|

Universal Douglas Closes Doors

March 29, 2023

Almost two years to the day that Panasonic Corporation sold Universal Lighting Technologies and Douglas Lighting Controls to Los Angeles-based private equity firm Atar Capital comes news that the recently rebranded Universal Douglas business is expected to stop all operation in July.

According to a letter sent to its customers and reprinted on The Edison Report, the company is “committed to filling as many outstanding customer orders as possible and maximizing recovery value on asset sales.” The customer notice added that a representative will be in contact regarding open orders, customer accounts payable owed, dedicated finished goods inventory on-hand, and assets for sale.

There was no mention of whether warranties for Universal Douglas products already sold would still be honored or what sort of support would be available to update systems already installed and for how long.

Both companies enjoyed a long history in the lighting industry. Nashville-based Universal Lighting Technologies, founded in 1947, most recently manufactured LED lighting solutions for the commercial market with solutions that ranged from LED upgrades and retrofits to connected lighting solutions and IoT digital services. British Columbia-based Douglas Lighting Controls, founded in 1962, developed advanced control systems and end-to-end energy-efficient digital lighting control solutions for commercial buildings, campuses, and sports complexes.

At the time of Atar Capital’s acquisition of both companies, Robert Lezec, Senior Managing Director at Atar, had noted, “The commercial lighting industry is in the midst of a significant transformation as cost-efficient LED light sources are now being supplemented by increasingly sophisticated controls, sensors and networking functionalities. Smart IoT lighting not only helps to drive incremental cost savings, but it also provides a platform for many valuable features within commercial spaces, including data collection and tracking, among others. We see numerous opportunities for these companies to capitalize on this industry-wide trend and we are excited once again to be at the heart of where technology meets sustainability.”

Source: US Lighting Trends

Related Articles


Changing Scene

  • July 10, 2025 - Mac’s II Agencies Announce Addition to Project & Specification Sales Team

    Mac’s II Agencies Announces Addition to Project & Specification Sales Team

    Mac’s II Agencies is pleased to announce that Drazen Jerkovic will be joining their Project & Specification Sales team in the Lighting Division later this fall. With over 25 years of experience in the lighting and electrical industry, Drazen is a highly respected consultant known for his technical knowledge and deep understanding of project delivery. His recent role… Read More…

  • Noramco-Announces-Samantha-Boernsen-as-New-Regional-Sales-Manager-Winnipeg

    Noramco Announces Samantha Boernsen as New Regional Sales Manager, Winnipeg

    Please join Noramco in welcoming Samantha Boernsen as Regional Sales Manager, Winnipeg! Samantha brings a wealth of experience in the electrical industry, with a strong focus on lighting, marketing strategy, and customer engagement. She has built her career on connecting technical expertise with real-world application, making her a trusted partner to clients and colleagues alike.… Read More…


Design


New Products

  • Axis Lighting: MikroLite Sketch 2 Surface Lighting System

    Axis Lighting: MikroLite Sketch 2 Surface Lighting System

    The Sketch 2 now integrates MikroLite, providing unparalleled precision and flexibility in lighting design. MikroLite optics are available in any radius over 18” in single-cell increments of 1.45.” Sketch 2 with MikroLite can be used to create complete low-glare fixtures or as a set of curved downlights, giving you a wide range of design options to suit any space. Read More…

  • BeLuce: Nova UAC-P 2500W Emergency Lighting Power Supply – Pure Sine Wave

    BeLuce: Nova UAC-P 2500W Emergency Lighting Power Supply – Pure Sine Wave

    The Nova UAC-P 2500W is a larger emergency lighting power supply which allows standard lighting to also be used as Emergency Lighting. The Nova UAC-P 2500 will transfer up to 2500W of true sine wave power in the event of a power failure to support egress lighting for 30 minutes. As with the standard Nova… Read More…