?For the last century, lighting has changed how we live, work and play,? said Zia Eftekhar, President of Lightolier, ?and Lightolier has been a leader throughout.?

Leading the Industry

In the early 1900's, lighting was mostly produced by gas. While Thomas Edison pioneered the light bulb 25 years earlier, it was not yet popularized, nor were electric lighting products widely available. Lightolier helped to change that.

Originally named the New York Gas and Appliance Company, the company first distributed both gas and electric fixtures, which were mostly sold as component kits. The company quickly distinguished itself by styling and manufacturing its own designs. An early success was the addition of tasseled fringes to fixture shades. The name Lightolier, adopted in 1919, combined ?light? with ?chandelier.? and signaled the company's transformation into a forward-looking business.

From the outset, Lightolier was an innovative marketer. Its early advertising efforts linked good lighting with good living. ?After Sunset, Lightolier,? was a memorable slogan, reflecting the fact that early electric lighting was mostly used at night. A 1925 sales brochure, entitled The Charm of a Light Conditioned Home , educated consumers about the value of good lighting, subtly underscoring the benefits of Lightolier fixtures. By the 1920s, Lightolier was already a well-known brand and recognized for its leadership.

Throughout its formative years, Lightolier developed relationships with the lighting dealers that were springing up around the country. Lightolier helped them communicate and sell the benefits of good lighting and pioneered the use of demonstration facilities. Today, Lightolier products are sold into the home market through leading lighting showrooms and, commercially, through lighting and electrical distributors.

Moses Blitzer succeeded his father in 1928 and headed the company for the next four decades. His vision for Lightolier set out a strategy of innovation, together with a people-oriented culture: ?Do it first. Do it better. Make a life while you make a living.? It remains the touchstone for the company today.

Introducing Innovative Products

After World War II, Lightolier entered the architectural lighting market, setting the pace in lighting performance, design, and energy efficiency. The company's modern designs combined flexibility and a sharp sense of style. Its Lytegem high intensity lamp was recognized by New York City's Museum of Modern Art for its permanent design collection. Lightolier introduced the first track lighting in the 1960's, creating a lighting fashion in homes, stores and museums that endures today. Lightolier developed the leading recessed downlights and pioneered their use in home lighting.

In the 1970's, Lightolier pioneered high-performance fluorescent lighting systems for office workspaces and schools. In 1986, the company entered the lighting controls business with the first digital dimmers; energy controls followed in 1991. Since the 1990s, Lightolier has emphasized energy smart design throughout its products. Store lighting in particular, both brighter and more efficient, has benefited from Lightolier's innovations.

?Lightolier has taken the risks that result in a century of innovation and leadership. Everyone in our industry owes a debt of gratitude to this lighting leader as we explore new and better ways to light our world,? said Dr. Mark Rea, Professor and Director of the Lighting Research Center, Renesselaer Polytechnic Institute.

As it has throughout its history, Lightolier continues to introduce new products annually. This year's centennial introductions will be the company's largest ever, with over 3,000 products directed at both the commercial and residential markets.

Lightolier Lighting - Today and Tomorrow

Today, Lightolier's lighting systems can be seen in skyscrapers, museums and resort hotels, including such noted structures as the Seagram Building, Citicorp Tower and Museum of Modern Art in New York City; the Hancock Towers in Boston; the Los Angeles Convention Center; Disney's Dolphin Hotel in Orlando; and the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.

As the flagship division of Genlyte Thomas Group LLC, Lightolier's leadership continues. ?We are developing technologies that will transform lighting by giving people more control over its effects,? said Eftekhar. ?In the office, workers will be able to control their personal lighting space directly from their desktop computer. At home, pushbutton dimming and central control are becoming popular techniques. Lightolier's proficiency with energy efficient lighting is also leading us to develop products that will better serve America's aging eyes.?

Celebrating the Centennial

Throughout 2004, Lightolier will recognize the centennial in a number of special ways. The company is renovating its innovative TechCenter lighting demonstration and education facility. It is reproducing the Lytegem high intensity lamp, a 1960s icon, for sale in design stores beginning in the spring. The company will publish its history, Lighting That Makes a Difference ? The First Hundred Years, along with a commemorative video produced to honor a century of lighting innovation and the people behind it. Observes Eftekhar, ?We are proud of our record of innovation and breakthrough products that deliver better lighting. But our story is really about Lightolier people ? for five generations it has been their passion that has made us the company we are today.?

Lightolier offers a full line of lighting fixtures, including: track, fluorescent, downlights, decorative and advanced dimming control systems. Headquartered in Fall River, Massachusetts, Lightolier is dedicated to providing creative lighting solutions for both commercial and residential lighting needs.