SPI Lighting
SPI Lighting is a privately-held US architectural LED luminaire manufacturer, hand-building specification-grade fixtures at its vertically integrated Mequon, Wisconsin factory and selling through independent sales agencies to architects, lighting designers, and facility owners across North America.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1970
- HeadquartersMequon, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What SPI Lighting does
SPI Lighting (SPI Lighting Holdings, LLC) is a privately-held US manufacturer of architectural LED luminaires, founded in the 1970s and headquartered in Mequon, Wisconsin, where it operates a vertically integrated factory producing fixtures by hand from raw materials. Its product portfolio spans indirect and direct/indirect LED systems (Lightruss, Echo Expanse), minimalist pendants and rings (Zynn, Novato), cylindrical forms (Pavo, Loris), geometric and decorative families (OUTLINES, Cubes, Ashland, Beam, Styk, Vallejo LC), exterior and wet-location luminaires, plus natatorium-specific solutions, with extensive custom design, modification, and hand-painted finish services. Core technology centers on proprietary optical systems (e.g., True Performance Optics), durable construction methods (soldered LED connections, conformal coating, seamless aluminum housings, energized cables), 100% burn-in testing, and interoperability with major wireless lighting controls platforms (Lutron Athena, Current NX, Acuity nLight Air, Enlighted, Encelium, Wattstopper, WaveLinx, Casambi).
SPI Lighting generates revenue through hardware sales of specification-grade luminaires, with pricing not publicly disclosed and accessed via an Agency Hub portal for authorized sales agents. The company sells exclusively through a network of independent specification sales agencies/representatives targeting architects, lighting designers, electrical contractors, and facility owners across the United States and Canada; it does not sell direct to end customers. Projects span education (Columbia College Chicago, Chinook Trail Middle School, Carey Law School), healthcare, commercial office, hospitality, entertainment (Phoenix Suns/Mercury Arena), library/municipal, recreation, and architectural interiors. Certifications include ETL listing to UL standards, ADA-compliant SKUs, BABA compliance, IP66 ratings for exterior products, and damp/wet-location driver options.
Since 2020, SPI Lighting has operated as a portfolio company of Bukas Lighting Group while continuing to run independently from its Mequon facility. The company previously operated under founder Lee A. Doerr Jr. from 1987 until his passing in 2019 and earlier acquired Advent Lighting (1999) to broaden its architectural lighting capabilities.
SPI Lighting firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SPI Lighting
- Legal name
- SPI Lighting Holdings, LLC
- Website
- https://spilighting.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1970
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- SPI Lighting is a privately-held US architectural LED luminaire manufacturer, hand-building specification-grade fixtures at its vertically integrated Mequon, Wisconsin factory and selling through independent sales agencies to architects, lighting designers, and facility owners across North America.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SPI Lighting industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Architectural Lighting
- NAICS
- Commercial, Industrial, and Institutional Electric Lighting Fixture Manufacturing (335132), Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing (3351)
- SIC
- Electric Lighting & Wiring Equipment (3640)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Industrial & Commercial Luminaires (High-bay, Low-bay, Troffers, Downlights) (IMAGAIAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Outdoor & Area Lighting (Street, Roadway, Parking, Flood, Sports/Architectural exterior) (IMAGAIAB), Specialty & Task/Workstation Lighting (Inspection/task lights, cleanroom/food-grade, portable work lights) (IMAGAIAK)
Keywords
Where SPI Lighting is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Mequon
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
SPI Lighting business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Luminaire Product Sales: SPI Lighting generates revenue through the design, manufacture, and sale of architectural LED luminaires. Products are sold primarily through a network of independent sales agencies/specification representatives to architects, lighting designers, and facility owners. The company also offers custom product design services and modifications to standard products, contributing to project-specific revenue.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | — | B2B specification pricing through agency network |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels8 records
SPI Lighting product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SPI Lighting designs and hand-manufactures architectural LED luminaires at a vertically integrated factory in Mequon (Milwaukee), Wisconsin, selling them exclusively through a North American network of independent specification sales agencies. Its portfolio spans the Lightruss, Pavo, Zynn, Novato, Echo, Ashland, Styk, Beam, Cubes, Vallejo LC, OUTLINES, Loris, Harbor, and RAIL product families, complemented by custom design, modification, and hand-painted finish services for architects, lighting designers, and facility owners.
