What Ardd + Winter does

Ardd + Winter is a manufacturers' representative agency for commercial lighting and controls, founded in 1968 and headquartered in Norcross, Georgia. The firm represents a diversified portfolio of lighting manufacturers - led by Cooper Lighting Solutions as the primary partner, with additional lines including Leviton (Visioneering and Certolux), BEGA, Axis Lighting, Luminii, Focal Point, iGuzzini, Vista, Ephesus, and others - and earns commissions on sales specified through its territory-based sales teams. It operates seven offices across the Southeast United States (Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, and South Carolina) and serves architects, interior designers, electrical contractors, electrical distributors, and facility owners across healthcare, education, sports and recreation, commercial, industrial, and municipal end markets. Notable reference projects include Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Arthur M. Blank Hospital, the Jacksonville Jaguars headquarters, a 380,000 sq ft Southeast Toyota distribution facility, and the Grant Park Gateway public destination.

The company's go-to-market is built on direct specification sales: outside specification sales representatives engage architects and designers from early design phases, while separate contractor/distributor sales teams support installation partners. A formal five-step "Proven Process" (Assess, Design, Preconstruction, Project Management, On-Site Solutions) structures project delivery from concept through commissioning. The firm has invested in a dedicated lighting controls practice (Controls Lead, controls-trained Project Support Technicians, controls-specific customer support) and in an educational content platform (blog, video library, lunch-and-learn content) to differentiate on technical expertise rather than product price. Marketing channels include organic social (LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook), email newsletters, and thought-leadership content.

Ardd + Winter is a privately held, employee-owned company: in January 2023, longtime employees Marty Hall and Matt Bobo acquired full ownership from the founding Ardd family. Growth has come through a combination of organic expansion and roll-up mergers - CK Lighting (2018, Savannah), Palmetto Lighting Solutions (2022, Greenville/Charleston), and the JAW Lighting territory transition (2025, Tennessee) - which the firm has executed with explicit backing from its manufacturer partners, particularly Cooper Lighting Solutions. There is no disclosed external institutional ownership, no venture or private equity investment, and no public-market presence.

Name

Ardd + Winter

Legal name

Ardd-Winter, Inc.

Website

https://awlights.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Ardd + Winter is an employee-owned manufacturers' representative agency founded in 1968, representing Cooper Lighting, Leviton, BEGA, and other commercial lighting manufacturers across seven Southeast U.S. offices, serving architects, contractors, and facility owners in healthcare, education, sports, and commercial sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Norcross

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Manufacturer Representative Commissions: Ardd + Winter operates as a manufacturer's representative agency, earning commissions from lighting manufacturers for representing their product lines and facilitating sales through specification, specification sales, and contractor support. Revenue is generated through commissions on products sold through their represented manufacturers such as Cooper Lighting Solutions, BEGA, Axis Lighting, and others.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Ardd + Winter is a manufacturers' representative agency for commercial lighting and controls in the Southeast U.S., connecting architects, designers, contractors, and facility managers with lighting manufacturers such as Cooper Lighting Solutions, BEGA, Axis Lighting, Luminii, Focal Point, and Leviton. The firm delivers specification guidance, photometrics analysis, project management, and on-site installation support via a structured five-step Proven Process spanning assessment, design, preconstruction, project management, and on-site solutions. Revenue is earned through commissions on sales of represented product lines to commercial construction and facility projects.

