opportunity to accompany them to the Schonbek showroom right after they acquired the brand during ArchLIGHT Summit. It was their first visit to the showroom post-purchase, and I’m grateful they allowed me to capture that memorable moment in a photo.
EdisonReport Reveals Top 10 MUST SEE Products to be Exhibited at LEDucation
Our “Top 10 MUST SEE” articles are always thrilling to produce. These stories offer our judges (and your humble editor) the chance to review innovative products before they’re revealed to the public. Preparations are already underway for LEDucation 2025, and our team is gearing up to deliver another Top 10 MUST SEE list for LightFair as well.
Menards on IP Litigation: Signify Continues to Pile On
We have done some back of the envelope calculations and the Signify EnabLED program is probably the largest cash cow in our industry. There is a real intensity between Signify, a company who sells lighting, and Menard, a company who buys lighting to resell. The income that Signify will earn from royalties from Menard must far outweigh the income that Signify could earn selling to Menard. As it stands now, the lawyers are getting rich!
Mercury Lighting Sold
It’s surprising this story made our Top 10 list, as it seemed relatively low-profile. Perhaps it was just a slow news day that garnered extra attention for this piece.
Sach Sankpal Named New President of Acuity Brands
As everyone knows Acuity Brands is the largest lighting company in North America and when they have a strategic move, the entire industry wants to know about it. What they have been able to do with their earnings, and consequently their stock price, has been remarkable. The stock price is down recently, only because of the overall market.
Signify Lays off 35 from Genlyte Solutions
As everyone knows Signify is the largest lighting company in world and when they have a strategic move, the entire industry wants to know about it. This was a very big move and put a lot of good people on the market.
Spencer Bolgard Announces Resignation as President & CEO of MaxLite
Spencer Bolgard’s leadership drove remarkable growth at MaxLite, making his resignation an unexpected development. Following his departure, I visited MaxLite to learn more about their operations. Their work in controls, including a patent for USB-C technology, continues to position them as an industry leader.
Troubles at Saylite
Writing this article presented unique challenges. As Saylite began unraveling, there was a period of confusion where even employees were unsure who was in charge. I spent a lot of time trying to decide the title, but I think I captured it perfectly as they are now out of business.
As we look forward to the new year, all our industry needs is a little help from the economy and it could be great for all of us. Here is to a healthy, happy, and prosperous 2025!