Product overview
SPI Lighting is an architectural lighting manufacturer offering a comprehensive portfolio of LED luminaires designed and manufactured in the USA at their Mequon, Wisconsin facility. The product portfolio includes multiple interconnected product families: Lightruss indirect lighting systems with Focus supplemental modules; Pavo cylindrical pendants in various sizes; Zynn minimalist ring and linear luminaires featuring 1.25" cross-section seamless construction; Novato luminous forms collection with three-sided illumination including Ring, Lines + Arcs, Orbit, and Tiers chandeliers; Echo architectural luminaires including Round, Expanse, Velocity, Shapes, and Blade; plus specialty lines including Ashland schoolhouse-style fixtures, Styk high-output, Beam discreet wall washers, Cubes geometric forms, and Vallejo LC large format fixtures. The company also offers extensive customization capabilities including custom designs, hand-painted finishes, and modifications to standard products. Product categories span natatorium solutions, architectural decorative, asymmetric & performance, linear configurable systems, and exterior luminaires. All products feature LED technology with various control options including nLight, Lutron Athena, and Current NX wireless integration.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Lightruss / Lightruss Focus indirect lighting system Indirect and supplemental direct LED lighting systems engineered for natatoriums, large-volume architectural spaces, and high-ceiling applications requiring glare mitigation and maximum efficiency.
- Pavo Family cylindrical pendants Cylindrical pendant luminaires available in multiple sizes (2", 4", 6", 8", and larger) with horizontal, wall mount, exterior wall, and array configurations for architectural interiors and exteriors.
- Zynn Family minimalist luminaires Minimalist luminaire family with 1.25" cross-section featuring seamless aluminum housing, including Ring pendants (1.5" to 10'), Lines wall washers, Lines + Arcs modular systems, Ring Tiers chandeliers, and Zynn Reverb illuminated mirrors.
- Novato Family luminous forms Luminous forms collection featuring uniform three-sided illumination, including pendant, ceiling, and wall variants with Ring, Frame, Square, Drum, Convex, Concave, Orbit chandeliers, and Tiers multi-ring configurations.
- Echo Family architectural luminaires Architectural luminaire collection including Echo Round (3.5" to 9") for interior/exterior, Echo Expanse indirect asymmetric, Echo Velocity wall washers, Echo Shapes geometric fixtures, and Echo Blade blade luminaires (available with Gen 2 exterior upgrade option).
- Ashland schoolhouse-style luminaires Schoolhouse-style LED luminaires in Classic, Nouveau, Deco, and Globe shapes delivering 104 lumens per watt, available in pendant, ceiling, and wall mount configurations for vintage, industrial, and reclaimed interiors.
- Styk Family high-output luminaires High-output LED luminaires delivering maximum lumens in a minimal package, available in suspended, wall bracket, wall stem, ceiling remote, and cove configurations for high-ceiling and large spaces.
- Beam discreet wall washing and grazing luminaire Ultra-discreet 1" diameter wall washing and grazing luminaire used for lighting artwork and murals, available in wall mount and suspended configurations.
- Cubes geometric pendants and ceilings Geometric pendant and ceiling luminaires combining clean shapes with highly transmissive matte opal acrylic diffusers for architectural interiors.
- Vallejo LC large format pendants Large format pendant and ceiling luminaires in 8", 10", and 12" sizes designed for architectural and high-ceiling installations.
- OUTLINES geometric fixtures Geometric pendant and surface mount LED fixtures available in Triangle, Square, Pentagon, Hexagon, and Cross configurations for distinctive architectural ceilings.
- Loris cylindrical luminaires Cylindrical LED luminaires in 9", 16", 24", 36", and 48" sizes for various mounting configurations including suspended and surface applications.
- Harbor marine-inspired luminaires Marine-inspired LED luminaires available in single, double, triple, and cross bar configurations, with interior and exterior variants for coastal and maritime architectural installations.
- RAIL linear lighting system Linear LED lighting system with re-engineered performance and design features for architectural linear applications.
- Natatorium solutions Specialized indirect lighting solutions designed for swimming pool and aquatic environments, addressing humidity, corrosion resistance, glare control on water surfaces, and energy efficiency in large open spaces.
- Custom design and modification services Custom engineering services allowing customers to submit lighting concepts for review, formal engineering drawings, and hand-built manufacturing at the Wisconsin factory, plus modification of standard products' aesthetics or performance and creation of replicas.
- Hand-painted globe finishes Custom hand-painted globe and specialty finish options applied at SPI Lighting's Wisconsin factory for architectural decorative projects.