Product overview

Ardd + Winter is a manufacturers' representative for commercial lighting and controls, serving the Southeast U.S. with offices in Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, and Tennessee. The company represents a comprehensive portfolio of lighting manufacturers including Cooper Lighting Solutions (Metalux, Neo-Ray, Corelite, WaveLinx), BEGA, Luminii, Focal Point, Axis Lighting, Vista Pro Lighting, Kenall, iGuzzini, Acclaim, KLIK USA, Leviton (Visioneering, Certolux), Fail-Safe, Sky Factory, Visa Lighting, and others. Their service offering centers on a five-step Proven Process methodology spanning Assess, Design, Preconstruction, Project Management, and On-Site Solutions. The company specializes in healthcare, education, sports entertainment, commercial, and special-use lighting applications, providing integrated lighting and controls solutions from specification through installation. They also maintain an educational resource platform including a video library, blog articles, and manufacturer lunch-and-learn content.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Commercial Lighting Representative Services End-to-end manufacturers' representation for commercial lighting and controls, providing specification guidance, project coordination, and on-site support from concept through installation for architects, designers, contractors, and facility managers in the Southeast U.S.
• Proven Process Project Methodology A five-step project delivery methodology covering Assess (understanding project scope), Design (crafting lighting strategy), Preconstruction (budgeting and feasibility), Project Management (order tracking and delivery), and On-Site Solutions (installation support).
• Healthcare Lighting Solutions Integrated lighting platforms for healthcare environments, including front-of-house hospitality lighting, patient care areas with ligature-resistant fixtures, behavioral health spaces, and technical areas such as MRI suites and operating rooms, delivered through represented brands including Fail-Safe, Certolux, and Visioneering.
• Sports Field Lighting Solutions LED sports field lighting systems with cloud-based monitoring platforms providing real-time field status, power alerts, and maintenance notifications for K-12 schools, municipalities, and athletic facilities, represented through partnerships with Ephesus Sports Lighting and Acclaim Lighting.
• Lighting Controls Design Services Lighting controls design services ranging from simple sensor layouts to complex healthcare environments, including design support, controls and shop drawings, preconstruction meetings, startup/commissioning, and training for projects across commercial, healthcare, and education markets.
• Commercial Landscape and Exterior Lighting Strategic exterior lighting design services for healthcare campuses, higher education, mixed-use developments, and corporate environments, focused on sustainability, dark sky compliance, and long-term reliability, leveraging BEGA, Vista Professional Outdoor Lighting, and Acclaim Lighting product lines.

