Acuity Brands Signs Deal with Grainger to Sell Lithonia, Holophane, Hydrel Brands

June 21, 2002
Acuity Brands Inc., Atlanta, has signed an agreement with W.W. Grainger, Skokie, Ill., to act as Grainger's primary provider of lighting fixtures, including

Acuity Brands Inc., Atlanta, has signed an agreement with W.W. Grainger, Skokie, Ill., to act as Grainger's primary provider of lighting fixtures, including products from the Holophane, Lithonia and Hydrel brands, to Grainger's catalog, field sales and Internet distribution businesses. The agreement was effective June 1.

Under the agreement, the Acuity Lighting Group will provide Grainger with linear fluorescent lighting products, indoor and outdoor HID, exit signs and emergency units, track lighting, recessed lighting and rough surface lighting.

Acuity Brands Inc. was formed in late 2001 when National Service Industries spun off Lithonia and other related lighting companies as a public company.

Terms of the agreement were not available at press time.

“This partnership with Grainger will accelerate our growth in the industrial, government, retail and health care markets,” according to Ken Honeycutt, president and CEO of the Acuity Lighting Group. “It will be a perfect complement to Lithonia's and Holophane's historical selling strength in the commercial and industrial market segments.”

Lithonia had previously supplied Grainger with some lighting products, including emergency lighting and exit sign product, for the past year. Under this agreement, however, the Acuity Lighting Group will provide Grainger with the “lion's share of the business” in the commercial and industrial lighting covered by this agreement. Grainger will continue to rely on other sources of lighting besides the Acuity Lighting Group.

The Acuity Lighting Group's products will be distributed wherever the Grainger catalog is distributed, sources said. The Acuity Lighting Group did not provide any information on what volume of business it expects to do with Grainger under the agreement.