Around the Industry - March 6, 2020

Legrand acquires Focal Point

Legrand, North and Central America (LNCA), West Hartford, CT, recently announced the acquisition, subject to closing, of Focal Point, a Chicago-based privately held manufacturer of architectural lighting products with a 25-year history.

This acquisition is the company’s fifth addition to its Lighting Sector, as Legrand becomes a full-solution provider in the architectural lighting space.

“Today’s acquisition of Focal Point aligns with Legrand’s strategy of investing in companies with shared vision and values, customer centric culture and focus on complementary market segments,” said LNCA President and CEO John Selldorff, in the release. “Focal Point’s strong brand, proven relationships and impressive product portfolio aligns well with our architectural lighting businesses and I’m confident this acquisition will expand not just Legrand’s portfolio but our capacity to serve new market segments and customers.”

Turtle & Hughes to carry ChargePoint electric vehicle chargers

Turtle & Hughes, Linden, NJ, is now a nationwide distributor for ChargePoint Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations. The company said in the press release that ChargePoint is the world’s largest provider of EV charging stations.

“We are committed to encourage and support sustainable solutions in all of our supplier relationships that will change our world for the better,” said Jayne Millard, chairman and co-CEO of Turtle & Hughes, in the press release. “ChargePoint made a commitment to deploy 2.5 million charging spots by 2025. As we help them grow their network and power this new wave of transportation, we are doing our part to accelerate the future of electric mobility. More options to charge while on the road will make it easier for drivers to choose clean-powered vehicles.”

According to a Bloomberg report, “Electrical Vehicle Outlook 2019,” “Over 2 million electric vehicles were sold in 2018, up from just a few thousand in 2010.” The report said annual EV charger passenger car sales are expected to rise to 10 million in 2025, 28 million in 2030 and 56 million in 2040. The Department of Energy estimates there are currently 29,439 EV public and private charging station across the U.S. with a total of 87,984 charging outlets. It also found that drivers with access to charging stations are six times more likely to switch to EVs.