Quantifiable outcome

• Saved approximately $120,000 on one project by identifying need for emergency circuits and daylighting controls during project management review
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Leviton (Visioneering and Certolux brands)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 February 2026Ardd + Winter selected Leviton's Visioneering and Certolux brands as a strategic partnership. Visioneering provides architectural lighting while Certolux focuses on healthcare, cleanroom, confinement, and behavioral health applications. The partnership leverages Ardd + Winter's healthcare connections in the Southeast.
• Cooper Lighting SolutionscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2025Cooper Lighting Solutions is Ardd + Winter's primary manufacturer partner. The strategic transition in 2025 included expansion into Tennessee markets following JAW Lighting's retirement. Ardd + Winter has been a long-standing Cooper Lighting representative with deep product knowledge and full portfolio support.
• JAW Lighting (Jim Williams)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 June 2025Strategic transition following retirement of JAW Lighting founder Jim Williams. Ardd + Winter acquired JAW Lighting's Tennessee territories (Nashville, Knoxville, Chattanooga) with full support from Cooper Lighting Solutions, ensuring continuity of service for existing customers.
• BEGA LightingmajorTechnology or IntegrationRepresents BEGA's architectural lighting products including in-grade lighting, exterior fixtures, and indoor architectural solutions with innovations like Ultradark Optics, Vortex Optics, and TriCoat Protection.
• Axis LightingmajorTechnology or IntegrationRepresents Axis Lighting's architectural fixtures including the StencilFlex line-voltage system combining general and track lighting in a flexible framework.
• LuminiimajorTechnology or IntegrationRepresents Luminii's architectural lighting including the Alva Lighting brand for demanding environments and Basics by Luminii product line.
• Focal PointmajorTechnology or IntegrationRepresents Focal Point's commercial lighting including the Seem 2 Acoustic and ID+ Pure Cylinder product lines for offices, education, and healthcare.
• iGuzzinimajorTechnology or IntegrationRepresents iGuzzini's architectural lighting including the Laser Blade family and Opti Diamond Technology for high-performance architectural applications.
• Certolux (Leviton)majorTechnology or IntegrationPart of Leviton partnership, Certolux provides high-performance healthcare and behavioral health luminaires for the Southeast market.
• Fail-Safe (Cooper Lighting)majorTechnology or IntegrationFail-Safe provides OR, clean-room, exam, and specialized medical fixtures as part of Cooper Lighting Solutions family.
• Acclaim LightingmajorTechnology or IntegrationRepresents Acclaim Lighting including the Unity S1 floodlight with Spectrum Five Technology for sports and architectural applications.
• Vista Professional Outdoor LightingmajorTechnology or IntegrationRepresents Vista's outdoor lighting including the Spectra DMX-controlled RGBW linear lighting series for wall grazing and sign lighting.
• Ephesus Sports LightingmajorTechnology or IntegrationRepresents Ephesus Sports Lighting for stadium and field lighting solutions with smart controls and cloud-based management.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Acuity Brands: Acuity Brands is one of North America's largest lighting and building solutions manufacturers. It sits upstream of Ardd + Winter as a major represented (or potentially competing) brand and shapes territory assignments, pricing, and the specification tools used across the industry.
• Hubbell Lighting: Hubbell Lighting is a major North American lighting fixture and controls manufacturer with broad commercial and industrial portfolios. It competes with Cooper, Acuity, and other manufacturers that Ardd + Winter represents, and could emerge as a partner or a threat to the agency's line-card positioning.
• Rexel USA: Rexel is one of the largest global electrical distribution groups, with a substantial lighting and controls business in the US. As both a customer (through contractor purchasing) and potential disintermediator, Rexel intersects with Ardd + Winter's distribution-partner and contractor channels.
• Signify (formerly Philips Lighting): Signify is the global leader in lighting (formerly Philips Lighting) and parent of Cooper Lighting Solutions. As the largest lighting manufacturer globally, it shapes rep-agency economics, line assignments, and direct specification programs that affect independent reps like Ardd + Winter.
• Cooper Lighting Solutions: Cooper Lighting Solutions (a Signify business) is Ardd + Winter's primary manufacturer partner and a major North American lighting fixture and controls maker. It is a principal counterparty whose rep-agency decisions materially drive Ardd + Winter's revenue and territory footprint.

Others

• Consolidated Electrical Distributors (CED): CED is the largest privately held electrical distributor in the US and a key channel partner for Ardd + Winter (multiple employees are CED alumni). CED influences lighting product flow to contractors in the Southeast and shapes how effectively specifiers convert to purchase.

Direct peers

• Billows Electric Supply: Billows Electric Supply is a Mid-Atlantic electrical distributor and lighting specialist serving commercial and residential contractors. It overlaps with Ardd + Winter's contractor-distributor channel and competes for specification influence on lighting projects in adjacent geographies.
• Wiedenman-Brown & Associates: Wiedenman-Brown & Associates is a regional lighting manufacturer's representative agency serving commercial and architectural markets. It competes with Ardd + Winter for specifier mindshare and manufacturer line assignments in the Mid-Atlantic / Southeast corridor.
• The Lighting Quotient: The Lighting Quotient is an independent lighting manufacturer's representative agency serving the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast with architectural and specification-grade lighting lines. It shares Ardd + Winter's rep-based go-to-market, enterprise project focus, and relationship-driven specification sales motion.
• SESCO Lighting: SESCO Lighting is a Florida-based independent lighting manufacturer's representative agency serving architects, designers, and contractors. It directly competes with Ardd + Winter in Florida and adjacent Southeast markets with a similar commission-based rep model and comparable manufacturer line cards.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Ardd-Winter/175806712483384
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/awlights
• Instagraminstagram.com/awlights
• Xx.com/AWlights

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ardd + Winter