Quantifiable outcome
- Efficacy over 100 lumens per watt delivered (e.g., Ashland at 104 lm/W, Novato Orbit at >100 lm/W)
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use SPI Lighting
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
SPI Lighting technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration8 records
Feature9 records
SPI Lighting partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
SPI Lighting competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Acuity Brands: Largest US-listed architectural and commercial lighting manufacturer. Owns multiple specification-grade brands (Peerless, Winona, Healthcare Lighting, Gotham) that directly overlap SPI's product categories, and operates a broad agent network competing for the same architect/lighting-designer specifications.
- Signify (Philips Lighting): Global lighting leader with the Philips, Color Kinetics, and Day-Brite brands, plus Cooper Lighting Solutions in North America. Competes with SPI across architectural, commercial, and outdoor LED luminaire segments, leveraging scale, controls ecosystems, and a deep specification presence.
- Hubbell Lighting: US-based commercial and industrial lighting manufacturer (Columbia, Prescolite, Architectural Area Lighting) competing in specification-grade architectural and outdoor segments alongside SPI, with strong agent coverage in North America.
- Current (GE Current, a Daintree company): Offers architectural and industrial LED luminaires plus the NX wireless controls platform that SPI explicitly integrates with. Competes with SPI in commercial and architectural specifications while also serving as a controls interoperability partner.
Direct peers
- Visa Lighting: Milwaukee-based architectural luminaire manufacturer producing hand-crafted, specification-grade LED fixtures in the US. Closest geographic and product-positioning peer to SPI, with a similar focus on healthcare, education, and commercial interior architectural projects.
- Kenall Lighting: US manufacturer specializing in high-performance, sealed, and architectural luminaires for demanding environments (healthcare, correctional, transit, natatoriums). Direct overlap with SPI's specialty and natatorium lighting focus.
- Finelite: California-based specification-grade LED luminaire manufacturer focused on architectural linear and recessed fixtures. Competes head-to-head with SPI's linear and configurable systems offerings in commercial offices and education.
- Amerlux: Architectural and commercial LED lighting manufacturer offering specification-grade downlights, track, pendants, and exterior fixtures. Directly comparable to SPI in product mix and target specifier audience.
- BEGA: Premium German-engineered architectural and outdoor luminaire manufacturer with a strong North American specification presence. Competes with SPI in high-end architectural and exterior applications, with comparable reputation for design quality and durability.
Emerging players
- Blackjack Lighting: Architectural LED luminaire designer and manufacturer focused on decorative and linear specification products. Smaller, design-led peer with overlapping decorative pendant, ring, and linear families similar to SPI's Novato and Zynn lines.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
SPI Lighting social profiles
Digital presenceSPI Lighting compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance6 records
SPI Lighting financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SPI Lighting leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
SPI Lighting subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
SPI Lighting funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SPI Lighting M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about SPI Lighting
What does SPI Lighting do?
SPI Lighting designs and hand-manufactures architectural LED luminaires at a vertically integrated factory in Mequon (Milwaukee), Wisconsin, selling them exclusively through a North American network of independent specification sales agencies. Its portfolio spans the Lightruss, Pavo, Zynn, Novato, Echo, Ashland, Styk, Beam, Cubes, Vallejo LC, OUTLINES, Loris, Harbor, and RAIL product families, complemented by custom design, modification, and hand-painted finish services for architects, lighting designers, and facility owners.
Is SPI Lighting a public or private company?
SPI Lighting is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was SPI Lighting founded?
SPI Lighting was founded in 1970. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is SPI Lighting based?
SPI Lighting is headquartered in Mequon, United States, in the North America region.
How does SPI Lighting make money?
One revenue line is on record: luminaire Product Sales.
Who are SPI Lighting's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Acuity Brands, Signify (Philips Lighting), Hubbell Lighting and Current (GE Current, a Daintree company). Direct peers are Visa Lighting, Kenall Lighting, Finelite, Amerlux and BEGA. Blackjack Lighting is listed as an emerging player.
Does SPI Lighting have an API?
No public API is recorded for SPI Lighting.
What industry is SPI Lighting in?
SPI Lighting's product category is Architectural Lighting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAGAIAA, Industrial & Commercial Luminaires (High-bay, Low-bay, Troffers, Downlights), with a secondary code of IMAGAIAB, Outdoor & Area Lighting (Street, Roadway, Parking, Flood, Sports/Architectural exterior). Its NAICS code is 335132 and its SIC code is 3640.