A newly completed Q4 2025 Lighting Executive Survey conducted by Pompeo Group reveals that most industry leaders closed the year on a positive note, with three-quarters of respondents reporting stronger performance than in 2024. The survey, conducted between October 12 and December 19, gathered insights from senior executives across the lighting industry and was distributed to participants earlier this week.

Who Participated

The respondent pool skewed heavily toward senior leadership, with decision-makers well represented across manufacturers and channel partners.

Survey participants were predominantly senior executives, with 62.5% holding titles such as President, CEO, Chairman, or Managing Director. VPs and Executive VPs accounted for 33.3%, while directors and other roles represented 8.4%.

Most respondents (72.4%) came from manufacturing firms, with channel partners—including agencies and distributors—making up 20.6% of responses. Lighting design firms and venture capital representation comprised 6.8%.

2025 Performance Compared to 2024

When asked to compare company performance year over year, results leaned decisively positive:

• 46.4% reported results significantly above 2024

• 28.6% said performance was slightly above the prior year

• 14.3% indicated results were about the same

• Only 10.7% reported performance below 2024

In total, 75% of respondents experienced growth over the previous year, suggesting continued momentum across much of the industry despite ongoing market challenges.

Most Watched and Admired Companies

Participants were also asked to identify companies they are watching or admire within the industry. Acuity led the list with 7.7% of mentions, followed by Lumenwerx at 4.6%. A second tier of companies—including Graybar, Keystone, Legrand, Signify, and SDA—each received 3.1% of responses. A wide range of manufacturers, agencies, designers, and distributors received single mentions, reflecting the industry’s diversity and competitive landscape.

Consulting Needs Looking Ahead to 2026

Looking forward, executives identified engineering and marketing as the top areas where outside consulting support may be needed in 2026, each cited by 29.4% of respondents. Inside sales, customer service, and quotation support followed at 14.7%, while executive consulting and other functional areas such as IT, finance, M&A, and operations each received 11.8% of responses. Controls consulting ranked lowest at 2.9%.

Views on the ‘Super-Agent’ Trend

One of the more divisive topics addressed was the ongoing “super-agent” consolidation trend within the channel. Half of respondents (50%) believe the trend is actively weakening the channel by eroding personal relationships and specialization. Nearly 30% view it as having both positive and negative effects, while 16.6% feel it is still too early to assess long-term impact. Only 4.2% believe the trend is clearly strengthening the channel through efficiency and consolidation.

Many executives expressed concern that super-agents, while efficient in some respects, could erode personal relationships, limit specialization, and reduce profitability for manufacturers.

“I wouldn’t put all my eggs in one basket…if I’m looking for a rep agent, I’d rather look at five independent reps in territories than one major one. I think it’s bad for the industry.”

Others highlighted the continued value of strong local relationships and personalized service:

“Everyone seems to gravitate to the ability to communicate directly with a company and that person…excellent customer service shows they are important to the business.”

Outlook

The survey results point to a lighting industry that ended 2025 on solid footing, with strong performance across most respondents and cautious optimism heading into 2026. At the same time, concerns around channel consolidation and evolving consulting needs suggest executives remain focused on adapting their organizations to a rapidly changing marketplace.

Additional executive commentary on fourth-quarter conditions accompanied the survey results, offering further context on how industry leaders are positioning their businesses for the year ahead.