What’s in a Name? When the Name Is Cree, Apparently Three.

The lighting industry is experiencing a new kind of identity crisis—Cree brand confusion.

Three Companies, One Name

This morning, Feit Electric issued a press release regarding their residential line sold exclusively at Lowe’s. In their email, Feit writes that they “acquired the Cree Lighting brand.” For many readers, that line suggests Feit bought recently furloughed Cree Lighting entirely.

Today, three different companies use the Cree name:

• Cree Lighting — commercial and industrial products, the former Ruud Lighting. Owned by ADLT.

• Cree LED — LED chip and component business. Owned by Penguin Solutions.

• Cree Lighting Home — residential-only branding. Owned by Feit Electric.

The products, leadership, and ownership are different, yet all rely on the same recognizable name. No wonder customers—and even some distributors—are unsure which Cree is which.

Where Things Get Confusing

Feit’s press release links to CreeLightingHome.com. Once there, visitors encounter a link that leads to commercial lighting fixtures. That link makes it appear as though Feit controls the commercial side of Cree Lighting, not simply the residential brand.

Because of the mixed signals, I contacted Sabu Krishnan, CEO of ADLT, which owns Cree Lighting’s commercial business. Sabu clarified that nothing has changed on their side. Feit bought rights to use the Cree Lighting brand solely for residential lighting, and that transaction took place back in October. To help customers navigate between residential and commercial offerings, Cree Lighting and Feit agreed to link to each other’s websites. Unfortunately, that well-intentioned convenience adds fuel to the ongoing Cree Lighting brand confusion.

We did hear from Dana Knight of Feit Electric. Dana stated, ” Cree Lighting is a registered trademark of Feit Electric Company, Inc.”

If in fact Feit owns the Cree Lighting brand, how do we refer to the company, formerly known as Ruud Lighting, that sits in Racine, Wisconsin, with a lot of world-class manufacturing equipment and a furloughed workforce?

The Real Point of Feit’s Announcement

Feit’s news today had little to do with ownership. The real message focused on their brand partnership with Mayim Bialik—actress, neuroscientist, and star of The Big Bang Theory and Blossom. She will represent Cree Lighting Home as they position their residential line as a premium offering.

Pairing a neuroscientist with a lighting brand is a clever move. Ironically, it may take a neuroscientist to navigate the three separate Cree entities.

Final Thoughts

The Cree name carries significant value. Consumers know it. Electrical distributors trust it. That equity explains why multiple companies want to stand under the same brand.

Yet if three different companies continue to operate as “Cree,” using similar logos, and two of those link to each other’s sites, Cree brand confusion will remain. The industry might eventually need a flowchart to determine which Cree a customer is trying to reach.

I am showing my age, but it reminds of the the 1970s game show, To Tell the Truth. Three contestants all claimed to be the same person, and a celebrity panel tried to figure out who was telling the truth. In our case, at the end of the show, the host would say: “Will the real Cree Lighting please stand up?”  

Go Deeper: Cree Lighting Turbulence Deepens