1904

Bernhard Blitzer founds the New York Gas Appliance Company in the Bowery section of New York City, initially selling gas lighting fixtures as well as the newer electric lighting devices.

1910

Lightolier begins to develop its own designs.

1919

The company renames itself Lightolier, a combination of light and chandelier.

1925

Lightolier develops publications such as the company's stylebook, The Handbook of Lighting Fixture Success and The Charm of a Light Conditioned Home, which help educate the industry as well as the consumer marketplace about the value of good lighting.

1926

Lightolier crosses the Hudson, moving its headquarters to Jersey City, New Jersey and beginning major manufacturing operations.

1934

The New York City showroom moves uptown to 36 th Street and includes a separate demonstration space.

1947

Lightolier develops Optiplex the first modular enclosed fluorescent fixture. Optiplex is installed in offices at Rockefeller Center.

1955

Lightolier introduces flexible and functional design into its decorative lighting, including the first pulley reel and traveler track pendants.

1958

The Seagram's Building in New York City selects Lightolier to provide the luminous ceilings for its perimeter offices. The landmark installation raises the company's profile in the architectural community.

1959

Lightolier introduces Multigroove , the first downlight with a finely textured baffle for glare control, leads lighting fashion toward downlighting and to the rise of Lightolier's broad line of Calculite incandescent downlights.

1961

Lytespan , the first track lighting system is introduced. Inspired by the pole lamp, Lytespan plays a significant role in transforming store and museum lighting and is the company's most often-cited example of ?do it first, do it better.?

1964

Lightolier develops Lytecaster , the first downlights marketed as a frame-in kit and separate reflector (now the standard approach).

1965

The Lytegem high-intensity lamp is selected for the Museum of Modern Art.

1967

High Visual Performance (HVP) is one of the first parabolic fixtures for comfortable and efficient office lighting . The design changes the appearance of commercial spaces for over three decades. Early installations include such high profile buildings as the Boston's John Hancock Tower in Boston and New York's Citicorp Center.

1969

Lightolier becomes a publicly traded company, 35 years after issuing equity to key employees.

1975

Lightolier introduces Lytetube pendant fluorescent lighting, which grows into broad line of indirect lighting for offices and schools.

1981

Lightolier is acquired by Bairnco Corporation.

1984

Together with Bairnco's other lighting entities, Lightolier forms Genlyte, which goes public as The Genlyte Group in 1988, with Lightolier as Genlyte's flagship company. Lightolier moves a short distance from Jersey City to Secaucus, New Jersey.

1986

Lightolier enters the dimming controls business with Scenist , the first all-in-one-box dimming system for residential and commercial applications.

1992

Lightolier develops GENESYS , the first full feature electronic lighting design workstation.

1993

The first electronically ballasted compact fluorescent downlights are introduced to offer superior energy savings and comfortable operation.

1994

The company moves its headquarters to Fall River, Massachusetts, home of its largest manufacturing operation. In 1996, Lightolier opens its TechCenter, its fourth generation of demonstration and education facilities, in Fall River.

2001

ATOM, a remotely controlled electronic module for Lytespan track, permits, for the first time, individual track fixtures to be controlled separately, like theatrical lighting.

2003

iGEN introduces a new generation of flexibly controlled office lighting , providing total dimming flexibility, allowing office occupants total personal control of the fixtures immediately overhead.

2004

Lightolier celebrates a century of leadership and innovation in lighting with the renovation of its TechCenter, publishing of Lighting that Makes a Difference ? the First Hundred Year (history in print and DVD), and development of a companion video presentation.

The company launches the largest product release in its history with new miniature HID and low voltage downlights, track, decorative, and fluorescent fixtures.